The Poetteer

Hello Poetteers, Today's poem is about determination. Enjoy! Determination is the drive through obstacles to accomplish our goals and reach our dreams Our dreams are known, when we've spent time with ourselves, the truth is what we need We learn our needs are kept alive by determination and we let it lead us through life. by Fida islaih and Sahira Javaid Check out Sahira's latest poetry book , Crack of Dawn.  Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers,  I hope you enjoy today's poem.  Dancing For Joy Dancing with my friends, I discover my body: I'm twirling under the lights, electricity fuelled limbs I watch their hips sway arms pumping the air - following along I am not as smooth, but my smile fills the room, hits the roof, bounces off the ceiling I was afraid of showing skin my body always aches to feel whole but I don’t feel it tonight it’s all about seeing the joy in our eyes: When I dance I am transcendent, And in my laughter, I find self-love. By Fida Islaih and Isabelle Kenyon Isabelle has a poetry book published called 'This is not a Spectacle'. Stay inspired, Fida 

Hello Poetteers, This poem was inspired after listening to Pink's "What About Us?" Enjoy! I gave you a chance I gave you my love, my trust but you said so many things so many things that turned out to be lies I'm not taking it anymore I'm ready to face this world without you and I'm okay with that I have all the power in my heart to change it all I don't have to be afraid. By Fida Islaih and Jennifer Rapp Check out Jen's debut poetry book, Ink Stained Hands . Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, I feel like I've been slacking on the blog and decided on a project to bring the blog back to life. A little while ago I got to collaborate with Luna on a poem. Enjoy! Stars All bruised up I look up at the stars the sky is the same color purple and black I don't let the bruise bring me down the way the purple gives into the night, making one feel closer with the stars and the universe I am a star among stars. By Fida Islaih and Luna Margo Valentine You can find Luna sharing original pieces of soft girl poetry over on twitter . Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, After a #PoetteerChat about food and poetry, I had the pleasure to collaborate on a poem with Charlotte Hamrick . The Well Worked Globe Bread is a part of every meal and Monday mornings were for bread-making. My five-year-old self would sit at the big, worn kitchen table and watch Grandma's hands as they expertly kneaded and rolled the dough, grabbing the edge, folding it to the center, then pushing it down with the heels of her palms, gradually turning the pale round disc until all edges met in the middle, over and over, her fingers flexing, arms relentlessly churning like waves on a shore. I'd watch as she chatted and sometimes sang, a merry-go-round of domesticity, a goddess of the kitchen, until time to rest the well-worked globe in a bowl in the corner. Later, the whole house was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread we sat around the dining room table I tore off a piece of pita to dip in hummus as we waited for ...

Hello Poetteers,  As a Muslim poet I love reading poems that show one’s faith in God whether they are a muslim or not. Even if not muslim you can feel their belief and strength for their faith. It is something you want and are reminded to keep in your heart. ibtasempoetry Rebeca of  blendmylove Sa'diyya of  sadiyyanesar   rosesoftheqalb keyballah seemeehearme   I have to mention myself: poetfida Stay inspired, Fida Comment: Do you know of any poets of faith that I should know of? Read More: Empowerment Poetry

Hello Poetteers, For today's top ten Tuesday I'm sharing ten empowering poems. There are many more out there for you to find. Keep the hope and the fire in your hearts.   Find B. Oakman on Instagram.  Find Anna on Instagram  .  Find Ava on Instagram.  Find Rupi Kaur on Instagram.  Find Lang Leav on Instagram.  Find Christina on Instagram.    Find Salma on Instagram.  Find Alison on Instagram.  Find J.R. Rogue on Instagram.  Find me on Instagram Stay inspired, Fida 

Hello Poetteers, I ended and started the year well with reading. I've been enjoying my poetry finds. I'm about to read: An Open Suitcase & New Blue Tears by J.R. Rogue La Douleur Exquise by J.R. Rogue I'm currently reading: A Brilliant Madness Robert M. Drake Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur I recently finished reading (My poetry reads of 2016): Rest in the Mourning by R.H. Sin Watercolor Words by Topher Kearby Stay With Me Awhile by Loren Kleinman Mad Woman by Kat Savage Lullabies by Lang Leav Today Means Amen by Sierra DeMulder What poetry books have you read/currently reading/will read?

Hello Poetteers,  This past week I've been working on a collaborative piece. Here is the result of that collaboration.  Flickering Light Pain is my light getting tired with the anticipation a heaviness settles into my heart Pain is the loss of never seeing the good again you feel helpless like getting the news of death and not knowing what to say to yourself or others you don’t want to hear anything you stare into nothingness and wonder if it will get better accepting the pain, you can move forward from deep sorrow to the process of healing, healing is the reversal of a decomposed heart a radiant light replacing the darkness within a soothing ointment to one’s soul it gives hope to endure the circumstances, strength for the journey, courage to be bold, to comfort others who are afflicted but most all to know you are not alone. by Fida Islaih & Rebeca Perez Check out more poetry by Rebeca at Blend My Love .

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. I had the honor of getting in touch with Noor Shirazie and interviewing her for you today. Noor Shirazie is a 24 year old creativity enthusiast and author of ' Mourning Departures '.  When and how did you get introduced to poetry?  I was introduced to poetry through some of my earliest English classes but was more intrigued by my mom's poetry. She's been writing for decades. I was really impressed and blown away by her pieces upon first reading them. She also motivated me because she showed that it's possible to pursue a passion without pursuing it as a career. It was a very important lesson at a time when I was still figuring out which career path to opt for. In my culture, writing isn't the most reputable career, so for her to write passionately, it encouraged me to give it a try as well without worrying about societal or cultural limitations. What is your inspiration behind...

Hello Poetteers, Years ago I shared a video of a performance that moved me. It was a spoken word piece by Liza Garza. By mere coincidence my friend shared one of Garza's recent pieces a couple weeks ago. I was touched, again. Liza Garza is a poet, vocalist and songwriter. My Favorite Poems: My Everything  - The first piece I heard from her. I cried while listening. This is what I love about spoken word. You can show the emotion you have of the words you say. Dragonfly  - I read the written piece before listening to the spoken piece. It talks about what I believe in. Where You Can Find Her: Facebook | Instagram | Website stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. Lang Leav is an international best-selling author of Love & Misadventure, Lullabies and Memories. I recently finished reading her collection, Lullabies. It is filled with amazing poetry and stories. I don't have my own copy but I wanted to highlight the whole book. My Favorite Poems Wounded - I like that it covered the two types of wounds. Grounded - It is a sweet poem about birds and something bigger. Mixed Messages - It beautifully said the importance of communication. Acceptance - it's a reminder. Time - it holds so much truth. Where You Can Find Her Instagram | Website stay inspired, Fida 

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out.  I had the honor of getting in touch with Naveed Khan and interviewing him for you today. When and how did you get introduced to poetry? I've dabbled in poetry since I was a boy, but only as a means to really grasp what it really is. It wasn't until much later, in university, that I took the opportunity to really dive into studying it properly. Studying English in university, I had some freedom in choosing what area I wanted to focus on in my third and fourth year, and although slightly reluctant at the time, I elected to study poetry more thoroughly. At the time, I was convinced that I still did not understand most poetry well enough and wanted to learn more, and even after having done so I don't think I can comfortably say that I know everything. The world of poetics is so deep and vast tha...

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets.  If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out. I had the honor of getting in touch with the lovely lady behind ThePaintedLadySings and interviewing her for you today. FI: Hello PL! When and how did you get introduced to poetry?  PL: I remember the first time I was completely mesmerized by a poem, in which I feel was the first time I was properly introduced to the world of poetry. I was listening to a TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, who was giving a beautiful talk on education. At some point, he recited ‘The Cloths of Heaven’ by William Butler Yeats, and I was entirely hooked. FI: I'll have to read that poem! What is your inspiration behind your poems? PL: My hope whenever I write a poem is that a sense of hope, beauty and inspiration emanates from it. As such, I try to derive inspiration from this hope to write my poems. I also...

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. Sarah Kay is a poet and teacher of spoken word. She has her well known poem, B , published in an illustrated book. She has a new book coming out of her poem, The Type, with the same title. You can check out a full collection of poems in her book, No Matter The Wreckage . She is also the founder of Project VOICE . My Favorite Poems From Her : If I Were To Have A Daughter - it's like a letter to me. I love it! Mrs. Ribeiro - a poem of a wonderful person. Montauk - a poem that transports me. My favorite part is how it ends. Toothbrush to a Bicycle Tire - a poem between two inanimate objects. It's funny yet touching. Hands - a beautiful poem to appreciate something we take for granted. Forest Fires - a touching poem I can relate to. Bonus : When Love Arrives - by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye An Origin Story - by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye Where You Can Find Her : • Watch her TedTalk...

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. Sierra DeMulder is a performance poet and published author. She is one of the founders of Button Poetry. My favorite poems from her latest book, Today Means Amen : Without Small Poem For My Niece Teeth Ode To My Bottom Lip After Googling Affirmations Mantra To Overcome Depression Today Means Amen Release It Tonight In Yoga Where To Find Her: Watch a performance of Today Means Amen . Watch a performance of Paper Dolls . Twitter | Instagram | Website Love, Fida

Hello Poetteers, I did a similar post a few months ago and I enjoyed doing it I decided to do it again but this time a bit differently. The prompt is what books would be on the syllabus if you taught (book genre). My class would be on poetry. Week 1: I'm a published poet, so we would have to highlight my work. Week 2: We would look at poems by Tyler Knott to study haikus. Week 3: Our next read would be Poisoned Apples because it mixes fairytales with feminism. Week 4: We have to take a look at Shakespeare and study the sonnets. Week 5: Another classic poet we should study is Edgar Allan Poe. Week 6: We took a look at single poems, now we have to transition into novels-in-verse. For that, we would study Ellen Hopkins. Week 7: Written poetry isn't the only form of poetry. There is also spoken word. We will take a look at Sarah Kay for that. Week 8: We should end with some light hearted reading and will be looking...

Hello Poetteers, I've been loving Instagram lately. It's filled with beautiful pictures and words that are inspiring me. So here is ten poetry Instagram accounts i've been following and you should follow to.  @thepaintedladysings I recently started following her. Along with her poems is awesome sketches.  @isra.althibeh She has a simplistic black and white theme but that adds to the poems she shares. Her poems are short but powerful.  @_navk His poems are amazing and puts love together in a beautiful way.  @tylerknott Most of his poems are in haiku. He is known for his typewriter series. What makes him stand you is his handwritten poems and that he pictures it with where he's at.  @rmdrk His poems are just awesome! This one is one of my many favorites.  @shirazien I've been following Noor for a while and her poems feel like a big, warm hug.  @thepoetrystore ...

Hello Poetteers, Laura A. Lord is the author of numerous collections of vignettes and poetry and one awesome children’s book about a T-Rex screwing up her entire day. It’s absolutely a true story. Laura’s work has been featured in The Beacon, The Collegian, Whirl with Word, Tipsy Lit, Precipice, Scary Mommy, The Powder Room, The Reverie Journal, and Massacre Magazine. Her newest collection, Of Roots and Wreckage, focuses heavily on where she grew up. Split into three sections, this collection explores the ideas of “roots” and hometowns, of people and change, of aging and death. Want to win a free copy of Laura’s Of Roots and Wreckage ? Enter Laura’s Goodread’s Giveaway Here ! Here is a selection from Of Roots and Wreckage: Orange Grove Society She kept the kettle, gray and chipped, on the back burner of the little gas stove full of hot water and the peels of six oranges, so that the entire house smelled like a grand march through the groves of her childhood...

Hello Poetteers, Instead of my own I decided to share one of my many favorites from Nayyirah Waheed's Salt : i am terrified. then i remember i am giving birth to a continent. i remember that i am giving birth to a continent over and over. – the process | writing a book | the ancestors were my midwives | ashé. Love, Fida You can find my own poetry books here .