The Poetteer

Hello Poetteers, As you may have noticed that I didn't continue with the 12 poetry collaborations of dec. I couldn't find enough people that wanted to participate. Next, last month was my 9th blog anniversary. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. My lifelong poetry affirmation is "my writing gives me clarity" but last year I had a specific poetry affirmation of "I will confidently take baby steps to share my vulnerability." I had confessed that I was scared to share vulnerable pieces and scared of my emotions to write. When I first started writing poetry and finding my voice I let myself feel different emotions and question myself. I had explored my culture and faith. Some poetry evolved after a few pieces. But then I found a comfortable space in poetry and stayed there. I didn't push myself to look even deeper. I loved writing and sharing "hope in reality" through my poems. I still do and will keep doing so. Yet I did...

Hello Poetteers, I love finding poetry books from poets I find online. It's kind of disappointing when half the the poems in their books are poems they have shared online before the book is published. I have to confess I once did the same thing. I'm more conscious of it now. One or two sneak peeks are fine for promotion but more than that and what's the point of getting the book unless the poet's work is something you read and can read it multiple times. They have to be really good to be able to have that. Some poems I read multiple times and it still surprises you. Other poems I've read once and it's enough for that one time because they are simple. It's hard to explain but I hope it makes sense. What do you think?

Hello Poetteers, I was running on the excitement of a new idea and working on something new. But then it wore off and I fell behind. I kept going and at one point I thought I didn't love this idea anymore. I wanted to quit. I told myself no. I still love this idea. I just need a little more wiggle room. So I changed up some things. When I started the project I limited myself to one book but then I let myself use any of my books. As you saw I tried to keep organized by going in order of the book. I switched to doing what calls to me. Drawing the Muslim girls was my favorite part. It felt like I needed to do a new piece every day but I let myself redraw something if I felt the need to do so. I fell behind for a few days and caught up. But I fell behind for a week and caught back up. But then I fell behind again. I saw some people use the progress pictures as part of the project. I decided to try it out and it helped me catch up.  Maybe the structure of the projec...

Hello Poetteers, In the beginning of the month, there was an imperfect boss campaign . It was changed up a bit for us to share the good things we bring to the world. I wanted to share on here what I wrote. A year ago I made the declaration that this is a positive space. I really feel it's true. I've heard people say that they feel the positivity when they come into my space. They feel the encouragement and inspiration when they read my work and speak to me. I want to continue to live through that declaration. Inspire. It's the word I live by. I've been an indie author for almost four years and only in the past year do I really feel my writing is noticed. When people started to tell me that my work touched them, it surprised me. It feels good to know that when it's all you wanted to do. We sometimes, myself included, get caught up in our work and forget about the journey. I looked back and again it surprised me. I built this dream. Stay inspired, Fida...

Hello Poetteers, I'm grateful for this campaign . When I heard of it before I thought it was great but I thought I had nothing to say. Seeing other posts I realized I have things to confess but I'm scared of saying them. I missed the opportunity. As I shared more original poetry I felt stuck. I couldn't move forward unless I shared behind the scenes and truths. I started the series, Poet Confessions ( blog and IG ). After starting that I felt better. I could finally move forward. This time when The Imperfect Boss campaign  presented itself I jumped at the chance to be a part of it. I felt less alone. I saw myself in many of the fears other people expressed. I came up with more confessions than I shared. More came up as I shared the few you saw. I worried about sharing mine. I worried I would ramble. Maybe I did. I worried if I made sense. After this, I feel understood. Another layer of me was peeled back and seen. I love to reflect on the opportunities I take....

Hello Poetteers, I always see my poems become something different from the original idea. Sometimes the first stanza stays or I remove it because my poem ends differently than how it started. That change in topic of a poem is what gets me in a groove to write more poems until I have finally gotten down the original idea and how I pictured it. It's the best feeling when you get the original idea of a poem down in the first try. Sometimes it's not about a missed topic but about the wording. Some words don't give the meaning you want. Or they don't fit the rhythm, so you have to choose a new word or change/rearrange phrases/sentences. Do save the removed words and phrases for future works.  It can be hard to think of the right words. You have to keep writing until you get where you want to be. Writing poetry is a peaceful act for me but it's a relief when I get exactly what I want down on the page. My theme is faith and culture. It's carried throug...

Hello Poetteers, I don’t curse in my own poems and don't like reading it in other poems. In other poems, I may give an exception. Curses in poetry take away from the poem. I skip over it. They feel like something extra. It's unnecessary. I don't like it but there are exceptions to that. If there is a reason for it and I can't see the poem without it then the cursing is okay. It sometimes works in spoken word. Curses have to be used sparsely. More than three is too much. Curses may give raw emotion or add emphasis the poem needs to show emotion. There are pieces where cursing fit the author's voice. Comment : What do you think about cursing in poetry? Read More : Putting my Beliefs in Poetry  | Poet Confessions Stay inspired, Fida 

Hello Poetteers, Over on Instagram , I’ve started a new series of sharing my poet confessions. When I first started writing poetry I didn't read much poetry.  Before last fall, I never wrote a sonnet.  I got a poem published in my high school lit magazine and afterward, I noticed a big spelling error.  I almost never rhyme in my poems.  I don't memorize my poems.  I search my own poems for verses to make sure I actually wrote them.  Sometimes I struggle to finish writing a poem.  Other times I can write a good poem in one try.  I don't curse in my poems.  What is one of your poet confessions? Stay inspired, Fida Read More: Never Wrote A Sonnet Part 1 | Part 2

Hello Poetteers, I shared my confession of having never written a sonnet. Since then I've attempted a couple times. I made it through the first stanza. Then I made it through halfway. It's all I can do. Rhyming isn't my forte. I don't like how it feels and sounds forced. It's like I'm trying too hard. I never liked rhyming. When I like of rhyming, it's good for light hearted poems; which isn't something I write a lot. My poems deal with heavy emotion. My attempt at writing a sonnet. How do you go between writing very different themes? stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, #PoetryChat (now #PoetryHeart !) is a weekly chat on Sundays at 3 pm, hosted by  @JasmineMelancon . In this past week I shared a confession on the chat. Poetry is a place to express emotion with rhythm in a concise manner. I write in free verse. I cut into stanzas where the story changes. I never wrote a sonnet before. I was driven away from sonnets because of the old English and romantic love I got from reading some. I would love to practice writing a sonnet or two in the near future. There is no wrong or right way to write poetry. It doesn't need specific words paired together that rhyme. It's not required to write in a specific form. You can write in free verse with or without stanzas. All you need is phrases that should evoke emotion. Stay inspired,  Fida P.S. I'm currently hosting an Instagram poetry challenge, # dailypoetrygram .