Poetry
Date Published: 01-25-2025
Destinations describes a continuation of life experiences, such as
Danielle Pitter’s first year of driving, being a first-time author, and
a closer look into other relationships, like family, friendships and romance.
What she has learned from writing these poems is that it’s okay to
express emotions that others may find uncomfortable, like hurt, heartbreak,
and disappointment. This book is for anyone who needs to unpack their messy
thoughts in the same way as she has.
Preface
After
the publication and success of my first book Reality Check in April 2022, I decided to spend the next year
writing more poetry that gave updates about my life in its current state. My
first book gave an insider’s look into where my life was during the 2020
COVID-19 pandemic, my family, and how I saw myself.
Since Reality
Check, many good things have come my way—many things that probably wouldn’t
have happened had I not sat down two years before and written that first book.
I’m so proud of myself and the work, time, and investment taken to create that
body of work.
But
while these many blessings were coming my way, a lot of shadows started
appearing mentally—shadows I’d thought I had done the work in therapy to move
past. That’s why I needed to write more poems about my journey, to explore
those shadows that creep up in the middle of the night, when the world is quiet
and my brain has no choice but to unpack all of the mess from the past several
years. These new poems in this collection were published originally on Patreon,
so they are available on my page to read individually. I started to write these
poems around the time of Reality Check’s release, so a lot of them are
reactionary to how I had felt after my first book’s publication.
I felt
like these poems would fit best in a book rather than just online because I
wanted to see them in a book format. I wanted others to read this body of work
in a physical book format, where the reader isn’t glued to a screen all the
time. I wanted readers to experience reading the way I did growing up, flipping
through the pages, getting immersed in language, setting, writing style and
characters. Much like Reality Check, I wanted this book to make readers
think about their own experiences and learn from them.
During
the process of writing this book, I received my driver’s license after taking
the road test only once. I got my first car three months later. A few poems in
Part I were written during my first year of driving. I thought it would be an
interesting concept to explore the intersection of learning how to drive with
learning how to live my life.
Part II
describes my complicated relationship with sharing my first book with the
world. I was so used to sharing for more than just a select few, that when it
came time to share with everyone, my fear of being seen came out even more.
In Part
III, I dig a little deeper into other relationships, like families,
friendships, and romantic relationships. Romance is something I have very
little experience in, but I wanted to share those experiences in the best way I
knew how, which is through writing.
What
I’ve learned from writing these poems is that it’s okay to express emotions
that others may find uncomfortable, like hurt, heartbreak, and disappointment.
Often enough, people only look at the highlight reel of self-love, and not the
in-between moments, like anxiety, pain, anguish, frustration, and depression.
But those in-between moments are just as important to share as the highlight
reel.
This
book is for anyone who needs to unpack their messy thoughts in the same way as
I have. I hope this book takes you on a similar journey it did for me while
writing it.
I.
Destinations
I
drove to the first destination I needed to go to today.
During
my driving lessons today,
I
felt the need to go down to the library,
drive
to the parking lot space,
grab
a job application and go.
even
if there's nothing there,
even
if there are no openings,
at
least I did it!
At
least I got up and did it on the way on to achieving
something
else.
My
driving instructor could have said no,
because
it’s against the rules to drive
outside
of our boundaries.
But he
didn't.
He just
let me go.
Whatever
comes out of it, I think I'll be okay.
I'm just glad I did it myself.
Last Hopes
Just when I think it's all over,
just when I think it's not meant to be,
when everything will cave in and turn over,
when things seem the darkest,
when I almost feel
like I can't see myself out,
is when things turn around.
That’s when the sun rises
over a dark, dreary, storm-driven sky.
That's how I know
there is something out
there
Watching over me—
taking comfort in my
wellbeing.
It’s Still Unbelievable
How I got my driver’s license.
I got the one thing that’s been within my reach for so long.
Driving has been a fear of mine since I was sixteen,
since everyone kept teasing me about it,
making me feel like I wasn't enough.
I’d always avoided driving
by taking Ubers
and asking friends for rides.
The thought of me behind the wheel
had set my heart racing and palms sweating
because I was so scared to crash the car.
But after many years of avoiding what was needed,
I finally decided to take the test.
Places
Only 30 minutes.
It’s only 30 minutes to
drive
to this new interview,
a new place farther away
from home.
I turn on the ignition
and drive down the long,
winding road,
passing by red, yellow, and
green lights.
My attempts to sing along
with whatever song plays on
the radio
fade as horns of angry
drivers blare around me.
Trees blur past me
on either side,
turning the blue sky
into a sea of green and
brown.
My hands shake
from the grip of the hot
steering wheel
while my breath stays
caught in my throat.
I miss my turn.
Somehow, I gather my
bearings
and find my route again.
I see the signs of the
building,
slowly turning into the
parking lot.
When I make it to my
destination,
I can feel my chest expand.
I let go of the breath
I have held closely to me.
All of that frustration,
confusion
and tears on the road
still lead me to where I
needed to be.
I’m relieved that I
survived my first
long-distance route,
even though I’d cried
through it.
Thank heavens
I got here in one piece.
Restless
Sunday
is meant to be a day of rest.
So why
do I feel so out of balance?
I’m not
out of shape,
but I’m
still out of breath.
like
I’m trying to catch up with my body.
I’m not
hungry.
I’m not
tired.
My head
does hurt, though.
Maybe a
technology break
will
help ease my mind, body
and
soul for the day.
I need
to find something else to do
besides
having my face plastered
against
a screen all day.
I can
read a book,
go for
a walk,
do some
yoga,
Talk to
family,
go for
a drive,
write
that second book
I’ve
always wanted to finish.
I can
find a life
that Sundays are meant for.
About the Author
Born and raised in New Jersey, Danielle has been writing stories since
early childhood. What started from with innocent fairy-tales in first grade
turned into a growing passion that was always one step behind her. After
graduating from the University of Phoenix in 2017 with a bachelor’s
degree in Communications and Journalism, she started her writing journey as a
journalist for entertainment media outlets like TV After Dark, Fangirlish and
Glitter Magazine. Her first poetry novel Reality Check is available on Amazon
and Barnes & Noble.
Currently, she’s a writer on her own website, PoetryBooksYA.com. She
also holds a Master of Information degree from Rutgers University.
Additionally, she is a member of the New Jersey Library Association.
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