Forwards Always: Poems to Be Read Aloud

Forwards Always is a collection of poems to be read aloud with friends and loved ones.

You may need to practice certain poems more than once before you get the hang of them, as you would dancing the rumba or making pancakes. Play with the book, it is a toy. Rotate it, squeeze it, and wave it about. Hold it with someone else, wear it as a hat, or try reading it upside down. Some poems may be improved by two readers taking turns or even reading aloud at the same time. You will figure it out. Please be aware that the book is neither waterproof nor fire resistant. Dogs and goats will eat it, if given the opportunity. It tastes of paper.

Matthew Hodson is a graphic artist and poet. He likes other people, the woods, and boiled eggs. He is frustrated by cynicism and mold. He is the author of At This Very Moment (Cicada, 2021) and the illustrator of Don't Hug the Pug (Cicada, 2019).