For this holiday season, I selected Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You: Poems by Misha Collins. I fell in love with Misha Collins’ portrayal of the angel Castiel on Supernatural.
When I saw him on talk shows and read his posts on social media, I discovered he was not only a talented actor, but he was also a caring human being.
His book has been on my Read and Review List since its publication in 2021. This month seemed like the perfect time. Why did I wait so long?
He is the creator of GISH (Greatest International Scavenger Hunt), a scavenger hunt spanning over 100 countries that gamifies charitable acts to promote social change. He’s also the founder and board president of Random Acts, a 100% volunteer-run charity working to encourage and facilitate acts of kindness around the world. Collins worked at the White House and at NPR before becoming an actor. He has two children, and still finds time to write poetry that has been published in well-known literary journals. He co-authored a cookbook, The Adventurous Eaters Club, with his wife, Victoria Collins. Most of the profits from its sales will go to charitable organizations specializing in food nutrition.
Collins writes about subjects such as love, joy, longing, sadness, people, parents, and kids. He paints visual pictures evoking memories that make us feel his words. Muscle memory from past lives and loves you feel as well as see and hear. For example, this line from “Clasped,” ‘The sky is perfectly painted the color of cold.’ I don’t even have to close my eyes to see, feel, or smell the chill in the icy blue-white sky.
“The Mother of Learning” is a beautiful poem about intimacy and how the feel of your lover’s presence becomes ingrained in your consciousness.
Some poems will make you blush in the best possible ways. Others will make you laugh or cry, but every poem will make an unforgettable impression. Take a break from the holiday chaos and step into Misha Collins words.
Photo Credits:
Image of Misha Collins: By Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61373950
Image of book: Taken from my personal book collection with no intent of copyright infringement.