Falling Hard
100 Love Poems by Teenagers
Age 14+
Poetry
"The teen poets in this lively anthology knock greeting-card clichés even as they celebrate their romance and their passion...From the pain of breakup and denial to affection and desire, the feelings in these poems will ring true to gay and straight teens alike." — Booklist
"But what I'll really mean is
are you ready to dive in?
This is not falling,
this is landing."
— From "Gift" by Portia Carryer, age 16
The poets are straight, gay, lesbian, bi, or transgender. They live next door or across an ocean; they are innocent or experienced; their lyric explorations range from new love to stale love, obsession to ennui, ecstasy to heartbreak, and every nuance in between. Whether the romantic escapades described are touching, comical, or tragic, whether the feelings expressed are tender and sweet or brutal and biting, readers will find the love these young poets openly share to be exquisitely, excruciatingly, endlessly fascinating. Here is a collection to turn to again and again, because life and love keep on changing.
Creators
Betsy Franco has published more than eighty books, including three previous anthologies. She lives in Palo Alto, California.
