“As I grew up, that flame started to change. It in the wind, it began to rearrange”

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In his debut collection, R. B. Bunn explores the devastation of grief in the face of losing an uncle who battled addiction. Through a deeply personal lens, this collection explores the weight of mental illness and the effects of witnessing self-destructive cycles from a young age. Each poem becomes an elegy for an uncle whose battle with addiction left invisible wounds on both his life and the lives of those who loved him.

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With unflinching honesty coupled with a sense of compassion, this collection traces the painful realities of watching someone slip away from both life and from themselves. It reflects on how addiction shapes memories of that person and how they can distort family ties. With Crossing the Sea Shattered of Glass, R. B. Bunn grapples with the complexities of love, loss, survivor's guilt, and the need for healing. All while trying to honor the good parts of his uncle's soul, yet also not shying for the darker aspects that were at times, all too easy to dwell on.