Even though the poems in this collection are short, they grab your shoulders and shake you until your ears are ringing with their words. They talk about childhood, dreams of the future, and self-discovery. They talk about family, home, and what it's like when someone leaves.

All things that you can really chew on.

Naturally, I had to make a chewy cookie of some kind.

In the poem, "Ode to Sandtown," Jaquetta thanks the the place she grew up "for setting fires to the stereotypes of/ young, black, me" (38). This line is what made me decide on a chocolate cookie as my base.

M&M's are mentioned in the poem "7-Eleven" (35). Even though I can't remember eating them very often as a kid, cookies with M&M's remind me of my childhood. Because of the warm feelings I get whenever I think about M&M cookies, I really wanted to add them in. 

Finally, Jaquetta remembers eating Utz potato chips in "Conversations With Mark," and the idea of adding potato chips to a cookie was too fun for me to pass up (23). They're salty and crunchy, and would balance out my sweet and chewy cookies.

And Jaquetta was happy to answer some questions about her book.

M:  What part of creating this book did you have the most fun with?

J:  I had fun putting it together. Arranging the poems mostly. I didn't realize how much went into it until I started putting it together. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the right formula. I also had fun with the layout, surprisingly.

M:  I loved that you used different layouts for some of the poems, like the step-like layout for "From the Steps." Did you know that you wanted to use that layout for the poem immediately, or did you decide that later on?

J:  I've had that poem for quite some time, and when I first revised it I tried it out just to see how it would look, so when I decided to put it in the book, I just left it as is. Seeing it in that layout created another meaning as well, so I thought it would play great.

M:  Are there certain poems that stand out to you more than others?

J:  Yes. The more personal ones and the ones that evoked a clearer image or scene.

M:  Are you working on anything now?

J:  No. I think I've only written one poem since graduation and it was really short. I've jotted down stuff that I want to work on, but it hasn't happened yet.

M:  That's understandable. Are you still selling "Real Gray Tears?"

J:  I still have copies and I'm trying to figure out other ways to sell. I'm using squarespace at Jaquetta-henson.squarespace.com and I'm on Instagram at precious_quetta.

Chocolate Cookies with M&M's and Potato Chips

-1 c  unsalted butter, softened

-2 c  white sugar

-1 1/2 tsp  vanilla extract

-2 eggs

-3/4 c  cocoa powder

-2 c  all-purpose four

-1 tsp  baking soda

-1 1/2 c  M&M's

-1 1/2 c  crushed Utz potato chips

-extra crushed chips to roll the cookies in

1. Whisk the butter until it's smooth.

2. Add the sugar and vanilla, and stir until it's all combined.

3. Whisk in the eggs.

4. Add the baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix them in.

5. One cup at a time, add the flour and mix until it's completely incorporated.

6. Fold the M&M's in.

7. Pour in the potato chips and fold them in—try not to press too hard, because you still want some chunks in the cookies.

8. Roll the dough into small balls (about a tbsp or a little larger), and coat them in the extra crushed chips.

9. Refrigerate the dough for AT LEAST 1 hour. I typically prefer 2-24 hours, but you can definitely get away with only one hour. I usually put them all in a baking tray because then they're all together.

10. On a cookie sheet, bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. I always use the silicone baking mats on my cookie sheets because they keep your cookies from sticking, and they make life so much easier. You also want to give your cookies some room to spread out. I typically leave 2-3 inches between each cookie.

11. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10-15 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Moving the cookies to the cooling rack any earlier will leave you with broken cookies. Which you'll just have to eat, I guess (carefully though, since they are still hot).

I mean, there's no way you can give those away. You won't impress anyone with broken cookies. 

Which is kind of ironic of me to say, since I purposely broke the one cookie in the pictures to impress you all with just how chocolatey they are. (They're so very chocolatey and chewy and sweet and salty, and they make the part of you that craves junk food very, very happy.)