Life isn’t always full of sunshine or even just rain. It’s a little bit of both.

Instagram poet Atticus tackles and illustrates the many ups and downs of life through his poetry, specifically in his second poetry collection titled “The Dark Between Stars.” In the collection, Atticus presents topics like the highness of being in love, the pain of loneliness, artistry and commitment while pairing his poetry with alluring photographs exhibiting human beauty and dreamy auras.

The language of the poetry within this collection is very vibrant and pleasing to the eye and ear. Atticus uses simple language, yet knits words and phrases together so pleasantly the eyes just engulf the poetry effortlessly. Atticus also establishes his voice very delicately, emphasizing his own poetry style with constant language consisting of simple yet beautiful things.

One of the themes that stood out amongst many of the poems was one of pure love and the excitement of it. While other poets exhibit raw, uncensored descriptions of love that can lead to detailed sexual themes, Atticus brings a refreshing flourish to his descriptions of love. His themes of love are pure and fill the reader with a nice fuzzy feeling, pushing a relaxed and content atmosphere.

“I want to trace the map of you, my fingers a compass,” is an example of one of many lines throughout the collection that displays the soft, joyful emotions of love Atticus captures.

However, while Atticus showcases handfuls of pleasant love poems, he also brings inspiring and relatable poetry leaning more on the themes of creativity and darker themes like loneliness. “I hate to be alone, there are too many voices talking,” is just one of Atticus’s shorter poems in the collection, yet those two sentences are all the words needed to carry the message of one feeling alone. Atticus gives many prime examples of the power and weight of words, even if they are few.

The most powerful poems of the collection, though, are the ones centering around creativity and being true to yourself. “Give like the sun and the whole world grows tall,” one poem advises, while another blatantly preaches “You are worth loving and that’s a fucking fact.”  The poetry collection is just endless in positive vibes.

“The Dark Between Stars” is a quick, yet very pleasant and enjoyable read. For those who love poetry or are looking to add a little more into their lives, Atticus’s collection is one of contentment and vibrancy that will leave you feeling light and a little more inspired.