Being published is this coveted goal as a writer. Many of us are probably questioning, at times, whether we are indeed a writer if we haven’t reached that goal. The short answer is yes.

We promise, we did not forget that it is National Poetry Month! You will often hear me say that poets are the best of us. Poetry remains a constant source of inspiration for me. When I’m feeling lost or stuck, I love to read poetry, especially when revising fiction at a line level. I want to be able to write sentences that make you stop in your tracks, and read, and re-read, until you can finally move on from its beauty. Sentences that convey a mundane emotion, but in a uniquely challenging way. That’s what poetry helps me do. 

There are a lot of other concerns to have in the world right now, which I completely want to acknowledge. But for all it’s worth, writing is still happening and I would say it’s even more important now than ever as people try to silence our voices especially as Black and POC writers. So, with that said, we write on. 

Can I tell you a secret? When there was so much bubbling over whether or not TikTok was going to be banned, I didn’t care at all. Not one bit. Even though I’ve thumbed through the timeline, laughed and enjoyed creator content, I thought, whew, one less social media outlet to keep up with. I thought for a moment, is this the beginning of the return to real life things? Will we finally have had enough with algorithms and an inflated sense of connectivity, and then, it came right back.