masquerade

about the author
cyrus parker is a pro-wrestler-turned-poet hailing from a small town in new jersey alongside wife and poetess amanda lovelace and their two ragdoll cats, macchiato and rosé. a self-described “big goth kid,” cyrus has an affinity for dark eyeshadow, dark clothes, enamel pins, and dropkicking the gender binary.
WEBSITE: http://cyrusparker.com
TWITTER: @cyrusparker
INSTAGRAM: @cyrusparker

and finally, you, the readers. when an author puts their work out into the world, they never know how it’s going to be received. the immense amount of support you’ve given me and DROPKICKromance is something that i truly appreciate with every fiber of my being, and i hope you’ll receive masquerade just as warmly. thank you for being a part of this journey with me, and i hope you’ll come along for the rest of the ride.
— cyrus

well as my own. thank you for your complete understanding, for believing in me, for inspiring me, and for accepting me for who i am. and as always, thank you for being you.

my wife (i’ll never get tired of saying that), amanda, whom i owe my entire existence to. thank you for helping me through my constant meltdowns and frequent bouts of imposter syndrome. thank you for helping me work through this book’s identity crisis, as

those in the poetry community who have supported and continue to support me and my work. there’s far too many people to name without risk of leaving someone out, but know that i appreciate each and every one of you.

professor dara evans for continuing to be my guiding light, even after graduation, and professor suzanne parker for not only pushing me out of my poetry comfort zone but also for the prompt that inspired the poem “sinful” and the time spent workshopping earlier versions of it.

stunning artwork that graces the cover of this book. when the direction of masquerade shifted and it was in need of a face-lift, not only did you deliver but you delivered in spectacular fashion. i cannot thank you enough.

michelle halket of central avenue publishing for bringing the poetry avengers together and for giving versions of the poems “stained glass mirror” and “start→power→shut down” their first home in [Dis]Connected.
munise sertel, for the absolutely

nikita gill, k.y. robinson, and iain s. thomas, aka the other half of the poetry avengers i have yet to thank, for not only accepting me with open arms but for being constant inspirations to me. may we reassemble soon!

being two of the most genuine and supportive people i have had the honor of knowing.