The Poetteer

The Garden Through the window I see the morning dew  I feel your sunlight  the wind chimes and birds chirp  buds fill the branches  The morning spring light  nourishes the blossoming -  flowers and my soul  The breeze brings  the first fragrance  of freshly bloomed flowers  bringing vibrant colors to the earth  watching clouds float and shape-shift  perfect for bare feet and day dreams  I sit in silence, unmoved  two little birds were chirping loudly  playing in our garden  chirping to their friends  I hear their wings flutter and dance in the bird bath  the flowers you water pray for you  the birds you feed pray for you. Behind the Poem The poem wasn’t written in one sitting. It started as three haikus in response to some April prompts . In June I wrote a garden poem. I noticed one stanza had the same line as one of the haikus: " Enjoy the little joys  the breeze brings wind chimes and ...

Hello poets, I've noticed people reading poems from male 'she' poets. It’s frustrating. Its tiring. Men plagiarizing women’s work. Men mistranslating other poets' work. Men writing about women’s trauma. They should not be writing about women's experiences. Men should not be writing about female trauma or beautifying mental illness. They can’t tell women how they should feel and deal with their mental illnesses and trauma. You can write dark pieces and about mental illnesses without "romanticizing" it and being harmful. Leave females to write about their own traumas and their own stories. Have you ever read a poem about their personal human experience? Do you notice who they refer to in their poems? If they never talk about their own experiences and always share someone’s else narrative it can be problematic. We shouldn’t be writing about a human perspective we haven’t experienced. We should control our own narrative and pass the mic to the other necessary ...

Hello Poetteers, Communication is vital. When hiring an editor here are a few things to keep in mind:  read their service page request a sample edit to see if we are a good fit discuss the kind of feedback you need and ask how they edit figure out and be clear about the payment plan. It varies between editors how they calculate the cost. ask how long will the editing take? (and their timeline. De clear if you have your own deadline.) be aware that there may be an up-charge for extra tasks.  Lastly, editors want to know the genre of your work and the length of your manuscript.  Stay inspired, Fida Message me when your poetry is ready to be edited and you're interested in working with me. 

Hello Poetteers, I decided to do a different and fun post for this week. I'm sure a majority of us including me have been listening to 'Folklore'. I love a really good lyric. It's relatable and up to the reader/listener's interpretation. I want to breakdown why some of the lyrics have become my favorite. cardigan:  "I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs"  Listening to this line I think of anxiety.  the last great american dynasty: "She had a marvelous time ruining everything." I love the change in POV. This particular line makes me think of loud woman breaking cultural and societal expectations. exile : "you're not my homeland anymore."  I love the two voices in this song. There is another lyric that I love the alliteration in but this particular line pulls at my heart because it reminds me of those in diaspora.  my tears ricochet : "I didn't have it in myself to go with grace." I think of my self doubts, overth...

Hello Poetteers, Before you even write balance life and poetry. I leave writing for when it doesn’t take me away from an experience. I know I feel ready to write when I’ve accepted the situation that I’m writing about, the lesson is learned and there is positivity. I love a poem that shows the whole story. I want to see a piece have a balance of both sides. For example: if you share something dark, add something light. if it's negative, add positivity. if you're searching for something, share it being found.  The format matters too. Break up run on sentences to fit the format and remain consistent with the rest of the poem. It can look too heavy or too small compared to the rest of the piece. Also, remain consistent with the poetic devices you used.  Don't be afraid to question your poetry to pull out what's necessary for it. How do you know you've written a well balanced poem? stay inspired, Fida

Gold Gift Every time I look down at my wrists and see the bracelets I see their hands, I am reminded of both women who wore it before me I hope to embody their strength. Behind the Poem This poem is from Her Durian. I wrote it after my mom gave me her bracelet that she had gotten from her mother. In the moment it felt casual. She slipped on my wrist to give me some arm candy before our trip to Malaysia. My own grandmother didn't recognize it yet thought it was beautiful. This memory will always be attached to the bracelet and poem. Signed paperbacks are now available for purchase. 

Hello Poetteers, Positive affirmations help you believe in your goals and propels you towards action.  Affirmations for Editing My writing is strengthened by editing notes from others. I can visualize the improvement editing makes on my poetry.  I trust in the editing process. I will take my time with my poetry. It's good to write slowly. I will carefully look over my poetry. Action Items Reach out to beta readers and sensitivity readers Hire an editor. Both can offer an outside perspective.  Notice if critiques highlight similar issues. Keep it in mind for future editing. Take breaks between writing and editing. Also have breaks between each editing round. Doing so will help you look at your work from a clear headspace.  Read it aloud, read it backwards. Ask your poetry questions. Don’t rush/force writing specific stanzas. You don't want to over edit. Be vocal about the voice you want to portray in your work.  Stay inspired, Fida  I'm a poetry editor. Inte...