The Human Experience:
A Poetic Handbook to Life

Have you ever wondered why you think, or feel, the way you do? Ever considered how this impacts your daily life?

Try this experiment: read the following questions, take note of how they make you feel.

  1. How’s your love life?

  2. Are your friendships where you want them to be?

  3. How’s your career progressing; do you love what you do?

  4. How does the state of the world make you feel?

  5. Have you made progress on your life goals, ticked off bucket list items?

  6. Are you living your best life? If not, what excuses have you formulated to justify your daily grind? Perhaps, what self-manifested lies do you now believe, to make continuing unfulfilled, a little more bearable?

  7. Can you swear, that yours, is a truly happy life?

If these questions brought up feelings of anxiety, disappointment, sorrow, dread, or negativity then The Human Experience: A Poetic Handbook to Life is designed for you.

This self-help poetry exercise book will guide you through uncovering all the big, small, vivid, distant, painful, and triggering experiences that have led you to being the person you are today.

By understanding these experiences, allowing yourself the time to process them, you can finally get to a place of inner peace, then plan your path forward in designing the life you have always been capable of.

In truth: Who you are is based on your beliefs, and what you believe is based on your values. Yet sadly for all of us our values are tainted daily as we make our way through life — constantly taunted, triggered, and tested. Are your values correct for you?

Ask yourself:

  1. What are your values?

  2. Do they suit where you want to be in life?

  3. How do they hinder your progress?

  4. If you changed them, would your life transform?

  5. Are your values incompatible with your life goals, with your hopes and dreams?

Without knowing, understanding, and being in control of your values, do you really know who you are? Can you ever hope to achieve any form of greatness?

The Human Experience: A Poetic Handbook to Life is a deep-dive into understanding your values through poetry and a series of invasive questions and exercises. This logical, no nonsense, and disturbing peak into our world thrusts into the open everything we’d rather keep hidden, bringing to the surface how we really think and feel.

Through the unforgiving eyes of the poet, journey into the most uncomfortable situations we all face; learn where your values lie, then question them, question everything.

This is the first instalment of The Human Experience poetry self-help series painting a disturbingly vivid picture of modern society designed to help all that read it to become stronger individuals through knowing thyself.

“This redefines what poetry can, and should be, in the 21st century. Shocking, sickening, and saddening; a true reflection of the times. What an eye-opener to the mind, and soul; to see yourself in such a raw way. This is excellent.”

— Russell (36), Beta Reader (UK)

Not convinced?

Check out these samples and Beta Reader quotes; take pause, reflect, and let your mind wander.

Consider your thoughts as you read; how you feel.

Love

Section:
The Need For Others > Romantic Relations

To let love in is excitement,
To let love hurt, a requirement.
Love despite flaws is alignment;
Loving those flaws: refinement.

Time heals the wounds of love,
Experiencing wounds is to live.
Time reflecting on the pain of love,
Throws us back into being a kid.

To let love in is scary,
To let love hurt, contrary.
Love despite flaws is hairy;
Loving those flaws: vary.

Time reminds us of singledom,
Experiencing thrill of the chase.
Time alone being a single him,
Throws us back into stupefied race.

© Copyright JEZBON 2025

“Every time I think about my cheating ex, it stings. But all of it is the process of love. You go in knowing you will come out changed (good or bad). Funny we act like kids when we hurt, but it’s life, it’s normal. I never thought about it as normal, I was always angry, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

— Paul (31), Beta Reader (Australia)

Walk Away

Section:
The Need For Others > Dealing With Others

You'll not convince them; exercise in peril,
The harder you’ll try, the more they'll go feral.
You’re trying to transfer experience lived,
But no value; explanation not received.

Not the explanation that words can transfer —
Those of instinct, of sorrow; thoughts that deter.
The problem with language, even love itself,
Is it does not give of your soul’s inner-self.

We only see fragments through words that we feel,
Pales without direct brain connection reel.
Sadly this kind of tech does not yet exist;
That would win you this argument, to assist.

Strange that winning arguments makes us believe,
We are loving others with heart; how naive.
The best gift in life: release your loved ones free,
To crash and burn in flames; they earn life’s degree.

© Copyright JEZBON 2025

Walk Away changed my relationship with my daughter. Her friends were influencing her, we were yelling for months, now we’re not. The other day she finally came around, she saw [redacted] for what it is. You gave me the strength to let her learn, I have my daughter back. God bless you.”

— Tanya (37), Beta Reader (USA)

Any political, religious, corporate, or governmental views and/or opinions expressed in quotes are those of Beta Readers and not representative of the views of the author.

Listen

Section:
Existential Realisations > State of Society

Listen to those around you, listen to them speak.
What do you hear them saying? Experiment neat.
Categorise what they say; energy it holds.
Is it negativity, or perhaps, do they dwell on old?

Now ask of you these questions, as you hear them speak:
“What value do they bring me, if they, I should keep?
What would life be without them; doors wide in my mind?
Around negativity, the reason, that I fall behind?”

Everything is a cycle, people come and go,
Try to hold on forever, you'll drown very slow.
But we think that connection: hold forever more,
Yet the past good memories, always burdens us, moving forth.

© Copyright JEZBON 2025

“[This] poem made me finally give up on my high school friends. It was hard, I’m from a small town. But they always made me feel s***. They always put me down and I never realised it. I’ve just booked community college, I bet they’ll still be complaining in a year when I move to Dallas to get a better job. Who cares.”

— Devon (23), Beta Reader (USA)

Experience poetry like never before

A far cry from roads diverging in a wood, this is a breathtakingly modern reimagining of the importance of poetry in today’s world; using poetry as a therapeutic tool for the betterment of your Human Experience.

Choices

Section:
The Need For Others > Romantic Relations

You choose to do too little,
Or choose to go too far.
Yet choices made regarding tittle,
Always forever leave their mark.

When a choice made is brittle,
Such as one in a bar;
When in one’s mouth another’s spittle —
Foolishness ensues in the dark.

These liaisons you’ll try to whittle,
Though understand; leave a scar.
For in nine arrive at hospital,
Receive bundle: baby Clarke.

Nightmare! — You want acquittal?
Judge, you must, your co-star.
For when beats make lust run all smittle,
Stop! Then “choices”, you must bark.

© Copyright JEZBON 2025

“I was so angry after reading this. But then I read the questions, I started to think why I was angry. I’m a single mum, I was doing GCSE when I gave birth. I realised I was angry at me. All my dreams went away when [redacted] was born. I use to blame her dad, but I messed up. I now see [redacted] making the same mistakes I did, I won’t let her, we have to choose a better life than this. I have to as working at [redacted] and never having any money sucks!”

— Cindy (29), Beta Reader (UK)

Neat poetry, but a tad too simplistic?

Don’t worry, for the literary scholars amongst us, there’s also mind-bending linguistic art.

Parental Problems

Section:
The Need for Others > Dealing With Others

Perennial parental problems persisted,
Millennial menial melodrama misted,
Hostility hastened the heart's hatred,
Utility unladened with this situation.

Torrential tactical tyrants tilted,
Situational sensational slander shifted,
Reality rewarded the rant's resisted,
Practicality parted with no resistance.

Generational glacial glances glared,
Conversational cordial comments compared,
Causality conflicted the cardinal commitment,
Integrity inflicted with poor opinion.

Fanciful familial fallacies forced,
Radical remedial resolutions reward,
Matriarch has spoken — the spell is broken,
Dad and son not tall, once scalded and mauled.

© Copyright JEZBON 2025

What Readers are Saying

“I cried when I read Swipe Right. I felt so grossed out and deleted [redacted] on my iPhone. I never saw how much I was destroying any chance of finding someone to love me.”

— Stephanie (24), Beta Reader (Australia)

“I went to a shrink yesterday after reading Taste of Dirt on Sunday. So much about my past and what happened I’ve ignored for years. It’s why working for a man and having a boyfriend is hard. I don’t want to be a sexual mess. I’m going to fix this. Thank you for opening my eyes. Btw, hope you’re okay after that.”

— Vivian (41), Beta Reader (USA)

Teeth That Fall is spot on. Is everyone having this dream? Everything went to s*** after I had it like you said. Now I’m thinking do we all have dreams like this in common?”

— Michael (32), Beta Reader (USA)

Over 12 Life-Changing Categories Explored

Divided into sections such as The Need for Others, The Horrors of Daily Life, Existential Realisations and Informed Resolutions; explore your Human Experience within these categories:

Dealing With Others

Life’s biggest irony: people create drama, yet without them, we’re lonely and miserable. Explore how you deal with the everyday situations that burden to realise how you invite drama into your life. Understand the angry emails you send, the lies you tell, your unfavourable interactions with co-workers, and much more.

Romantic Relations

In a world where a growing number of people are single for life, desperate to experience true connection, and cannot attain their happily ever after, explore how you systematically yet unconsciously you corrupt and sabotage your chances for happiness.

The Art of Writing

One of the most profound ways of learning about yourself, yet few bother with the effort, is to write. Understand the transformation you can experience in journalling, reflect on the powerful life lessons held in stories, and rediscover the extreme joy that can be found in reading.

Economy & Finance

When most reflect on their financial situation, they’re saddened. When most think of the government, they’re angry. When most ponder on the lives of billionaires, they want them to pay more tax, and hate them. Understand how you have been brainwashed by tainted values into thinking this way; see, for the first time, what is really going on in our complex world, and be emancipated by a new drive to change everything financial in your life.

Death

Losing loved ones is never easy. Allowing yourself the time to process the loss is an important part of life, and understanding the joy of having experienced sharing your life with someone else, is important. Explore the process of grieving, delve into your feelings of uncomfortable relief, and reflect on the sadness of miscarriage and abortion. No stone is left unturned in understanding your values regarding the one surety, and grand equaliser, in all existence: death.

Disabilities

Why have you, or a loved one, been given the gift of a disability? How does one come to see something so unfair and unfortunate as a gift? What purpose does the life of someone disabled hold? Explore these topics for yourself and align your values true to your understanding on the complex topic of physical and mental disability. Do we resign to fate, or rise to the challenge?

Jam-packed with over 70 incredibly deep and thought-provoking poems and over 500 self-reflection questions and exercises

This artwork is designed to lead you into rediscovering and redefining yourself over two months, tackling hidden trauma with daily reflection.

There’s been nothing like it in poetry, or self-help literature.

Trauma & Suicide

Life can be immensely overwhelming a lot of the time. With the many horrific encounters we face on our journey, it’s important to explore how we deal with trauma, understand such events, see we aren’t alone, and embrace the darkness as a meaningful part of our growth. We can never mistakenly assume suicide is the answer — we must be strong.

Nightmares

Sense something isn’t right? The same dream? Wake up to a jolt? Your body is communicating to you, but do you know how to listen? There’s more to you than meets the eye but do you know how to understand your own human instinct?

State of Society

The economy, capitalism, democracy, voting, do they serve us? What are their biggest ironies? Are you part of the problem, or solution? In this deep dive we explore conversations, life for the one percent, situations utterly insane, human behaviour, elections, neighbours, and much more. Where do you stand on all these topics, and more importantly, why?

Inner Strength

In our darkest moments the power of oneself to spiritually and emotionally uplift is of utmost importance. See where your inner strength has been your saviour and where it is lacking; in understanding this, you can move forward knowing where you need to hold your own hand extra carefully; not succumb to old habits and behaviours. How overdue is your own pat on the back?

Mystical Evolutions

Humanity has been obsessed for millennia in answering where did we come from and why are we here? Delve into your own understanding of these and other deep purpose of life style questions. Transform your life with new found knowledge, your truth. What is in the grey to be discovered between the black and white?

Informed Resolutions

Understand where your happiness comes from, your purpose to exist, reflect on your own journal answers, and see the cause and effect that is key to pursuing a fulfilling life; be an informed soul in your own Human Experience. Otherwise, what is the point of it all?

I see you shiver in antici…pation!

Expected Release: Early, 2026 [KEEP ME UPDATED!]

Currently work is underway with Beta Readers to perfect the poetry and exercises in the first release. It is critical that the delivery of this work not only resonate with readers, but profoundly open their eyes to who they really are. It needs to help them greatly in the most troubling moments in their lives. So this will take time to perfect and won’t be released until it’s right!

If you’re interested in reading early material, or helping to perfect this work, please sign-up to become a Beta Reader.