BY JOANNA C. VALENTE
As the senior managing editor at Luna Luna and the founding editor at Yes Poetry, you could say writing is important to me, especially poetry. For me, it’s vital to highlight poetic voices in order to support literature, activism, and expression.
Here are three of my favorite poems I read recently.
Kay Ulanday Barrett - “While looking at photo albums”
“one out of five – leave to a new country – the women in my family hone – in my heart – like checkpoints – which is what they know – which is like a halt – not to be confused for – stop – which is what happened to my ma’s breath– when she went home – for the last time – I didn’t get to – hold her hand as she died – I said I tried – just translates to – I couldn’t make it – in time – I tell myself – ocean salt and tear salt – are one and the same – I press my eyes shut”
Devin Kelly - “OUTSIDE THE WINDOW THE WHOLE WORLD IS HUMMING”
“We kept trying to come while forever passed us by & outside the hum of so much trying to start or in the process of being continued on as it always does The city reminds us that so much does not need us Beautiful & more beautiful night I am happy for the smallest of moments The first desire is to bottle them The second is to believe they will last forever”
Elizabeth Metzger - “Courtyard of the Most Embarrassing God”
“My vanishing is a meadow
and I know my kill still moves
more or less disturbed,
every leap blowing the shell
off my deformed blue-lipped bud.
I would work myself into the dirt if I could stay.”
Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body) (forthcoming, Madhouse Press, 2019), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente