Bending Toward the Light

Mikayla Elias

Description

Bending Toward the Light is a poetry collection reimagining what it is to feel. This book builds its foundation upon the precarious nature of existence.

standing at the edge of a ravine,

I feel myself turn

and fall backward,

headfirst into you



the moon is tangerine

in the slow burn

I reach toward

and can taste her fruit



Through disorder and chaos, there is still love—if we challenge ourselves to see it.



In a debut volume of free verse, Mikayla Elias shares a glimpse into their heart while reflecting on the ways they and others see themselves. Within vivid reflections, Elias leads others on a journey of self-discovery while exploring nature, Mother Earth, love, and everything inbetween that includes a willow that bends tenderly under pressure, gold-plated yarn weaving through eternity, the heartache of lost love, the uniqueness in the paranoia brought on by isolation, the depths of love, and the well of devotion.



Bending Toward the Light is a collection of poetry that lyrically reimagines what it is to feel while building upon the precarious nature of existence.

Sujets

• Poetry

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 22 septembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665729468
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

MIKAYLA ELIAS
bending toward the light


Copyright © 2022 Mikayla Elias.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-2947-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-2945-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-2946-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022916214
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 9/22/2022
Contents
Acknowledgements
of heaven
rosy
supple
green carnations
eden
less
the goddess
just right
why
morning dew
Venus
differenceindifference
cursive
gold-plated
opalescent
colors
divine intervention
in treaty
darling
midnight sun
daylight
fair, part two
phantoms
Virginia IV
stars
saccharine
celestial beings
Kentucky III
oceania
oh, sister
accident
sun and moon
perforated
helium
holy burden
puzzles for the end of time
lemon
taxidermy
Ohio II
compartmentalizing
the end of all things
of earth
eleven thirty-one
salve
rain in july
window open
forgiveness v. 2
use me
isolation
for what it’s worth
waiting
the birds
september
afterglow
chapped lips
rose quartz and tourmaline
survivor’s guilt
Virginia I
harry styles
centerfold
a different truth
charlotte
pittsburgh int’l airport
first time
goosebumps
faded
nonstop
pedestal
steadfast
siblings in arms
little did we know
everything happens
Indiana I
voices
bridges
small
graceland
pink
circles
pacing
bear
tender beauty
brown
polarity
found
mercy
be patient
lucky few
wine drunk and dancing
About the Author
Acknowledgements
So many incredible people came together to help make this childhood dream a reality. The hands that have touched this book have also made lasting impressions on my heart.
 
Many thanks to the editors of EnbyLife Journal for my very first publication — “little did we know.”
 
Thank you to my found family for helping to heal the broken parts of me. To Alex, for being the first to read this manuscript and pour your own heart into it. To Cay, for helping me pick selections for journal submissions and nodding along when I discuss my grand creative plans. To Kess, my personal hype squad—I hope to encourage you as much as you have encouraged me.
 
Thank you to the beautiful creatives who have and continue to inspire me. To Willow, for bringing my visions to life, even when I could not quite articulate them. To SQ, for your breathtaking illustrations and generous typewriter loan.
 
And a final thanks to Archway for their patient and delicate hands.
for everyone who loved me when I wasn’t ready to be loved
of heaven

when I was young,
I feared the way the world made cold
the dandelions
in telling them they are only
weeds
and it turns out
that I became a dandelion,
though I always knew them
to be flowers,
like I know the jays
to be songbirds
rosy
color me in daisies,
poppy seed ink,
vanity in romanticism
we reflect that which we admire
and hide what we desire
under the cover of
midnight sheets
supple
I think on the stain of ink against the skin,
deep, speckled, red, blood, amethyst hues
I think of the puckered place from which
life flows and nations are fed
I think about the autonomy of the body
and its bodies and the bodies of its bodies
and I see the power in the freedom, of the way
we provide our suppleness to this earth
green carnations
are your petals tainted,
artificial dyes disintegrating
into refined nectar?
are your eyes drawn
to the wild discoloration
of mysticism?
are your tendons pulled
away from the one you
should love eternally?
are they drawn nearer,
toward something
more spectacular?
eden
standing at the edge of a ravine,
I feel myself turn
and fall backward,
headfirst into you