The moderator for this week is Sarah (Ember) Bricault!
Sarah (Ember) Bricault: bio
Sarah Bricault has a PhD in neurobiology and currently works as a postdoc in that field. Her fascination with the mind and how it processes information often finds itself in her poetry, as do themes related to mental health. Sarah's work can be found in Brown Bag Online, High Shelf Press, The Poeming Pigeon, Beyond Words, Wingless Dreamer, and elsewhere. For more information on Sarah, check out SarahBricault.net.
Tuesday:
Is this how you really feel?
I often write poems as a release, a cathartic and metaphorical way to explore my truth. I remember how frustrated I was, growing up, when I would write a poem about darker things and my parents would ask that question- is this how you realy feel? I always felt like they were missing the point, that they were reducing my art into something flat and physical and taking the poetry out of it. It made me not feel safe sharing my work in those spaces.
On the other hand, as I grow as a person and as a member of poetry communities, I better understand the desire to make sure people are physically safe in addition to feeling poetically unrestricted. In any case, it's a difficult balance to strike- here is one poem that explores that tension:
Poetry prompt for today:
Today, I encourage you to think about what makes a space feel or be safe. What is the role of poetry in healing and expression, and also in safe-ness? Perhaps think about a time you felt safe or unsafe in a poetic space (or any space) and how that impacted you or those around you.
Or, think about the limits of poetry. Is there anything poetry shouldn't be written about? Should some poems not be shared widely, or be accompanied by a trigger warning? How close to "reality" do you like to get with your darker poems?
Thursday:
"none of them felt right, so I had to keep going" - Neil Hilborn
The prompt poem for this week is "OCD" by Neil Hilborn, from which the above quote is taken.
As you watch this poem, I encourage you to think about what it means to be "finished" with something. What is the value of closure? What is the value of leaving something unfinished? Take a moment to consider something you have finished. What would your life be like if you had left it unfinished? Or the reverse - how would your life be different if you completed something currently left unfinished?
Friday:
"this is not my voice" - Jaylene Clark Owens
The prompt poem for this week is "My Voice, My Choice" by Jaylene Clark Owens, from which the above quote is taken.
I would encourage people to think about the concept of voice. Both voice as in a unique style that defines you, and voice as in the things you say with the hope that they will be heard. Do you have different voices for different situations? Do you ever feel the need to modulate your natural voice, physically or emotionally or politically or poetically, to protect yourself or to appeal to an audience? How does that modulation affect you?
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