The poem explores the poet's role in weaving illusions and dreams for dreamers through her writing, though she warns against underestimating or overestimating her abilities. She reflects on how her naivety has led to heartbreak in the past from believing in ideas like lasting love and kindness from all people. In the end, she is left as a poor poet, using her writing to work through her memories and experiences of love and heartbreak as she wonders if she truly has an audience for her work.

1. Illusions
By Shanon Quinn
Do not underestimate me, sweet romantic,
As I weave dreamers’ dreams from silken illusions: storybook heavens of postcard towns
with picturesque skies and cream puff clouds which rain tears from fantasy believers,
Whose dreams never quite came true.
Do not overestimate me, silly girl,
Whose heart has been broken too many times by my own naivety: my faith that love is
forever and blind and true; my belief that there is caring and kindness in the hearts of
everyone, my trust that no one would ever want to hurt me,
But I was wrong.
See me as I am, poor poet,
Whose work is a jumble of words, rhymes and pages: reflections of love and of
heartbreak that I have experienced in my short life, memories I dream over again and
awaken in tears to the cold loneliness of a winter night to lie awake and wonder if I really
do,
Have you.