if you were different you'd be perfect — Poetry is for everyone #3

Poetry in motion - Yrsa Daley-Ward is living, walking, breathing, Art.

Time to get deep amongst it with the living because yes, there are ‘genius’ artists in our very midst.

This poet is one that astounds me on the daily. I follow her Instagram because it’s like oxygen. I follow her Substack: The Utter (and you should too) because it reads like I wish I could write.

Her energy runs fathoms deep, as in, she is so profoundly connected to her own consciousness I feel like it is touching mine (through the mycelium network of possibility). Her capacity for engaging feeling is effortlessly complicated and endlessly relatable.

I will read her work forever because it reminds me of my humanity — my desire to live and my compulsion to write. She is a storyteller first, narrative strands weaving their way always, into her raw, contemporary expressions and there are so many I wish I could share here but for now I will start with one and share another sooner than soon. Also, buy all of her books, they are living, walking, breathing, Art.

Thank you

Yrsa Daley-Ward

for gifting me every day a little breath and also your blessing, to share this poem with the group.

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if you were different you'd be perfect

now that’s the secret

Yrsa Daley-Ward

This poem is in response to a poem by a woman 
in which her (lover?) 
told her that all she needed to do  
to be Perfect was to be Different, 
and all she needed to do 
to be Loved Better was to Be Better. (See how they get you?)
They tell you you're Almost / tell you you're Nearly;
that you'd be more if you were less. Oh, boy.
I don't regret much, 
only the things I didn't say back. 
I needed More Life. (An education.)
The Blade In My Mouth grows. Every year.  

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I am now an affiliate of Bookshop.org so if you’d like to read more from any of the featured artists on our growing poetry curation, I have put together a selection on my page <3