Our Words Are Our Strongest Weapons: From an Interview With Alise Versella

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'! 

Today we introduce you to the young and compassionate poet Alise Versella, who passionately believes that poetry has the power to hold us up when we can't find a firm foundation to stand on. 

I first began writing poetry in the 6^th grade after watching A Ring of Endless Light on television and the Color of Friendship. The congressman's speech at the end of that movie brought an 11 year old me to tears and that was when I discovered the power of words.

It’s easy for me to write poems on any subject, really. I’m inspired by life, music, cinema, the news and the stories of individuals. If it’s something I’ve personally experienced, it becomes even easier for me to write about it.

I consider myself an empathic person so I often write poems about the experiences of others, giving them a voice.

Today I'd say the subject of race is harder for me to write about, I have so much to say but can't figure out the right words with which to say it.

My biggest fear in sharing my poetry is that my words could literally get me in big trouble, but I think I am not famous enough yet for too many important people to care too much about what I write, so I send it out into the ether regardless. And I just do it all for me, I have something to say and I said it. That's how I move beyond it. I am a writer first and foremost. The public doesn't have to like what I say but it's important I find the strength to say it anyway.

Through writing poetry I have discovered that I am strong, that I am powerful. Words heal wounds and bring us out of our darkness and into the light.

Sometimes when I'm writing a piece I feel like I am no longer in control of my pen: That I have been possessed by a higher being or maybe just a heightened version of myself. I find religion in poetry, in the cathartic release of those words that just expel from me beyond my control. I consider that time "possessed" as a spiritual process.

Writing poetry has helped me cope through the many trials of life; my poetry has served as the mile markers on the road that is my life.

I find it impossible to keep a journal so I write poetry instead.

Reading the poems of others has an inspiring and calming effect on me; it's like listening to a really good song on the radio that gives me goose bumps. I love T.S Eliot, Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg and The Rose of Battle by Yeats. I have a portion of that one memorized! A poem called Becca inspired my third book. Ferlinghettis's Alienation: two bees. Ian Thomas's book I wrote this for you: pleasefindthis is superb!

I was first invited to the Journey of the Heart Poetry Project by Catherine Ghosh who asked me to submit a poem to spotlight my latest book release, for which I'm forever grateful. I have published three poetry book: Five Foot Voice, Onion Heart, A Few Wild Stanzas. I’ve also had my work featured on Rebelle Society and a Writers-editors online contest.

Being published in the Journey of The Heart project felt wonderful to me, as I loved being showcased alongside so many bright, talented women whose work I'd seen appear across many internet venues.

This is a project full of beautiful women speaking their minds and coming together to create. Creation is the most beautiful thing!

It is an honor to be part of this project and to have my poems picked for the new anthology Where Journeys Meet: The Voice of Women’s Poetry.

 It is a thrill to be offered the opportunity to send my words out to be read by others in hopes that they will mean something to someone, that they could help someone, just like the words of others have helped and inspired me.

I am young and still finding my way and who I am is changing day to day. But I'm learning my core values and my mission is becoming somewhat about teaching people the power of poetry.

Our words are our strongest weapons and that no one can take that away from us.

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Alise Versella is a 24 year old poet living in the pinelands of New Jersey. Poetry has always been the ether in her veins and the oxygen she breathes. It is her Five Foot Voice, her Onion Heart, as she peels back the layers of herself like a lotus unfurling its petals in order to grow fully in the waters that can sometimes weigh her down. She writes poetry to find herself and save the world. Her hope it that her poetry saves someone’s world from crumbling. Alise believes art has the power to hold us up when we can’t find the legs to stand. You can visit Alise on her Facebook page here or her website here. Her third volume of poetry, A Few Wild Stanzas, is available here. 

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~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission -guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~  

Interview With Nancy Carlson

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the thoughtful reflections of yoga and meditation teacher, Reiki master and Holistic Nurse Coach, Nancy Carlson, who comes to us from Massachusetts. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

As a child I loved reading poetry, a true day-dreamer, I would play with words as if I was a poet too! In my teen and college years, I started to write poems as they related to my feelings, difficulties and joys: these were my secrets. I loved e.e. cummings and Yeats. My simple poetry included metaphors of nature, love of God and of something much larger than what life seemed to be.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

My self-growth, challenges, reflections, emotions, what inspires me, transformations, gratitude, love...and from some deeper place with that felt like a source of creativity.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

I am not good at rhyming, with anything linear, black and white or within a structure that feels constrictive to be, forced.

When do you feel most inspired to write poetry?

It just seems to come-up, it just does. An expression of something that is hard to describe with words, yet is another way of using those words. It can be a feeling, an image, metaphor, confusion, sorrow, love! Whatever it is, it shows up and keeps speaking to me to write. During life-experiences, transitions, deaths, births, milestones, learning, integrating, need to express, the un-known or mystery....often during times of quiet and connection to self. It is a personal part of my truth, my true self.  It is art, creative, releasing, freeing, connection and opening of doors within myself. It expresses in a way that I could not have imagined, till the words just start to flow. Unraveling the complicated, allowing the mystery to be and takes center stage in bringing consciousness to the unconscious. I feel so alive with a poem...

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public?

That I won’t be heard or I will be judged or critiqued because I am not a seasoned poet or writer. That my subject is personal, but when I do share and it seems to touch others in some way....then I am aware that this poetry is much bigger than me and is a source of healing and joy!

What is the most profound thing you have learned from writing poems?

That I am a part of the Whole of Life and that my feelings and experiences are universal. That this poetry comes from my heart and  is a sharing of my heart with others. A gift to myself and all. It feels like Grace...

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

I think it has always been a spiritual process for me. Somewhat like a prayer...connecting with nature, mystery, more that what this life seems to be, eternal, always there, gratitude, love and devotion. I feel a connection to that deeper knowing, to source, to that essence that is always there, eternally. I become a part of the portal of Love, within and without. I notice that this process is essential to my life.

What function has writing poems played for you in your life?

Integration, discovery, truth, joy, purpose, creativity, connecting to my heart. It speaks to the mystery, beauty and service to God and all others.

Name some of your favorite poetesses.

Mary Oliver, Rumi, Mirabai, O’Donnahue, Mary Angelou, Maria Rilke and the Upanishads.....to speak of some poets.

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

A feeling of connection, validation, appreciation, inspiration, beauty of expression, vulnerability and a deeper perception of others.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

From Yoga In The Gita blogspot by Catherine Ghosh and Braja Sorensen, I met Catherine and became interested in Journey of the Heart as a way to bring my poems to the public within a setting that felt so right to me.

Have you publicly shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

No, only as gifts to others or for certain events.

If not, what did it feel like to share your poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart?

It was amazing growth for me to take this step. There was so much acceptance, support, sharing, and love form these like-minded poetesses. I felt that I could truly learn and grow in this space!

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

A loving acceptance of myself and my expression of that...huge!

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

Catherine has been so supportive, open, kind and lovingly guiding me along in this process of self-exploration and source of devotion to Truth and Love. Poetry anchors me in that place within that connects with that Source that is never ending. From this place, there is such acceptance, love, joy and Grace comes….

Nancy Carlson: "I am an evolving poet, writing mostly as reflection, contemplation. But most recently, as a student of bhakti-yoga, as an expression of my devotion. I work as an Holistic Nurse Coach, yoga/meditation teacher and Reiki Master. You may contact me on Facebook here or via my website 'Joyful Healing' here. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Freya Watson

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to inspiring author, mystic and mother, Freya Watson, who comes to us from the beautiful, Irish countryside. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

I have always considered myself a prose writer and never really entertained the idea of writing poetry until it became an emotional necessity.  I first started scribbling short verses during a period of intensity when phrases just presented themselves in such a way that they captured the immediacy of the way I was feeling in a manner which more carefully considered prose never could.  There are times in life when feelings run so deep that either talking about them or trying to capture them as properly-constructed sentences doesn't do us justice. 

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

Poetry is always extremely personal for me – and what I write about has to be a reflection of subjects that touch my heart.   Love, sex, passion, sadness, anger, frustration, the divine are all easy subjects to write about.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

If I can't feel it strongly, I can't write poetry about it.  It's not so much about subjects as it is about how deeply I connect with the subject.  For me to turn to poetry as a vehicle for expression, there has to be an urgency behind what I'm feeling. 

What are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

Ah!  I have to confess that poetry has to be one of the most self-indulgent things I do.  My inspiration is always my own life.  Actually, 'inspiration' seems a bit of misnomer – in my case anyway.  'Fuel' might be a better term.  It feels like the strong emotions that are stirred up from time to time in daily life are transmuted in some way through the verses I write.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

I'm not sure that I have moved beyond the hesitation – or that anyone ever does, completely.  I don't think I'm the only writer who feels that their poetry is intensely personal and, as such, wonders at whether it is something which is purely individual or if it can have universal appeal.  Over time, I think I've got more used to exposing myself – and to accepting that others feel equally vulnerable when they do likewise.  But isn't that what makes the world a more interesting and beautiful place – when we are willing to show who we really are?

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

It would have to be the discovery that others like what I write and can resonate with some of it, despite its personal nature!

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

My poetry reflects my most intense, raw and vulnerable side – it exposes my soul.  I only write poetry when I'm deeply moved to do so (although I did once try a 30 day poetry challenge on Wordpress).  As a result, it is a process, which is almost beyond conscious will.  It presents itself with an urgency, a necessity, which comes from somewhere deep inside and insists on flowing out and onto the page.  It's only my ego (and, perhaps, my creative editor) that keeps a lot of what I write in a little notebook in the drawer 'for later' rather than allowing more of it to find its way through to publication. 

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

When I'm moved to turn to verse as a way of expressing what I feel, I find it deeply cathartic.  It takes something deeply felt – perhaps too deeply felt for ordinary communication – and allows it to be externalized.  It captures a magic that few words can more easily express than lengthy sentences.  It's not something I do very often so when I do, it reflects a particular point in my life in a way that nothing else does.  Even looking back at old poems helps to show me how far I've come (or fallen!).  

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

I have to confess to not being a huge fan of poetry.  But, all the same, I have to count Hafiz and Rumi among my favorites – especially Ladinsky's translation of Hafiz, 'The Subject Tonight is Love'.  I also have a soft spot for the metaphysical poets like John Donne, whose poetry has stayed with me since school.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

An online acquaintance who had read some of my prose suggested that I might like to consider Journey of the Heart and I have to admit to being deeply touched at both the suggestion and at the poems I read there.  It is a most wonderful, colorful and eclectic selection of heart-felt poetry, which deserves to be on the bookshelf of any passionate woman.

Have you publicly shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

I had started to quietly make my poetry available on my Wordpress blog and also to illustrate some of the chapters in two of my books, 'The Beautiful Garden' and 'Sexy Spirit'.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

Honestly, I have to say my general experience of sharing my poetry on Journey of the Heart was pride.  I feel proud to be among such a wonderful group of women and to be part of such an amazing project.  I would never have thought that something so personal could unite women around the globe.  It makes me wonder how much further it can go.  Perhaps poetry can work wonders where more mundane approaches to unity have failed?

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

I think we all carry with us from childhood some preconceived notions of what poetry is or isn't.  For a long time, I know I was turned off the idea of poetry from having read too many perfectly-rhymed but emotionally-lacking verses, and from having to dissect others' work.  I'm not sure you can 'try' to write poetry.  I think it either flows or it doesn't.  You just have to go with it at first and you can use your wisdom and discernment to polish it afterward, if that is something you feel is important.  Personally, I like my poetry raw – but others, I know, appreciate polish.  Poetry is such a personal thing, in terms of both taste and expression, that I think the best way we can view it is with curiosity and wonder at the spirit of the poet who breathed their essence into the words.

Freya Watson: Author, lover, mother, mystic... I have feet in so many worlds but see all of them as sacred and I have long had a fascination with plumbing the depths of love, life and relationships – and with seeing women live from a place of true inner empowerment. My books are on Amazon and I'm a regular contributor on Elephant Journal. I live and write in the peace of the Irish countryside, where I share space and time with three energetic daughters and my partner, though I consider myself a citizen of the world. Connect with me via my Facebook page. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Savitri Talahatu

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the lovely yogini Savitri, who is a life coach and healer from Bali, living now in Toronto, Canada. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

Perhaps in the 5^th of 6^th grade and blossomed in junior high school. I loved reading poetry and started to write pages of “flow of consciousness” which later had a poetic “feel” to them. Although I’ve learned about quatrain, stanza, sloka, haiku, rhyme, etc., I have never written poems in a certain “form”.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

The easiest subject for me to write poems on is about my connection to the Source and the process feels as though the words come through me, and not from me.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

Every subject is hard for me to write as I see myself as a medium, an instrument, and not a writer or a poet. Do you have any advice on how to shift that? Before leaving for Bali and India last year, I thought about starting a blog and writing regularly to share my experience with family and friends but that didn’t happen.

When are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

When my heart is wide open and the words, like life, just flow through me.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

Most of my poems came to me as “downloads”. I often feel a strong desire to keep them private because others may not understand the context.

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

That the poems have their own unique voice, wanting to be born.

That I am an instrument of the poems, facilitating their births, not the creator.

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

Each poem was often born after walking in nature, dancing or meditation, but also out of a period of longing, deep listening, and reciting a mantra.

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

During trying time, I write as an outlet to express what which wouldn’t have had any expression otherwise. Writing has been a true and trusted friend.

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

I love the poetry of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Rumi, Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda, Rabindranath Tagore, Mirabai, Kabir Das, Hafiz, Omar Khayyam and many more.

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

Reading the poems of others, especially a few of those mentioned above, often transport me to a different reality, as if entering the poet’s private chamber.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

I first discovered Journey of The Heart on Facebook when the posts appeared on my newsfeed. After awhile, I responded to your call for spiritual poems and sent my poetry to you, just to see if my poetry was in the same vein with your vision for Journey of The Heart. Thank you so much for providing me with an opportunity to explore another facet of my existence.

Have you publically shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

When I was in high school, I shared my poetry in the school’s newsletter. It was easy and natural because it was in Bahasa Indonesia. I did not feel any pressure to maintain the heart-felt essence as when writing poetry in English. 

What did it feel like to share your poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart?

When Catherine shared my poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart, I was not sure whether I should let people know or keep quiet about it. When I got over that inner talk, I shared the post with my personal, teaching and holistic healing facebook pages. It was quite an interesting feeling to see a part of me out there in the world and I am wondering if any novice poetess feels the same way I did.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

It has been a delightful learning experience of sharing my poetry, with Catherine personally first, and then with Journey of The Heart. I thank her for her encouragement and for your kind words of support.

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

In the world of poetry, I found a world of beauty, enchantment and wonderment.

Savitri Ingga Talahatu was born and raised in Bali to musician parents from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. She is mother to a grown son and god-mother to a beautiful 17 year old god-daughter.  Savitri has been a multi-disciplinary teacher for almost three decades, having taught in the public system in Indonesia and in Canada, at universities and community colleges, women's shelters and senior residences. She currently teaches bhakti-infused Hatha and Kundalini Yoga classes, facilitates Yoga and Wellness workshops in Toronto, and at an annual Yoga teacher-training program in Bali.  Savitri is also a life coach, holistic health practitioner, labor and post-partum doula, childbirth educator and Reiki Master. In her spare time, she plays with a gamelan ensemble since its inception in 2001. You may contact Savitri though e-mail soulsanctuary88@gmail.com Or on facebook here. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Solodad Maria

 Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to healer and spiritual midwife Solodad Maria, from the United Kingdom, whose work focuses on awakening the Divine Feminine within every woman. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

 I have been writing poetry since I was a child. Since then I have felt that the rhythm of the Universe speaks through me, harmonizing with my natural self, the beauty of word, sound and the Divine source. In 1995 I experienced a kind of awakening. It was then that I was blessed with beautiful writing, and words that flow from within me. They are like prayers flowing from the transparent source of light, which, as a women I feel I know deeply and intuitively.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

I write from within: like an artist with a blank canvas, the words flow onto the page, like a blessing from the essence of transformation and love. My words are always heartfelt, always from my soul. I also feel blessings and energy that is gifted to me when I write.

When do you feel most inspired to write poetry?

In the early morning around 3 or 4 am. That’s when I awaken and feel the oneness and blessings of the presence of the Divine. I am energized then and full of praise and gratitude for a new day. Words flow from me at this time of day and also my meditations. It is a very beautiful experience.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public?

I feel the sacred deeply. I believe that any hesitation is my need and desire to keep my Divine flow as a peaceful vehicle for love, avoiding obscurity and unnatural rhythms or complexity.

What is the most profound thing you have learned from writing poems?

I’ve learned about the Awakening Woman within all women, and how connected she is as a source of communication and clarity for us all. I’ve learned about her joy in this place of freedom and unity with all that is. I’ve also learned how blessed I am to be a source of inspiration for myself, and others. For in expressing words that move beyond meaning, but are felt deeply within, we open ourselves up to receive them in a state of grace. This feeling is so beautiful!

What function has writing poems played for you in your life?

Poetry has been like a light to me, and a freedom. Poetry affects me deeply as a source of love: Divinity in motion!

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

I feel the words of others deeply. Poetry for me is fluid, like liquid: the essence of the soul. I believe that often words that pour out spontaneously are poems not yet known to the souls expression. I am moved by prayer, energy and sensitivity. I am moved by words that are heartfelt yet loving and real. I admire the soul who takes the time to praise life and others, who knows how to use words as an energy source, as a beloved even. Sometimes the longing behind the words catches me and lulls my being into a place of openness and pure love.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

 

Journey of the Heart was found through the deep connection I feel with Catherine Ghosh as a pure hearted soul and Divine sister.

Have you publically shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

I published Healing From The Heart in 2005. It is filled with blessings and verses that tell the story of my spiritual awakening. I have also had poetry published through other publications and the Internet.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

I was happy to have my poetry published through Journey of the Heart. The deep resonance with Catherine and the beautiful sisters, as they share their own messages and expressions of the awakened woman is wonderful.

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

I believe poetry is an art form: a language of soul that resonates across the Universe and those who compose it are deeply blessed with being able to communicate that vibration in the Universe that longs to be heard. In doing so, we lift the vibration of our Mother Earth and bless life with valuable messages about openness, freeing and healing: exercising the language of the soul!

Solodad Maria has worked as a healer and spiritual midwife for nearly twenty years. Though Solodad is based in the United Kingdom, she is a member of the International Association of Medical Intuitives. Using sound and movement as healing tools, she draws mainly from tribal and indigenous cultures. She is author of Healing From The Heart, an autobiographical account of awakening and the woman inside. You may connect with Solodad via her website here, follow her blog "Feminine Awakening" here, or e-mail her solodadmaria@rediffmail.com

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~