Being Featured

I had clicked on a random writing article that led to another, then another. As I read a few articles, I saw a link for a call for writers and a list of places to submit poems to. I browsed some of the sites looking for a theme I could write about on the spot...It led me to Silver Birch Press and their Lost and Found series that was looking for poets. 

Poetry was how writing for me came to mean something. Poetry unlocked something inside me when I was around 12 or 13 and it let me release myself in a way I never thought to before. Writing my poems and my words in this manner have always proven to be cathartic, but sharing them has always been too intense. The poems tend to be very personal so submitting my work was a big long breath I held for some time before hearing back.

I wrote it within an hour of seeing the call for entries and submitted it without letting myself pause. As a creative, the longer you think about submitting, the more chance you have to talk yourself out of it, or at least that is how it works for me! 

Getting the email that says, yes, we are going to publish you, was a tumbler of emotions. Excitement, nervousness and overall happiness. One small goal accomplished. I'll give credit to the poetry group at barnes and noble I joined in the last year for helping me find confidence enough to share such personal thoughts with people. We share our works every 2nd tuesday of the month and it has really helped me to open up more. Yes, it was terrifying at first! 

Without much more hesitation, Follow the link over to Silver Birch Press and take a moment to read my first published/featured poem, "Acceptance." 

Thanks Silver Birch for featuring my work!