Aurora's Nights

I remember the first time I saw Rory Wilson. She walked into a mutual friend’s house, and I immediately thought how beautiful she was and admired her style. She was soft-spoken, but a presence. She listened more than she spoke. However, it was impossible not to notice her.

Upon getting to know her further, she was everything I assumed and more. She was beautiful, inside and out. Absolutely. Rory was also broken, carrying pain, hurt, and disappointment. She was battling lost feelings and personal issues that haunt and taunt the best of us. Yet, somehow, she still shined. Somehow, she still gave, and loved, and encouraged, and uplifted others. No matter the weight of her own burdens, she was always willing to lighten the load for someone else. For this, I have always admired Rory. Her spirit was and is incredible. The passing of her mortal body cannot and will not erase that.

Unlike what I initially thought, once you got to know Rory, she was LOUD, silly, playful, and hilarious. She was imperfect, genuine, driven, wild, sweet, maddening, and honest.

If I chose to share every memory that I cherish that I had with Rory, this would become my book and not hers. So, I will simply say…she was my dear friend and I miss her.

When Rory’s amazing mother, Kathy, mentioned she had a collection of Rory’s poetry, I knew it would be all the things that Rory was. I was not wrong. In this collection of Rory’s work, you will find raw emotions written for true moments of love, lust, lament, despair, and revelation. As a writer, I appreciate her transparent words shared through this avenue of self-reflection and emotional venting. As her friend, it comforts me to know that she did not bottle her emotion, but instead, used her talent to exhale those feelings and thoughts that we all too often hide and let fester. She was smart enough to know that was not the way. She was courageous enough to expose the things (good and bad) inside of her heart and mind, and turned them into something so vulnerable, open, and relatable. I know her words have personally helped me feel not alone.

I knew this book was necessary. No, not necessary…. important. I know it will be a treasured gift to all who love her, and a vital contribution to the world of poetry.

Rory Wilson was unforgettable.
…is unforgettable.

These are her words…