I’ve sent both my daughters a copy of Make Believe: poems for hoping again by Victoria Hutchins. It’s one of those poetry collections that right from the first page, you’re nodding in agreement with full head movement even if you’re in a room all alone. Yes, you hear yourself saying, me too! You have full conversations with Victoria as if she were there in the kitchen, as if she were your best friend or even your sister. After you read each poem, it’s your turn to reply, and you do – – imagining she is right there at the table with a cup of coffee, wearing pajamas and eating a Mason jar of overnight oats while you chat the morning away with her in your head.
Victoria Hutchins rose to poetic fame on Instagram and TikTok. You can listen to an interview with her and read more about her here. Hutchins offers hope and encouragement in dark days through each poem.
Listen
At first, I didn’t recognize her.
Almost everyone is a stranger until you zoom in or pan out.
The life of it has hollow eyes.
That’s the thing about imaginary friends.
That’s by design.
Listen closely and maybe you’ll realize – it isn’t your voice.
Taken from these poems, in this order: god on Main Street; panda aspen grove; is the party dead already?; god as imaginary friend; blindside; whose hate did you swallow?
Common Threads 