Instagram Poets

September 4, 2019

“Taxonomy” by Kat LehmannPosted by

Kat Lehmann | @songsofkat

Haibun with carved unicorn figurine: sleeping summer / my deepest grief / rolls over

songsofkat And you might not know all you are carrying too. Let us own what is ours and release what was never ours to carry. <3
#katlehmann #songsofkat #taxonomy #life #lifeisart #yourlifeisyourart #healing #poetrytherapy #poetry #instapoetry #womenwhowrite #wordmedicine #meditations #poetsofinstagram #revolutionofthemind #freeyourmind #innerwork #innerpeace #unicorn #poetrylover #haibun #haiku #japanesepoetry #haikucommunity

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Kat Lehmann: “I’m a Ph.D. biochemist, which means I occasionally let my freak flag fly a bit by writing science poems. I wouldn’t say that Instagram is the primary venue through which I share poetry. I enjoy publishing in journals and have a couple of books, but Instagram has a special place in my poetry writing practice that is not filled by traditional venues. I learned to write Japanese short form poetry as part of the Twitter haiku and tanka community. Twitter helped me develop my precision in word choice ‘back in the day’ when tweets were limited to 180 characters. I loved exploring the depth possible in a tiny space, and I believe this economy helps me when I write longer poems. Twitter led me to join the analogous communities on Facebook and participating in NaHaiWriMo and similar groups. Three years ago, I joined Instagram in advance of my son getting a phone. I knew young people were on Instagram, and I wanted to be savvy with the medium before my son had a presence on it. Soon, I fell in love with the visual component of Instagram for presenting poetry. I get a real nerdy thrill when I can zoom onto a page of poetry and show the lush texture of paper. I play with lighting and props. I print poems and take them outdoors into the dirt, river, and garden. I use Instagram as a statement that poetry is at home everywhere; it fits in the real world. I can make a poem beautiful in an immediate and multi-sensory way, and the people on Instagram are primed to receive it and provide immediate feedback. Where else can a writer receive an instant response from readers and have fun with presentation in the process?” (web)

Kat Lehmann is the guest on episode 8 of the Rattlecast, Tuesday, September 10th. Click the link to watch and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

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August 30, 2019

“Imagine a Violin Bow” by Mack JarvisPosted by

Mack Jarvis | @mack.jarv

Black text on white background: Imagine a violin bow comes out your belly button & punctures you makes a whole through which you can see the whole world inside your stomach deep down there's a pit of little orchestra people playing Clair de Lune it's so strange isn't it? having no one to love like little men & women playing tiny violins inside you

mack.jarv #poem from the gut, pt I

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Mack Jarvis: “I do seek traditional publishers, though not as much as I should, and have a background that would be considered the more traditional route for poets. I earned an MFA from NYU in late 2016. But the world of writing is changing, which includes social media, and I want to experience it all. I enjoy Instagram because I can publish anything on here—tiny things, vulgar things, incomplete things, things that would never be considered by a lit journal in a thousand years. It’s wonderful. And as a result, I’ve reached people I never would have reached if I had only gone the traditional route of publishing. Because I have a degree in writing, I was fearful my fellow academic-track poets would think my credibility lost or tarnished through this medium. While I don’t feel that’s the case, it has proven difficult to upkeep an audience because I’m not a poet who can or wants to produce/post multiple times a day, every day like most poets through this medium do.” (web)

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August 26, 2019

“I Need to Stop Looking” by Jade HomaPosted by

Jade Homa | @jadehoma

Text in a tea cup with drawing of a woman: I need to stop looking over your flaws like they're tea

jadehoma I need to stop looking
over your flaws like
they’re tea on a menu
that serves coffee
#jadehoma

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Jade Homa: “I chose to start my poetry platform on Instagram because of its inclusive environment and the opportunities it presents, such as reaching a larger audience and expressing myself openly. The only complaint I have about Instagram is its algorithm, which tends to bury my posts in my followers’ feeds.” (web)

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August 21, 2019

“You Are More Than Paper Thin” by Raquel FrancoPosted by

Raquel Franco | @raquelfranco.poet

white flowers on paper with text of poem

raquelfranco.poet You are more than your circumstance.

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Raquel Franco: “Poetry is a form of healing for me. I used to write for myself but as I saw other artists sharing their work and the impact their story had on others, my objective changed. Instagram is a way to quickly connect with a stranger or a friend and let them know it’s going to be okay, and they are not alone in their struggle.” (web)

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August 16, 2019

“All of the Things” by Vini EmeryPosted by

Vini Emery | @vini_k.d

handwritten text in black and white: All of the things that have been done to me have been done without me.

vini_k.d #disassociation #trauma #power

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Vini Emery: “I was intending on writing something longer, but I wrote these sixteen words and realized that’s all I had to say. Sometimes tiny poems say an infinity worth of experiences. For me, this poem expressed my experiences of abuse and non-consensual interactions, but globally I think it speaks to many different experiences, especially those of marginalized and vulnerable populations.” (web)

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August 12, 2019

“I’m Not Confused” by Lauren EdenPosted by

Lauren Eden | @ofyesteryear

I'm not confused. I just don't want to want what I want. text with flowers

ofyesteryear If you keep talking fast enough, you can talk yourself out of the man you are in love with, but only temporarily. The silence always comes, and the moon will glare at you again with its unblinking watchful eye, and you will crumble like stars.

Confusion is the biggest lie we tell ourselves. It is the easy excuse we give to lovers and friends and family to keep them here with us a little longer, because we know that what we need to tell them is going to break their fucking hearts.

Nothing hurts more than hurting the ones we love in complex ways simply by being ourselves. And so we live in a world where everyone is pretending to be someone different, and when you are an empath, believe me, you can smell it a mile away—the world is on the nose. It reeks of bullshit.

—from Rattle #64, Summer 2019
Tribute to Instagram Poets

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Lauren Eden: “Bringing my poetry to the mainstream via Instagram had huge appeal for me because, call me an idealist, I’ve always believed that there is a form of poetry for everyone, and all that’s needed is access. I figured if people weren’t walking into bookstores I’d hit them up on their phones. Bring poetry to the masses.” (web)

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