About “Meander”

1. What was your motivation for writing “Meander”?

My friend once caught me smiling at my phone and quickly jumped to grab my phone from my hands, thinking I was texting someone new that I was dating. Much to her disappointment, she saw that I was simply smiling at my grocery list in my Notes app. She teased me that I am a true foodie, totally in love with food.  Hearing this from her after suffering from anorexia in my early teens was my main motivation to write “Meander”. I wanted to celebrate and honour my loving relationship with food and the simple joy of having regained it in my life about a decade or so after. 

2. What challenges—if any—did you have writing your poem?

Meander came easily compared to other poems I’ve written. I simply recounted my typical grocery store habits, and it came flowing out. Editing it also came naturally – my only challenge, if I were to get nitpicky, was choosing which foods to highlight in the poem! I love so many, so I wanted to hit on the right ones that I felt were worthy enough to commemorate in a poem. 

3. What is your favourite line—if any—in “Meander”?

My favourite lines are:
For a girl who used to starve herself pretty
I can now make pretty good meals. 
These aisles are my weekly runways
Because everything tastes better than skinny feels.

I see this stanza as my reminder to myself about how far I’ve come when it comes to my relationship with food and, hopefully, a reminder to others as well.

4. What do you want people to walk away with after reading “Meander”?

I want people to walk away with joy and appreciation for the most overlooked things: for the ability to buy food to eat, for the food that they get to eat and for their bodies. I know I am not alone in having quite harsh thoughts about myself from time to time when it comes to the food that I eat, whether it is “good” or bad for me and how it ties into how I feel about my body and others’ judgments of it. I see “Meander” as a poem about recovery and rediscovery, so I hope it can provide a healing reminder for people on the food that sustains their souls. 

Reading

1. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Wrestling with Cadence by Dennis Lee! I got to meet him and learn about his book and works at [the] Vancouver Writers’ Festival last year, and [I’m] finally getting around to reading it. 

2. Do you have a favourite book? If so, what is it?

My favourite book of all time will always be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I remember reading it in Grade 6 purely because it was such a thick book and I wanted to challenge myself. I loved it then and love it now!

3. What is your favourite poet or author, if any?

I will have to give an answer to both. My favourite poet is Maya Angelou. Her poetry is so evocative and has such great rhythm that I admire. My favourite author goes back to Jane Austen. Her books continue to be my comfort reads – Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility especially. 

4. Do you gravitate towards reading genres outside the ones you write?

I primarily write poetry, but I have definitely read more fiction than poetry! I gravitate towards mystery, romance and fantasy genres and hope to pick up on writing fiction again. 

Writing

1. Why do you write?

I am someone who is returning to writing after a long period of not regularly practicing and working on writing for about 10 years. I made a conscious choice to pursue business school and grow my career, reducing writing to a hobby and a pastime from my teen years that needed to be put away as I entered adulthood. I worked hard to build a career in human resources that I am proud of, but I found that I still thought of writing and even integrated it into my professional work from time to time. Having found my way back, I write purely for my own joy and to tell my stories. I have lived a life without it, and it is a life that is only half-lived, so I write to fully live as I am. 

2. What do you love about being a poet?

For me, I love poetry’s ability to connect deeply and intimately while leaving as much room as possible for the reader to fill in the colours of a poem from their own lived experiences. I see poetry as a veil – how you perceive it will differ from how another person does because your own senses have developed differently from your experiences. 

3. What time of the day do you write, and do you have a writing routine?

I practice morning pages as inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I clear my brain and free-write two pages. My writing routine right now consists of writing based on randomly generated prompts for 25 minutes once a day on paper. I also listen to my intuition a lot – if I feel particularly driven to write something specific, I let it happen and don’t put a time limit on it. Sometimes I get inspired while on the move or walking, so I use voice notes to record what I am thinking about at the time. I do a weekly transfer of writing from physical pages or different sources every Saturday to see what works come out of it. 

4. Where do you get your ideas from?

I take inspiration from a multitude of sources – from my everyday life to other people’s stories and experiences. I grew up in a household that always had music playing, so music is a huge component of where I get ideas from. It shaped my ear for my rhythm and cadence for poetry especially. I also have a theatre background, so my appreciation for plays, musicals, operas and film fill my well that I draw from creatively. 

5. How long does it take you to write your projects?

When I write, I can often hyperfocus hours at a time. If we are talking a poem from first draft to polished piece, it will take me eight hours from beginning to end. 

6. What advice would you give to other authors/writers/poets?

As someone who has recently returned to writing after years away building a career in business, my advice is to never neglect to fill your well. This means taking care of yourself and living well by exploring and experiencing as much as you can. I returned to writing filled with ideas after taking the time to be curious and trying new things outside of writing. Although I took that break, it didn’t feel like wasted time as I am now able to create from a stronger foundation. 

7. What project(s) are you currently working on?

I am currently working on writing two projects. One of them is a mythology-inspired chapbook filled with reinterpretations of myths that always confused me. I am also working on a bilingual poetry collection combining Tagalog and English, capturing my experiences and what it means to be someone who has two languages and two nations in their lifetime.