Short Poetry Collection 144

This is poetry read by real people, not performers. Thirty-one volunteers stepped up to the microphone in May 2015 for LibriVox, each bringing their own voice, rhythm, and interpretation to a poem. The result is a collection that feels less like a polished production and more like overhearing someone read aloud to themselves in a quiet room. The poems span voices and eras, united only by the willingness of strangers to share them. Some readings are assured; others tremble with the intimacy of a first attempt. What ties them together is something harder to manufacture than perfection: genuine enthusiasm for the words on the page. For listeners who find polished recitations too formal, these imperfect readings offer something rarer: the human need to speak poetry aloud.