Author’s Note

I’ve always found it interesting who we relate to in fiction—and apparently, my answer is the villains.

Not necessarily because I agree with everything they do, but because I recognize pieces of myself in their intensity, their flaws, their ambition, their pettiness, and sometimes even the way they try to make sense of the world.

So this is me admitting that my fictional character roster might raise a few questions.

Vader. Maul. Thawne. Light.

Yeah.

I know.

— Rowan Evans

Who Do I Relate To in Fiction?
Poetry by Rowan Evans

I relate to the villains—
Like Vader, who loved so hard
he became a monster—
sure he killed Padmé,
but was that really
little Ani’s fault?
Because I blame Obi-Wan—
you see, if Kenobi
had not of gone—
if he hadn’t have been
on Mustafar,
Padmé would still be here.

And I relate with Maul,
because he had it all—
the flips, the tricks,
the sweet lightsaber
with twice the blade—
but his overconfidence
was his downfall.
That’s why I keep mine in check,
I’m not ready to split yet.

I relate to Eobard Thawne.
That’s the level of petty
that I aspire to,
because if I don’t like you—
and I mean, really don’t like you,
I make it my job
to keep you feeling off.
It’s nothing big,
just little and inconvenient—
until it’s not.
(Sorry, Mrs. Allen.)

I also relate to Light Yagami—
because he likes to write,
and I like to write too.
We both write names in notebooks,
try to shape fate with words—
the difference is, where my ink
sometimes heals—
his only hurts.

Journey into the Hexverse

[It Could Have Been…]
A playful little love poem about strawberries, roses, and the wonderfully ridiculous ways romance can show up when you know someone doesn’t like the traditional version.

[Exhibit A]
A quick-witted, unapologetically playful poem about writing fast, crossing lines, roasting the competition, and letting rhythm do the talking.

[Why So Serious?]
A playful, chaotic poem packed with pop-culture references, superhero imagery, Disney characters, wordplay, and the kind of ridiculous puns that make the poet wonder why they were ever given a pen.

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