Blurbs are written in the poets own words
Katie Ness At a glance she is a mermaid, in our world Katie is a writer, artist, yoga teacher, Cacao Ceremonialist, Magdalene Priestess and ectopic pregnancy survivor. Katie is a published Poet and Writer with Hecate Magazine, We For Women, Rebelle Society, Elephant Journal, and Kindred Spirit Magazine among others. She has a memoir published in an all women’s collection of personal stories entitled Phoenix Rising. Katie lives in London but facilitates wellbeing and writing retreats in Europe. She has an honours degree in Fine Art and is of Romani ancestry. Inspiration for her work. Magical realism, dreams and nature inspire my work. I love the symbolism of tarot and archetypes throughout the collective unconscious of humanity. Honeysuckle Summers: We all have a memory of that one hot, heady summer that felt long and magical. Something nostalgic and full of lazy sensualities and delights. Teen romance and older folk remembering bygone days. Last summer was a difficult one for me, not just because of covid. I spent a lot of time at my partner's house which felt safe and peaceful. He had this unruly garden by a busy road that kept on blooming all summer, these yellow and orange roses just kept on coming back. I have memories of washing the dishes and thinking of my trauma only to look up and see the roses. They gave me hope. Stranger Baby: I recently survived an ectopic pregnancy December 2020. I nearly died. I lost my left fallopian tube and the embryo too. This poem is me trying to describe that experience. The Snow Priestess with the Poppy Heart: This is inspired by a woman I know and admire and strong female archetypes in myths and stories. This poem is part of a project consisting of prose poems dissecting the archetype of priestess, oracle or witch- giving these women voices, real lives, in ancient times they were real women. Bringing this historical archetype into modern day-how would a priestess live in our world? This is also based on a real woman who portrays herself to be brutal and an ice queen and yet there’s a sweet vulnerability to her as well. I play with words throughout that sound like “sss” or “shhh” to feel like the sound of winter, when the arctic wind blows and hisses outside whilst we’re warm and cosy at home. The imagery is very white or blue dappled with tones of blood red. The idea that this is a woman who is so powerful that she becomes the weather.
Mel Cort Mel Cort is a full-time high school student, where they study literature at every opportunity. They are a multi-published and award-winning poet, including recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. You can find them performing in plays, making art, and befriending all cats. Muses
Liz Mingo Liz Mingo is from the Caribbean, originally In late 80s, she started writing Poetry As a prompt, from a friend - She wanted something simple, and short But most importantly, it had to make her laugh – that’s exactly what she got! I praise her every day for doing this to me, 😊 ‘Cause I’ve not looked back, I’ve grown, artistically – I’m truly blessed to be able to put all this energy – Into something this wonderful! Naked Tired
Azwikonisaho Ramavhuya *Updated* Azwikonisaho Ramavhuya is a 17-year-old author, filmmaker, and recently, a published poet from South Africa whose poems focus on exploring themes such as: redefining your identity, the importance of healing as well as the joys and pain that come with opening yourself up to receiving love. Through publication, Azwikonisaho hopes to inspire young people across the globe to tell their stories and prove to marginalized groups that there are platforms and people that are willing to hear their voices as their stories are valid. Same Old Same Old Different The Day An Angel Cried
A Lyrical Sea My love for writing began as a love for reading. Growing up I loved YA dystopian, fantasy novels. I began writing my own stories on Wattpad early in highschool. I could never find time to work on a novel, let alone a short story, poetry became a quick fix for me. It initially started as journal entries in my diary, but I began to read more poetry, from Bukowski, Plath, Dickinson to other classics like Tennyson, Bronte and Keats. I’m from Sydney, Australia. I think what inspires me the most would be the ability to create something that is entirely yours, whilst people can connect to your experiences (which is amazing), your writing is always your own. I think there is a sense of accomplishment and solace, in being able to write your self on paper. It is an art, It is the most honest version of myself I can be. The Kaleidoscope Dream Ocean
JP Legarte JP Legarte is a Pilipino-American student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who will be a junior in Fall 2021 and is working toward a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and a minor in English. He is from Streamwood, Illinois, but during the school year, he resides in Champaign, Illinois. His love for poetry started when he wrote his first poem in ninth grade in high school, and ever since, he has strived to share more of himself with others through this avenue. A main reason as to why he writes is because he desires to provide spaces through his poetry where others can process their own emotions, ponderings, and anything else that they desire to process within life itself. “Natural Deconstruction” arose from a desire to tell a story focusing on the human desire that sometimes arises to start anew or at the very least to explore what would happen if one pursued the opportunity to leave the past behind and materialize a new future, even if uncertainty lies ahead and worries are ever so present. To put it another way, it explores the potential “Natural Deconstruction” of one’s known identity, which can be for better and for worse. “Inner Space” actually came to be as part of an assignment that I was given as part of my CW 106 Poetry Workshop that I took this past semester at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Shoutout to my awesome CW 106 Professor Julie Price for seeing not only the literal words of the poems that I submitted but for the parts of myself I shared vulnerably through these poems and for helping me further develop as an aspiring poet.) “Inner Space” is a spin on the phrase “outer space” in reference to the universe and what it contains, and the poem is meant to explore the “Inner Space” of people and what the interior nature of people encompasses. “Natural Composition” was created to communicate the complexities of the human body, these complexities being very detailed and diverse since they range from the physical and spiritual to the mental and emotional and anywhere and everywhere in between. I also emphasize complexities because even though we as a society factually know certain aspects of how the body functions, truly understanding individuals and their wellbeing extends far beyond that, beyond what is seen and even interpreted. “Body Broken” is intended to explore this brokenness that is seen or even experienced within the concept of the body, whether in our own physical bodies, the body of nature in which we live, or any other body affected by brokenness. The girl with the green crocheted beanie represents this growing, mature awareness of the effects of brokenness and its relationship with different pieces of life, this awareness that challenges us to recognize what parts of ourselves and this world are broken and to consider how we can pursue genuine restoration and how it materializes. @unspokenentropy
Raymond Camacho Raymond Camacho is a 27 year-old queer Puerto Rican aspiring Writer, based out of NYC. Raymond is a domestic violence survivor, who spent over ten years living in homeless shelters. Raymond uses his writings as a voice for the voiceless, calling out injustices of Black Lives, and victims of domestic violence in the LGBTQ+ community. Pernil
Theochari (In the words of the publisher) Theochari is a poet currently residing in the UK, however they are originally from Greece. Their writing journey began at a young age, that of only 12. The poem featured was written in September of 2020, and was inspired by their anxiety which they have been fighting from a young age. "Pink Ocean" Since I was young I have been questioning my gender but I only thought about it in depth during the first lockdown at 14. I am 16 now and I felt like expressing how I feel through writing. My writing, though not always the best, has spoken to some of my friends who are going through similar experiences as me, which makes me very happy. I’ve felt like I was drowning for quite a while so now it was time to put it into words. The Weed In My Garden
Ben Horrobin Ben Horrobin was born in Vancouver, BC at the tender age of 0. He currently studies English at Athabasca University and lives in Calgary. A Note Of Hope
Lisa Jones Lisa Jones lives in Uxbridge, Ontario with her partner, daughter, and two fur children. She runs AWA affiliate writing workshops through The Well Narratives and enjoys swearing where there shouldn't be swearing, sleeping when she shouldn't be sleeping, and finishing the cheese before company comes. You Do Not Have To Be Good List Poem In Blue
F. Javier Magaña Tello Javier is a 28-year-old multifaceted artist from Madrid. Although he likes writing, most of his poems keep getting turned into songs. He writes always simulating the inner voice everyone hears. Or maybe it is just a channel in which this inner voice expresses itself. Either way, this inner world, full of the day a day meditations (or, let's say, shower thoughts), become his inspiration. In them, he finds a human speech, a universal language of its own where everyone can identify with it. And it happens quite the same with the band where he sings. Although the three poems submitted are actually three songs (and the lyrics were written originally by Javier), they evolved and became something else (due to each member’s creativity). With the same attitude and thinking, Javier and his bandmates from Vegan Wolves © released “Jukebox” a few months ago (you can find it in You Tube, Spotify...). In it, you can find insecurities, eagerness, wishes, fears, feelings and thoughts, that is to say, our human condition. Mule Men Facebook: @veganwolves You Tube: Vegan Wolves Instagram:@vegan_wolves Spotify: Vegan Wolves Twitter: @VeganWolvesBand Soundcloud: Vegan Wolves
Kristen Honeywill Hello everybody, my name is Kristen Honeywill and I am a 24-year-old botany student and living in Cape Town, South Africa. I consider myself an earth lover, crochet doer, book reader and dog feeder. This is the very first time I am sharing some of my mental utterings with the world! I have been reading and writing poetry since I was eight. Back then, with my bruised knees, long brown hair and hope, I would spend day after day composing masterpieces in all my “ballerina” journals confidently filling its pages with “angles” instead of “angels” and every page was proudly printed with ‘Dear dairy’ at the top. But it was within all my silly rhymes and scribbles that I found such a deep and satisfying form of expression and it has followed me right into adulthood. I recently found a quote by William Butler Yeats that I feel is the epitome of why poetry is so incredibly important for the human condition: “We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.” I am autistic. So, my internal quarrels are very complex and almost always lead to unwanted rhetoric with others. I was diagnosed at 21 and while I am still in a very dark place, I know I shall eventually make it to whatever the end of this ‘life’ is. I have decided to submit two poems, each focused on mental illness. They are very precious to me and I actually wrote ‘The Wave’ while having a panic attack. It took my ages to decipher all the mushy scribbles but it’s raw and real. Thank you for the opportunity to show you a piece of my soul. The Seeds And The Scars The Wave
Christine Iv My name is Christine and I'm from Montreal. I started writing poetry to express my sadness and grief when someone I love was murdered in July 2019. My first poem ever is titled "the art of losing", where I go through the phases of grief, which also includes losing the person and loving them forever. My second poem is called "healing", where on the second page, the stanzas start navigating from left to right because I met my now boyfriend and at the time, I was terrified of the idea of letting go of Simon-Olivier, the guy who was murdered. In a way, it shows how I wasn't ready to be in a relationship as much as I enjoyed Philippe's company and started to have feelings for him, part of me felt unfaithful to Simon-Olivier. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to date him. The Art Of Losing Healing
Olivia Wright Olivia Wright is an aspiring poet and singer-songwriter from South Africa. She has written poetry from a young age, always searching for the best way to communicate the incommunicable. Blossomed with nature imagery, Olivia takes great inspiration from the outdoors and believes that the natural world holds the answers for most things – and that poetry is the best way to record these answers. There Are No Memories To See Or Share Today
Lucinda De Almeida I am Lucinda De Almeida, I am born and raised in Cape Town I started writing when I was 10, but formally shared a piece of poetry for the time this year. I am inspired by how people experience life, how everyone has a narrative when you place things together it begins to tell a story. We tend to share pivotal moments yet are unaware of how similar we all are. Grief is Brutal
Reo Moloabi My name is Reotshepile Moloabi, I’m 16 years old and I currently live in South Africa. I started writing poetry at the age of 12 (Grade 7) and short stories at the age of 15 (Grade 10). My writing started out as emotion based because it was at the peak of my mental health decline, haha ironic, and writing was a means of healthy self expression and reflection. Nowadays I’ve gravitated towards nature and everything around us and how we relate to it. I’m working on compiling and writing a couple poems that I will later publish. To be cheesy but truthful, poetry has had such a big impact on my life and who I am today. It gave me a newfound confidence to enter competitions and go to spoken word events, I write poems for my girlfriend when I don’t know how to put how I feel into words, it gives me pride in who I am and my abilities and so much more. After poetry and writing was introduced into my life, I’ve found beauty and inspiration in everything and everyone around me. I’ve learned to see the beauty in life even through all the bad that’s all around us thanks to writing. Body and Soul
Farrah Macci Farrah Macci is a freelance mixed-media artist and a psychology undergrad from the California Institute of Integral Studies, but currently lives in Boca Raton. Her goals as an artist and writer are to capture the beauty in the mundane, render the human experience through her creative expressions, and to inspire others by inviting them to question themselves and critique the world around them in order to ignite collective growth. Shadow Work Atomic Transformation Provocative Censorship
J.J. Marie I have been writing for about 5 years and have found a sort of haven when exploring the wonders of writing fiction and poetry. I don’t express myself clearly all the time, which is why it’s easier to paint my feelings through words. Writing this particular piece however felt somewhat weird, like I was finally admitting something that felt like some teenage insecurity, but it is just as valid. I hope that I can find the right minds to share my poetry with and that’s why I’m starting with Poetry Undressed! As Plain And Unique As I Waiting For Light In This Dark Closet
Coraline Faye I am from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota and a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes. I have a Bachelor's degree in Native American Studies from the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. Dream. It Ends With Me Medicine
Jasmine Herri Jasmine Herri is a rising senior at the International Community School. She discovered her passion for writing after being an avid reader for many years. Jasmine's works have been recognized by the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, the Ice Lolly Review, Novelly, and Penit. This young writer can't wait to continue to channel her fervor for writing into her pieces and continue to make an impact in modern literature. Hidden Etches In The Bark
Celeste S. King Celeste S King is a nineteen year old poet from South Africa. She started writing poetry at the age of fifteen as a way to cope with mental health issues. The poem she has submitted for poetry undressed is about how she wishes to escape the cycle of teen pregnancies in her family while trying to navigate herself and her sexuality. Celeste is currently closeted bisexual and non-binary. Abortion
Jenny Thompson My name is Jenny Thompson, I am a 19 year old student from Dublin, Ireland. I am not a religious person, but the closest I come to understanding faith and prayer, is poetry. To feel a shared sentiment in such a profound way is truly a privilege. I take inspiration from the cultural and social circumstances in which I grew up. Dublin has served as an ever growing backdrop, a lens through which I view the events of my life and the lives of the people I love. (For context; In my second poem I reference "Savita and the Septic tanks" Here I am referencing Savita Halappanavar, a young woman who died in the west of Ireland, after being denied a lifesaving abortion following a septic miscarriage, due to Ireland's restrictive abortion laws. The injustice of her death has left a dark stain on the history of our country. The septic tanks reference the Tuam mother and baby home, a church run slave labour institution for unwed mothers, which would be discovered to have buried the bodies of 800 children. Revelations An Ode To Angry Women Requiem For a Summer's Day
Andrea Ferrari Kristeller I am an Argentine poet and love the rainforest in my country, frequently the subject of my poems. It holds a deep spiritual quality for me - for all of us, really. Rainforest Is Water Prayer Forest Water Colour
Zainab Imran My name is Zainab Imran, a young Pakistani poet and all-round creative born and raised in the heart of the UK, Manchester. I'’ve been writing since around the age of 10, being mostly inspired by Eoin Colfer, Enid Blyton and, surprisingly, the card-playing-action anime Yu-Gi-Oh! However, my poetry isn’t just about adventures or re-writing myths and fairy-tales (and mostly not about people with funky-coloured hair), but now I mostly focus on discussing my own ethnic diaspora and personal internal and external struggles as a visibly Muslim woman. I also take a lot of inspiration from the hidden stories of women in the setting of colonial tragedy and migrating to the west, hoping to honour my roots and ancestry by laying out history in poetic form. Pain Soaked Prayer
Juliette Storm Hunt I identify with and treasure the name Juliette Storm Hunt. Nineteen is an age where most of us start figuring everything out, and as a nineteen-year-old, I can definitely verify this. However, one thing that I have had figured out from a small age is my poetry - the use of my words to self-express, to form an outlet for not only myself, but for those who read it. I publish a lot of my work on Instagram, the handle is @astormofpoetry if you are interested in following this journey of mine. I hope these words will either be a form of resonation for you, or impact your life in an optimistic way. All my Love, Juliette Storm Hunt. Two Selves
Jason Conway Jason Conway is a passionate eco-poet and professional daydreamer (designer, writer, poet, artist, photographer and creative mentor) based in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Drawing inspiration from social issues, mental health and the transformative power of nature, his mission is to encourage people to make a difference in the world. He is a Co-Director of The Gloucestershire Poetry Society. Jason’s debut collection ‘Phoenix Rises’ was published in 2018. He’s performed at the 2000 Trees Festival, headlined at the Gloucestershire Poetry Festival and The Space In-Between Festival and has been published in The Blue Nib, Poetry Bus, The Poetry Village and Impspired magazines. Facebook @jasonconwaypoetry Instagram @jasonleeconway Twitter @daydreamacademy www.jasonconwaypoetry.co.uk www.thedaydreamacademy.com Easdale Absolution Creative Soul
L.M Constance My name is Lucia Magdalena Constance (L. M. Constance, for short). I've always been a lover at heart, my feelings rocking me back and forth constantly, dictating my life's path, and for that reason I believe I have been led towards poetry. My writing is quite simple at first glance, but I believe its strength lies in the feelings they evoke through imagery, language and subject matter. If I were to choose one word to describe my poetry, it would be eclectic. I venerate the classics, and personally strive for the timeless feminine ideal, however, I support and identify with various progressive views, and so, my work is meant to reflect a beautiful, delicate, yet novel, perspective on the contemporary female experience. The main theme that all of my poems share I would consider to be the vastness of thought, which, I found, hides an entire reality beneath its mundane cloak, accessed through the inner monologue, fueled by feelings, love being the driving force of my own little reality. Shame Seven Satanic Blues Forever
Heather Meatherall Heather is a teenage poet from Canada. While she’s been writing poetry privately for many years, it was only recently that she started sharing it with others. She finds a lot of inspiration from quotes, music and nature. Heather’s currently taking Computer Science at Ontario Tech University. Stars
Sarah Wagner Sarah Wagner has been writing poetry for nearly ten years. Her work is inspired by nature, meditation, outer space, and pop music. As a classically trained violinist, Sarah frequently includes original poetry in her musical performances in order to create a more personal and approachable narrative for her audiences. She believes that reinterpreting classical works through contemporary texts can inspire listeners to hear these works with fresh ears and discover new ways of relating to old texts. Sarah has written pieces inspired by the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Copland, and Gershwin. Major Arcana What Comes Through In Silence Mantras
Christie Nicolas Christie Nicolas is a Lebanese-Australian based writer and business student. Her poetry seeks to reflect her experiences of the world surrounding. She fell into poetry as a testament to always keep writing, which is her long-time passion. She currently writes on a 1962 Royal typewriter at her home in Sydney. I Look Up To The Sky
Lix A self-confessed green witch and matriarch of my own tribe. A specialIst special needs teacher and artist with over 20 years experience of creating, exhibiting and sharing my creative offerings. A devout advocate of women’s empowerment in the least feminist way. A nurturer of nature and all things living. The inevitable crone phase of life brings with it a wealth of wisdom and self-actualisation and I am now owning the fact I am a powerful creatrix and spiritual gangster with an abundance of creative, nurturing, and diverse skills to offer the world. Its taken a lot of healing and a long time to dare share my writing. A mama of 3 and Nana of 1, my greatest creations are these offspring. Newborn: The difficulties of being signed off my teaching job due to an injury at the hands of one of my students. Nearly a year of pain and uncertainty. I dipped into a deep depression and the reappreciations of my injury affected my family hard as I got so lost. Having had the vital spine surgery just recently, I feel a total shift in the paradigm of my life and how I will lead my life moving forwards because of the lessons in the last 12 months. I feel very grateful for the hurdles I have had to face and ultimately either crawl over or leap over (tentatively with new metal in my spine) Rewritten: After 11 months off work injured, a realisation that as a full time working mama – I was breaking. The irony of getting injured at work, getting a neck injury isn’t lost on me. Breaking my neck to do it all? This poem is a glance at the introspection that has occurred during my time off work and a musing about the emotional load a working mother carries without even realising. I used to plan what I was going to make for the family dinner whilst in my final lesson of the day. I used to plan my lessons in my dreams. A new way of functioning must prevail from all ive realised. Inspired by: Life experiences and random happenings around me. The natural world and human behaviour. The beauty of sights and things we chance upon hearing. Rise Up Sister Kambo Call Glory Newborn Rewritten
Tanya Fenkell Tanya Fenkell is a Canadian artist and writer who lives in Toronto with her husband and three sons. She holds a BA in English Literature from McGill University, an MA in English and an MIS from the University of Toronto. As an artist, she is interested in solitude and solitary spaces in the natural world. Tanya has been published in small journals such as Eunoia Review, Rue Scribe and Poetry Undressed and shows her paintings regularly in Ontario. Her paintings are held in private collections in Canada and the United States. Rough Water Autumn Fracture
Megan Powers Megan Powers is an interdisciplinary dabbler from Alberta. She has been writing poetry, playing music, and creating visual art since childhood. She earned a Visual Art Diploma from Red Deer College, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Interdisciplinary) from NSCAD University. She has just recently been able to start regularly making art again without becoming anxious. Megan spends a lot of her time working as a Studio Assistant at a kids art school, hanging out with her partner & their two cuddly cats, being a plant mom, and supporting her partner's artistic pursuits. She hopes to be able to write poetry and stories more often, and cease speaking of herself in the third person for small biographies, in the near future. Erik Warm Black Hug
Isabelle King Isabelle is currently an undergraduate at the University of Maine Farmington where she is double majoring in Secondary Education and English with a concentration in poetry. She is currently a co-editor of the Sandy River Review. When she is not writing she can be found with her camera or paints or curled up with a book (usually outside). She has previously been published in the Portland Press Herald, University of Maine Farmington Honors Journal, Eloquence, and Ripple. Sunday Gratitude
William F. Pattee William F. Pattee is a poet and writer from Scotia, NY. He currently is in a master’s program in English literature at SUNY Albany. His work often draws form modern imagism and centers around themes of (toxic) masculinity, poverty, and nature. Strawberry Princess Waterfall Shoulders