DEMON IN MY VIEW by Shelly Bryant

Unlike other collections of speculative poetry, A Demon In My View was assembled in order to present to the non-poetry reader a sort of Whitman's Sampler of what is possible in this aspect of poetry.  Speculative poetry deals with the "what-ifs" of concepts only marginally addressed by mainstream poetry.  What are some of the possible outcomes of today's more cutting edge enquiries?  What if our nightmares became corporeal, able to share a physical existence with us?  Such poetry is distinguished not only by the answers they suggest, but also by the questions they raise.  
 
Some might say that poetry, including speculative poetry, is not intended for everyone.  But poetry confronts the human experience.  The best of it can tell us who we are, who is traveling with us and who is not, and how we can tell the difference.  And you're human.  This, then, is for you.
 
Inspired by a line from an Edgar Allen Poe poem!