A Gap Year

A Gap Year is a collection of poetry written across two decades, tracing one life through seasons of love and loss, belief and doubt, fear and healing. From the restless uncertainty of youth to the quiet responsibilities of adulthood, these poems chronicle the moments that shape us long after they have passed.Blending lyrical free verse, narrative poetry, and literary prose, Dr. Raven explores: - Grief that lingers across generations- The search for God in silence and suffering- Mental health, anxiety, and identity- Family, memory, and inherited love- Horror, Americana, and Southern Gothic imagery- Redemption, hope, and becomingAt times intimate, at times unsettling, A Gap Year moves between dream and reality, confession and fiction, asking what remains after years of changing, losing, believing, and beginning again.Whether read one poem at a time or from beginning to end, this collection invites readers to pause, reflect, and discover pieces of their own story within its pages.Some years change your life. Others change who you are.