In his debut poetry collection, Mazzilli carries us into the ebb & flow of youth. Through a chronological timeline, the narrator reawakens us to the many hues of growing up- Of first loves, failures, and the small victories that we often forget. Compiled of over a decade of the author’s poetry, 14 Through 24 is a reminder to embrace that which you love and to never let the critic within you win. Mazzilli’s poignant retelling of personal events & experiences truly connects with its readers- sometimes like a soft kiss, sometimes like a punch to the gut.
In his debut poetry collection, Mazzilli carries us into the ebb & flow of youth. Through a chronological timeline, the narrator reawakens us to the many hues of growing up- Of first loves, failures, and the small victories that we often forget. Compiled of over a decade of the author’s poetry, 14 Through 24 is a reminder to embrace that which you love and to never let the critic within you win. Mazzilli’s poignant retelling of personal events & experiences truly connects with its readers- sometimes like a soft kiss, sometimes like a punch to the gut.
This collection contains over a decade of scattered thoughts; thoughts gained from growing up tumultuously, as most do. Conceived by first loves, heartbreak, grief, failure, and most of all, feeling lost- A work inspired completely by self-doubt, foolish aspiration, fixation, and a certain form of misplaced vanity.
Starting with the poems I wrote at age 14 (the year I discovered writing poetry) and taking us right through the end of adolescence a decade later, this anthology is a journey in the form of journal. It is a timeline of creativity, loosely captured through life-altering events, and all those little defining moments that lie between them. As a side effect of the very nature of youth, there is no solidified thematic through-line in this book other than my own personal chronology and the poetry stemmed from my distinctive reactions and unusual pattern of growth.
In the 9 months it took me to find and assemble these unreleased relics of my past, I’ve had to relive the memories I’ve spent much of my life trying to forget. The harsh reaction of which, turned me off to the idea of even finishing this compilation. I wound up putting it off for another year, but after recently turning 25 (the millennial 18), the existential dread of indefinite adulthood settled in, and I decided to make this project a priority. Partly, to feel the encumbrance of the time spent on these writings lifted from me- but partly, to tell a certain truth:
Young/beginner creatives are usually taught to hide their work until it’s good by the standards of others. Till they’re no longer an embarrassment to themselves and their patrons. These skewed ideals lead artists to become discouraged before they’ve even had the chance to see the great work they could one day produce, usually killing that creative drive that once burned in them. I am no different. That fear of critique combined with my own unrealistic expectations and perfectionism has made me give up on myself on multiple occasions, causing this internal struggle between my need for an external expression through words, and that gnawing feeling of pointlessness that can nosedive one straight into apathy. When I sank into that darkness, it would take everything I had to become re-motivated. I lost years to these bouts of self-deprecation and dispassion. So the goal here is transparency; to welcome the inadequate along with the eloquent, the ennui with the enthralling, the mediocre with the remarkable- all in a journey of self-acceptance for a self-hypercritical generation.
This anthology is dedicated to every artist who gave up before reaching their full potential. I hope you remind yourself of your passion, as I had to, and that you find charm in the immense imperfections of your work. I hope to read your book, hear your song, see your art, or be impacted in some way by whatever it is you choose to do with the rest of your life- And I hope you have a good time doing it.
14
Ghost
I am a Ghost beneath this sheet
Below, I can’t be heard or seen
But light bleeds through, not too discrete
Linen this thin can’t muffle scream
Too thin, just like my mother was
Gave way to fist, not near enough
No pain like that which will become
When love is used to fight with love.
14THROUGH24 by Mike Mazzilli is a down-to-earth poetry collection. Mazzilli introduces his work well in his preface, conveying that putting your work out is half the battle for young artists, even if it's just for meeting your passion halfway.
This collection of poems brings the reader along through love and love lost in a poetic journey of growth. The shifts in the themes and style illustrate the poet's growth within his craft. Mazzilli uses alternate rhyme and repetition to structure his poetic journey in this collection. The poems in sections 14 through 16 play within normal poetic conventions of form, rhyme, and metaphor with little experimentation. From 17 onward, the poems become more emotional and crass as the narrator becomes more jaded about love and life. A common theme that flows through the collection's first half is how life ends in death. This is phrased in a way where death will not be of natural causes, which is inevitable. This idea fades out from section 21 as Mazzilli becomes more concerned with his daily life than how life will end. Sections 17 through 21 are heavier in the topic as they explore rough breakups and loss, and 21 carries more sadness and longing than the earlier sections of the collection.
This collection is very human. Poetry, and all forms of art for that matter, does not show a linear progression of skill and craft. These poems stand in testament to that and do Mazzilli's preface justice. The love poems in this collection are gorgeous, especially at the beginning of the collection. The rhymes are well thought out, and the poems flow well alone and together, while the later sections are passionate and emotional. These poems are organized in chronological order, which ties the poems and their themes together.
However, the poems in the second half of this collection don't flow as well together as the ones in the first. They also show many more negative parts of the human psyche that creep up during young adulthood. These heavier poems focus more on the impact of the feelings felt and the story being told and use fewer literary conventions to convey emotions to the reader. These poems are not for the faint-hearted but are perfect for those who have overcome similar feelings of heartbreak and loss.
Overall, this book is worth the read. Readers who enjoy poetry, especially poems with love, loss, and life themes, will enjoy this collection. It is a raw and realistic snapshot of someone's life. The poems in this collection show the narrator's foolishness and vanity but also how time changes a person and what more could you ask from poetry?