A Better Friend
A Better Friend is a raw and unflinching poetry collection that chronicles one young man's descent into heartbreak, addiction, and mental illness-and his hard-fought journey toward healing and self-acceptance.
Structured as an emotional odyssey in four distinct movements, this collection begins with "The Fracture," where the collapse of a relationship shatters the speaker's world. The poems capture the immediate shock of loss with visceral honesty, as in "Storm Breaker" "i felt my walls collapsing / curtains rising / i knew my heart was breaking."
From external wound, the collection plunges into "In the Spider's Web"-a harrowing exploration of the internal chaos that follows trauma. Here, Warren confronts addiction, dissociation, and the feeling of being trapped within one's own mind. The recurring spider imagery becomes a powerful metaphor for isolation and self-imprisonment, culminating in the devastating honesty of "Inside It (Not Specific)," which contains the collection's title line: "I wish you were / a better friend."
"Desert and Asphalt" finds the speaker in an existential wasteland, surveying the wreckage with philosophical ache. These poems transform raw emotion into broader meditations on meaning, mortality, and the harsh realities of modern life. The voice here is that of someone who has touched bottom and begun the difficult work of understanding.
The final section, "Sandcastle," offers not easy redemption but something more valuable: a tentative, fragile peace. These poems represent quiet reflection and hard-won acceptance, ending with the beautiful metaphor of resilience from "Sandcastle" "Mom told me / you're a sandcastle baby... and when we fall apart we stay the same."
Written with the urgency of lived experience, A Better Friend speaks to anyone who has struggled with mental health, addiction, or the simple challenge of surviving in an indifferent world. Warren's voice is both vulnerable and defiant, crafting a collection that is ultimately about the possibility of healing-not through forgetting pain, but by learning to carry it with grace.
Perfect for readers of Rupi Kaur, Ocean Vuong, and Richard Siken, this collection offers hope without false comfort, honesty without self-pity, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from walking through darkness toward light.
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