The Overjoy, The Exhausted, The Accomplished Of This Month
The Overjoy, The Exhausted, The Accomplished Of This Month
Welcome to Poetically Powered Newsletter! I am so grateful for you to want my words in your mailbox.
This whole month has celebrations and then struggles as well. I haven’t been writing as much and it’s been very slow to come back to me. I free wrote a couple of days and made some poetry without being assisted with a workshop. I had Rooster’s workshop on setting which produced 5 poems, literally thinking about how setting can make the mood more intense and the details can be everything. I thought of places I’ve loved, like my great grandma’s house especially with the creek in the back and the family company nearby. I thought of my car thanks to another poet and his poem on what life was to escape through your car and have it be a safe place. I thought of school and the town I grew up within this small town most my life.
I also got some orders in for my books I was so excited to send out but couldn’t because I’ve been working hard to feel better. That was another thing, this month was low energy and doing what I can in the capacity that I can. When asked as an ice breaker what I’m obsessed with I answered, rest. And it’s real, I’m trying to be kind to my body and recuperate.
With my books I added some goodies for the new owners of them. Of course, my handmade little bookmarks and the custom poems written for the owner. I may start creating cards with my poetry on them as well. Maybe create an Etsy shop with all my homemade things I do. I loved making the little craft things and was able to send out a package to a friend where it’s a belated birthday gift.
This Monday I performed in Write About Now’s Worldwide Poetry League. I didn’t get to the next round but I was very happy with my performance and the poem I chose for it. As everyone knows with the news Roe got overturned and I’ve been having so many emotions happen with this information. The poem I chose was in response to a law in Texas fining someone for an abortion if another person tells on them. I changed the language to fit what’s happening now, that now we’re fighting to keep abortion going in Houston and I hope we can keep blocking what it did and keep the rights to our bodies for ourselves to decide.
I think the information triggered me to write, free write without prompts or a workshop. I wrote another piece how guns have more rights than my body. I have another one that came to me today that my body is, and always has been, a political statement.
Yesterday I was a part of Good Looks which is a part of Undercurrent. It is a peer editing group and I shared a Queer piece of mine, “Cut The Craving For The Cure.” It has a line in there where what do you call yourself when you aren’t supposed to be seen by others? When your family has no one else who is Queer in your family? When you’ve learned to be invisible with this part of you to save yourself from being hunted? I got great responses for this poem and another one, “Eaten Excuses.” Being a part of the Showcase was literally one of the best things this month for me to have.
I just submitted to Game Over Book's open reading period. The book is a very close look at being Queer and experiences where I wanted to do or say more than I did. There's, of course, lots of personal stories that are real things I've lived. Also, contrapuntal poems and another form poem. We'll see, but I definitely will make it a priority to submit to them because I really love them as a publisher and what they're doing.
Some information on things:
I am published in Spark City, Poetry Cove, Freeverse Revolution VI, and I know a few others as well. I will be published in Blue Iris for their “Home” theme they had. This was about friendships outside relationships that make you feel at home. They chose a poem of mine that is about my best friend so I couldn’t be more jazzed about it!
I will be competing in the Worldwide Slam League with Write About Now Poetry for their finals next month, virtually. Watch to see when on my page and definitely come support the poets competing.
With my Merch on my site I recently created a shirt that is “Consent Is Sexy.” Because damn, it certainly is for me.
I was a part of a Pride Book Fair and Pride Cypher with WAN poetry and it was the best experience by far.
I have a Patreon! It starts at $1 and has homemade, handmade, cards and goodies, full length poems, prompts, and the highest tier gets you into Poetic Catalysts once a month! I’ll be having some of the prompts for my class on my Patreon as well as an option you can tap into: https://www.patreon.com/sarahmentalpoet
*What I’m Reading: Everything about love.
What I’m listening to: Ashes to Ashes, Neon Christ
What I’m getting ready for: Slamming in the Worldwide Slam League
*What I’m writing: Gonna be working on a piece about my body as a political statement
*What’s haunting me: Is it’s left unsaid how do you know it? How we know what is unsaid and how many times could we make someone’s day if we shared how much we love them, love what and who they are?
To all those who hear me, thank you. To all those struggling with kindness or self-compassion for yourself, I see you, I am you, but I know you’re magnificent. Be kind always to your mind.