#my poetry collection write a poem about:

[gothic-grimoire]

Death Dust

⋆₊ ♱𓉸ྀི from my poetry collection Write A Poem About:

Death dust is the soil for everything else

Must be important to burst into flames

and become something like me

Wow, I love how it spins

ashes blow away and it begins

when the soil is ready and I am soft

a warm day will help me plant me.

The ghost of what I was before holds my knees—

feet down and pats with me.

Pats the seeds down and in place

but destined to eternally change.

Worthiness for me is like a tree.

My tree is blue and I feed it red wood to stay warm but not burnt

Happy hearted I’m there, happy hearted I’m there at all.

Worthiness is like a tree.

For me, a sapling

I could water it and not fumble the can, I could worry it would die on me, but even its ghost

wants to know me.

If I sit defeated on the curbside

I feel its ghostly tree branches hold me

happy hearted I’m there at all.

Worthiness is like a tree but even surrounded by foreign and family their bodies don’t crowd me. I’m alive. I feel the sun.

I feel the care, I feel the shun cold blue but hot red wood too.

I feed on it all and relax into the

cling to nature’s belly

listen ringing in the background

natures belly soft and round

I’m at home here my tree and me can be here

soften listen to the bell sing theres a place for each poet

each gentle bird that sings why not me why not my tree

otherwise there’d be no bother to bring me to life

to my tree eternally changing

to feel truth.

Nourishment enters my roots so let it

slowly return there just let truth feed you let change free you

be your own self clear the book shelf

for now be your own self (alive).

[secretsiwhispertothemoon]

Do you mind if I say—you are beautiful, like light spilling through cracks in the universe, a glow born before time began counting its breath. Seen from where I stand, you could be an angel, a filament spun from the first spark, wrapped in the soft shimmer of dawn breaking free. You're a prism that bends the sun’s pulse, shattering the simple into the infinite. radiance felt, like the warmth of stars in the bones, Do you mind if I say—your beauty hums in frequencies, my eyes can't catch, but my heart, my heart knows.

[courfee]

inspired by Corpses by Vik Shirley

[trickstersaint]

hey hi hello! first of all i'd like to say i took your patron saint uquiz and it. Changed my life unironically it's so good. i follow you now because every line in that quiz was a gut punch and i loved it. top tier hurt honestly

my question is this - i am a fanauthor. on the side i also write my own original fiction but i specialize in fanfic. Am I allowed to use your poetry for a reference folder? I wouldn't use your poetry in a fic without explicit permission and without linking back here of course, and I'd never use it for commercial work outside of maybe taking inspiration without copying, but I wanna have a ref folder of Things That Made Me Feel Things about a character. It's not planned to be public as of yet, it's just supposed to be a bunch of screenshots in my drafts, but I'd like to maybe one day make it public once the fic was complete. (I already have your blog linked in my drafts actually, so if it goes public I'm not gonna forget.) I just want to make sure you're comfortable with me using your poetry for fanfic of all things

It's cool if not and have a great day! I still think your poetry is great and evocative and all

hi, anon! you're all good, i prommy. so glad you like the quiz + the poetry, and i would always prefer people come and ask questions if they're uncertain! no trouble at all.

my general stance is that as long as it's clearly credited, i am totally cool with my work being used in personal projects. like you said, i've got a tag for the things that people make! i love to see what people create. if it's for a noncommercial creative project then i would say there's no need to ask beforehand (unless it would make you more comfortable to ask, in which case go ahead and i'll almost certainly say yes <3). my only thing is that if you post it, please tag me in it/send it to me so that i can reblog it here for people to see!

if there are any questions about using my work that anyone has, feel free to ask. i don't think i've got anything particular going on outside of common practice! same way you'd treat, like, a richard siken poem or smth: you wanna credit it so that people can find the source material, and make sure you're not using it for profit unless you have an understanding with that author. i trust you all to be decent about it <3 kiss kiss go out and make your cool little things so that i can be delighted and amazed with them

[swordatsunset]

Poem!

[hairtusk]

Sylvia Plath, 1957

[logophile-18]

This poem has a heart. You do not.

Where is my brother? My uncle? Did you kill them, too? (Is it my fault?) Father, walk with me, would you? (It’s no question. You must.)

Did you think twice before you shot them? (Were they just another heart?)

Dirty, dirty, dirty. The blood splatters on the dirt, sinking in as nothing more than water.

The problem stands here, unkindly: I am not just another heart.

Cover me all you wish, head to my wrists and ankles. But it will not change.

(We are still here. Our hearts are still beating.)

But theirs are not. Neither is yours.

I end, he ends. You don’t. (We pray that you do.)

This poem has a heart.

Can you hear it beating?

Can you hear my heart beating?

[hurryupmerlin]

Shhhh, hörst du das? Hörst du das Gemunkel? Um dich wird es dunkel. In deinem Kopf dreh'n sich die Gedanken Bringen dich zum wanken. Geschichten um die sich Dramen ranken Nie erzählt und doch gekannt. Oh, du lauscht gebannt. Die Angst der and'ren tut dir nicht gut Doch es nährt die Glut Die das Feuer entfacht, das dich anlacht, Einladend und warm. Es nimmt dich in den Arm Und verbrennt dich mit seiner Zärtlichkeit. Dein letztes Geleit führst du selbst an. Du hast dich entschieden Und wirst kriegen Was dein Kopf dir befiehlt das richtig wäre. Es ist dir keine Lehre. Du trinkst Gift wie süßen Wein Doch dein Durst wird nie gestillt sein. Armes Kind, wer soll dich jetzt noch retten? Das Schloss für deine Ketten Wiegt schwerer noch als selbst dein Herz. Du kannst nicht mit noch ohne Schmerz.

Shhhh, do you hear that? Do you hear the murmur? It's getting dark around you. Your head is spinning with thoughts. They make you waver. Stories entwined with dramas Never told and yet known. Oh, you listen spellbound. The fear of others does you no good But it feeds the embers that kindle the fire Which laughs at you. Inviting and warm. It takes you in its arms. And burns you with its tenderness. You lead your last escort yourself. You have made your decision And will get what your head tells you is right. It is no lesson to you. You drink poison like sweet wine. But your thirst will never be quenched. Poor child, who will save you now? The lock for your chains weighs more than even your heart. You cannot live with or without pain.

[justcallmeriah]

From one broken soul

To another

We have been the best

And the worst lovers

Our story was beautiful

Real and raw

But bountiful

We’ve seen it all

Given everything we’ve been through…

“I love you”

Means more

When it come from you

[salovie]

Most Wanted Treasures:

neat lines of years and letters,

a silver wish list—

worth more than cents and dollars

to the steadfast coin scholar.

The thrill of the hunt—

an old penny, shiny dime:

one more crossed-off prize.

[gothic-grimoire]

Necklace

˚₊‧⁺⋆♱˚₊‧from my poetry collection Write A Poem About:

I gave you my necklace 

to last as long as my heart does

Even when we’re done and you’re gone

I promise I promise

I will love you in the same way

that same pure allowed way 

indulged every fantasy 

until the walking dream called you to me. 

Now I’m about to be married 

and I still love you the same way 

the way that you made me

love you

I hold our link across space and time 

and it’s enough for me 

to love you like this.

I don’t want more 

I don’t think I ever will 

but I’m allowed to keep my love 

and you’re allowed to keep my necklace 

and I dearly love you

and I dearly love you.

[silhouettecrow]

365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 201

Adjective: Cruel

Noun: Hurricane

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Cruel: willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it; causing pain or suffering

Hurricane: a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean; a wind of force 12 on the Beaufort scale (equal to or exceeding 64 knots or 74 mph)

[secretsiwhispertothemoon]

[whimperingwishes]

THE POETRY PHARMACY RETURNS | WILLIAM SIEGHART

Silver Linings | Fear of Loss (p. 56 - 57)

THE POINT | KATE TEMPEST

[fiercynn]

poetry outlets that support a free palestine

after finding out that the poetry foundation/POETRY magazine pulled a piece that discussed anti-zionism because they "don't want to pick a side" during the current genocide, i decided to put together a list of online outlets who are explicitly in solidarity with palestine where you can read (english-language) poetry, including, except where otherwise stated, by palestinian poets!

my criteria for this is not simply that they have published palestinian poets or pro-palestine statements in the past; i only chose outlets that, since october 7, 2023, have done one of the following:

published a solidarity statement against israeli occupation & genocide

signed onto the open letter for writers against the war on gaza and/or the open letter boycotting the poetry foundation

published content that is explicitly pro-palestine or anti-zionist, including poetry that explicitly deals with israeli occupation & genocide

shared posts that are pro-palestine on their social media accounts

fyi this is undoubtedly a very small sample. also some of these sites primarily feature nonfiction or short stories, but they do all publish poetry.

outlets that focus entirely on palestinian or SWANA (southwest asia and north africa) literature

we are not numbers, a palestinian youth-led project to write about palestinian lives

arab lit, a magazine for arabic literature in translation that is run by a crowd-funded collective

sumuo, an arab magazine, platform, and community (they appear to have a forthcoming palestine special print issue edited by leena aboutaleb and zaina alsous)

mizna, a platform for contemporary SWANA (southwest asian & north africa) lit, film, and art

the markaz review, a literary arts publication and cultural institution that curates content and programs on the greater middle east and communities in diaspora

online magazines who have published special issues of all palestinian writers (and all of them publish palestinian poets in their regular issues too)

fiyah literary magazine in december 2021, edited by nadia shammas and summer farah (if you have $6 usd to spare, proceeds from the e-book go to medical aid for palestinians)

strange horizons in march 2021, edited by rasha abdulhadi

the baffler in june 2021, curated by poet/translators fady joudah & lena khalaf tuffaha

the markaz review has two palestine-specific issues, on gaza and on palestinians in israel, currently free to download

literary hub featured palestinian poets in 2018 for the anniversary of the 1948 nakba

adi magazine, who have shifted their current (october 2023) issue to be all palestinian writers

outlets that generally seem to be pro-palestine/publish pro-palestine pieces and palestinian poetry

protean magazine (here's their solidarity statement)

poetry online (offering no-fee submissions to palestinian writers)

sundog lit (offering no-fee submissions to palestinian writers through december 1, 2023)

guernica magazine (here's a twitter thread of palestinian poetry they've published) guernica ended up publishing a zionist piece so fuck them too

split this rock (here's their solidarity statement)

the margins by the asian-american writers' workshop

the offing magazine

rusted radishes

voicemail poems

jewish currents

the drift magazine

asymptote

the poetry project

ctrl + v journal

the funambulist magazine

n+1 magazine (signed onto the open letter and they have many pro-palestine articles, but i'm not sure if they have published palestinian poets specifically)

hammer & hope (signed onto the letter but they are a new magazine only on their second issue and don't appear to have published any palestinian poets yet)

if you know others, please add them on!

[inkskinned]

most writing advice is good as long as you know why it is good, at which point it is also bad. the hardest thing (and most precious thing) about being an artist is that you gotta learn how to take critique. i don't mean "just shut up and accept that people hate your work," i mean you need to learn what the critique is saying and then figure out if it actually helps.

i usually tell people reading my work: "i'm collecting data, so everything is useful." i ask them where they put the book down, even though it's too long for most people to read in 1 sitting. i ask them what they thought of certain characters. i let them tell me it was really good but i like it more when they look a little stunned and say i forgot i was reading your book, which means they forgot i exist, which is very good news.

sometimes people i didn't ask will read my work and tell me i don't like it. and that is okay, you don't have to like it. but i look at the thing that they don't like and try to figure out if i care. i don't like that you don't capitalize. this one is common, and i have already thought about it. i do not care, it's because of chronic pain and frankly i like the little shape of small letters. you use teeth and ribs in all your work. actually that is very true. i don't know what's up with that. next time i will work to figure out a different word, thank you. you're whiny, go outside. someone said that to me recently and it made me laugh. i am on the whine-about-it website as an internet poet. you are in my native habitat, watching me perform a natural enrichment behavior. but i like the dip of whiny, how the word itself does "whine" (up/down, the sound out your nose on the y), but i don't know if i want to feel whiny. maybe next time i will work on it being melancholy, like what you would call a male writer's poetry.

repeated "good" advice clangs in a bell and doesn't hold a real shape, dilutes in the water. like sometimes you will hear "don't use said." you turn that around in your head and it bounces off the edges of your brain like it is a dvd screensaver. it isn't bad advice, but it feels wrong somehow, like saying easy choices are illegal! sometimes i will only use "said." sometimes i will just kick dialogue tags out to the trash. sometimes i make little love poems where the fact that i do not say "said" is very bad, and makes you feel bad in your body, because someone didn't say something. i am a contrary little shitbird, i guess.

but it is also good advice, actually. it is trying to say that "said" sometimes is clutter. it makes new writers think about the very-small words and very-small choices, because actually your work matters and wordchoice matters. "i know," you said. "i know," you sighed. "i know." we both know but neither of us use a dialogue tag, because we are in a contemporary lit piece.

it is too-small to say don't use said. but it is a big command, so it gets your attention. what are you relying on? what easy choices do you make? when you edit, do you choose the same thing? can you make a different choice? sometimes we need the blankness of said, how it slides into the background. sometimes we don't.

i usually say best advice is to read, but i also mean read books you don't like, because that will make you angry enough to write your own book. i also mean read good books, which will break your heart and remind you that you are a very small person and your voice is a seashell. i also mean you need to eat books because reading a book is a writer's version of studying.

my creative writing teacher in the 7th grade had a big red list of no! words and on it was SUNSET. RAZORS. LOVE. GALAXY. DEATH. BLOOD. PAIN. I liked that razor and love were tucked next to each other like birds, and found it funny that he believed we were too young to know the weight of razor in the context of pain. i hated him and his Grateful Dead belt, where the colored teddy bears held up his appraisal of us. i hated his no list. it is very good/bad advice. i wasn't old enough yet to know that when you are writing about death you are also writing about sunsets and when you write about love you are tucking yourself into a napkin that never stops folding.

back then my poetry was all bloody, dripped with agony when you picked it up. i didn't know there is nothing beautiful about a razor, nothing exciting about pain. i just understood sharpness, which he took to mean i understood nothing. i wrote the razor down and it wasn't easy, but it was necessary. that's what i'm saying - sometimes it's good advice, because it's not always necessary. and sometimes it is very bad advice, because writing about it is lifesaving.

hang on my dog was just having a nightmare. i heard that it is a rule not to write about dogs - in my creative writing mfa, my teacher rolled her eyes and said everyone writes a dead dog. the literature streets are littered in canine bodies. i watched the rise and fall of his ribs (there is that word again) and had to reach out and stop the bad dream. when he woke up he didn't recognize me, and he was afraid.

it is good/bad advice to say that poems and writing have to mean something. it is bad/good advice to say they're big feelings in small packages. it is better advice to say that when my dog saw where he was, he relaxed immediately, rubbed his face against me. someone on instagram would make fun of that moment by writing their "internet poetry" as a sentence that tumbles across a white page: outside it is sunset and my dog is still in a gutter, bleeding a galaxy out of his left paw. or maybe it would be: i woke the dog up/the dog forgot i loved him/and i saw the shape of a senseless/and impossible pain.

the dog is alive in this one, and he is happy. when i tell you i love you, i know what i said. write what you need to write, be gentle to yourself about it. the advice is only as good as far as it helps. the rest is just fencing. take stock of the boundaries, and then break them. there's always somewhere else you could be growing.

i love you, keep going.