On Wed. 12th, at 8pm, I had the privilege of reading a new poem at my favorite bar. My friend, who often goes by the name of Peacock The Pheonix, and I had talked about it a year or so ago. They used to host an event similar to this one at the local tea spot. I used to go to every single one that I could, because I was on thesis, and I wasn’t on campus, so I had no one to talk to.

I had actually forgot about the idea, because of time passing and because of taking time to focus on fiction writing. I saw a post about it, seeing that there would be six poets reading and I wondered who had been selected.

A week before the event I was dm’d and asked if I wanted to read at the event. And I responded with: “I would love that!”

It had been at least a year since I had shared poetry with a live audience. I was feeling super nervous, but I knew that it would help me continue to grow.

I originally posted this paragraph on my Facebook page: The event was inspiring. Seeing the vision come to life was iconic. Many people assume writers just hole themselves up in their rooms or in a corner of a coffee shop or a library. And sometimes that is what you need. But some of the best work we can create is when we collaborate with & learn from other poets. Community is important and we shouldn’t always do it alone.

I loved how everyone who shared had a unique perspective and writing style. You could even feel this energy from those who didn’t share their thoughts with the whole room. It’s easy to get self-critical, but events like this remind us to write the truest thing we can and to trust that someone will want to hear it.

The prompts of writing yourself a letter stuck with me. It’s been a while since I’ve written a letter to anyone. Specifically it was to write a letter to yourself 10 years ago or to write a letter to yourself 10 years ago.

My favorite part was hanging out and having a mocktail or two. After not leaving my house much last year, I’ve learned to appreciate time away from home, even if it consists of going to work.

Anyways, if you are a writer and haven’t found a community yet, I hope you are able to do so because it’s really encouraging when you find people who get it– instead of the ones who offer you unwanted advice or criticism.

K bye,

Audrey