poetry thru a pandemic
On my mind
It’s Friday. I’m celebrating the end of another week. It’s also National Poetry Month. I’ve been writing daily poems on Instagram as part of a fun 30 days, 30 poem challenge every April. Writing poems quickly and sharing them with the world before they’re truly ready is incredibly scary, but I’ve learned a lot over the years about how the inner critic silences us as we wait for the “perfect words” or the “perfect time.” The truth is, "A poem is never finished, only abandoned." So every day this month, I will abandon my poems before I go to sleep and use the page as opportunity to check in with myself and connect with others. The experience is always a beautiful and unforgettable one. Especially right now, it’s nice to take a break from the news and fill yourself up with some art.
Here are some poems I’ve shared so far.
If you’re writing as well or want to try your hand at daily poems, please let me know so I can boost your profile or send me your poems! Some people you should follow for daily poems on Instagram: @Aaliahbaba, @poetrybyaya, @poeticsoulinme
I’m also super excited that I was able to launch the first #AtlanticPoetryChallenge with weekly prompts on their Instagram, so check that out as well for inspiration over the rest of the month.
What I’m noting
📺 Be a part of PBS American Portrait // Got a story to share? Send it in to have your voice heard in this series focused on showcasing “a portrait of what it really means to be American today.”
℞ Quarantine Rx // Click a button that generates self-care ideas and advice
😊Some Good News // Super cute, funny weekly YouTube show hosted by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. They would be a fun couple to be quarantined with. Also, episode 2 features the cast of Hamilton!
🎶 Live virtual concerts to watch // NPR Music conveniently curated a list of concerts from different genres you can watch online or through social media from rock to hip hop to classical.
What you’re noting
🕒 How to spend the time // A personal essay on how to spend time during the pandemic. “Many of us are lucky right now. Some of us will not be lucky later, but we won’t know that until after. Rather than apologizing for being lucky, I spend time being grateful. I spend at least 80 percent of my day being grateful, and telling people that I am grateful. It is one thing that helps.”
— shared by Ghazala
✊🏾Black Muslim COVID Coalition // This is a coalition of faith leaders, medical professionals, organizers, mental health professionals and youth working together to assemble resources and share information on COVID-19 with Black Muslim communities, which are disproportionally at risk during this pandemic. If you’re interested in getting involved, check this group out.
— shared by Tefan
Hope you’re staying safe and healthy wherever you are in the world. Let me know what’s getting you through the pandemic from books to music to recipes to workouts, so I can feature them in an upcoming newsletter. You can always hit reply to this email if you want to share or just say hi :)
Have a good weekend!
— Nesima