Author’s Note

Poetry has never been a place I go to behave.

For me, language is something to climb through, rearrange, break apart, rebuild, and occasionally weaponize for the sake of a really bad joke. Mythology and symbolism are still part of that world, but they aren’t walls I hide behind anymore—they’re architecture. They give the imagination somewhere to live while the poet underneath it keeps revealing himself, piece by piece.

The Playground (Language, Metaphors and More) is an invitation into that space.

It is part creative philosophy, part victory lap, part conversation with the page—and, naturally, part terrible knock-knock joke. Because if I’ve spent twenty-three years turning language into a playground, I’m going to play.

— Rowan Evans

The Playground (Language, Metaphors and More)
Poetry by Rowan Evans

I sat down—
with the intent to write,
had a lot of ideas
on my mind tonight—
like what if the moon
was a witness?

And the tide a guide through
the emotional current
in the room—
but that’s just if I
went the route
of mythology,
symbolism—
and everything
I used to hide behind.

That’s not how I use it now—

it’s still my mythology,
symbolic architecture—

giving my words texture—

but I don’t
hide behind it—
I use it now,
to show the art of me,
getting to the deeper
heart of me—
not the whole picture,
just a small part of me.

I’ve been doing this
for twenty-three
years and counting—
and I’m definitely
not on my way out now—
I’ll hit my second, third,
fourth and fifth wind,
any day now—
I’ve turned language
into my fucking playground—
everything is a game now.
Just conversating
with the page now—
I’m done pretending,
like I don’t write flames now—
poetry’s royalty,
I’m taking my crown now—
and I think it’s time you all
bow down—
look I’m going to make a joke,
turn into a clown now.

Why don’t we slow down?
I’ll tell you that joke now—

Knock, Knock—

who’s there?

Disa—

Disa-who?

Disa-me? I disa-you—

with a line so mean
you’ll want to disappear,
wish you were never here—

here’s a warning, dear:

If you see my ravens,
perched upon your lawn—

it’s an omen—

you are already gone.

Journey into the Hexverse

[The Metaphor Machine]
A poem that takes apart its own machinery as it runs—breaking lines, breaking thoughts, and following metaphors from moonlight to tides, oceans, shorelines, and city streets.

[Confession or Cap?]
A sharp and playful look at the line between confession and exaggeration, where a nice poet admits that their pen sometimes talks a little too much shit—and occasionally sets the page on fire.

If you’re interested in more poetry, you can find it here → [The Library of Ashes]