Let me start by saying I have never considered myself a poet.

Instead, I have almost strictly limited myself to writing prose to this point in my life. Short stories and essays have always been more in my comfort zone, but the thing about growing up is that, at some point, you will ultimately be forced out of your comfort zone.

I was forced out of my prose-paradise by the requirements of my English major. Thanks for nothing, hopes and dreams that require a degree.

Coming into the spring of my junior year, I had just a few more courses left to fulfill my major requirements and I was excited to have a little extra time to take "fun" classes. However, I still had one class left that I thought I would dread more than anything: Writing Poetry.

As life likes to do, however, I was proven painfully wrong by the end of the first month of the Spring semester.

Not only had I started to actually enjoy studying and even writing poetry, I had taken a position as co-editor of the High Point University Literary Magazine, "Apogee". Me? Choosing to read and critique poetry on my own accord? Who was I becoming!?

Nevertheless, I have fallen in love with it, and, while I am still working on my own craft, I have had some successes in my own projects (stay tuned for more on that in May!) In the mean time, I would like to invite my readership to join me in celebrating National Poetry Month during the month of April! So please enjoy my little collection of poets that I have fallen in love with over the past few weeks.

L.E. Bowman

https://www.instagram.com/l.e.bowman.poetry/?hl=en

Thanks to the beloved "explore" feature on Instagram, I have been exposed to one of my favorite poets at the moment: L.E. Bowman. Bowman's work features very strong female voices that discuss a variety of topics that I believe are relatable to many modern women. Her book, "The Evolution of a Girl", is described as "a book for those who are hurting, for those who are healing, and for those who are ready to try again."

Rupi Kaur

https://www.facebook.com/rupikaurpoetry/photos/a.523823527711928/2075661825861416/?type=3&theater

If you know anything about modern poetry, you probably know a little bit about Rupi Kaur. If you know anything about Internet culture, you've probably also seen some of the (admittedly hysterical) poetic parodies that are floating around the Internet. If you enjoy those, allow me to introduce you to the poet that most of these parodies are making fun of. After self-publishing her first book, "Milk and Honey", in 2014, Rupi Kaur has grown to rapid success. "Milk and Honey" contains four sections, each touching on different topics such as abuse, loss, and femininity. Her second book, "The Sun and Her Flowers", follows the journey of a flower as it wilts, falls, roots, rises, and blooms again in an ongoing discussion of what it means to lose and, eventually, find yourself.

Amanda Lovelace

https://www.powells.com/post/qa/powells-qa-amanda-lovelace-author-of-the-witch-doesnt-burn-in-this-one

I have to admit that I have not read much of Lovelace's work. However, I was immediately drawn to the powerful title of her book "The Princess Saves Herself in This One" when I saw it in Target. I bought it right away and have fallen in love with the few poems I have skimmed through. Lovelace's work includes five books of poetry and some standalone pieces, primarily focusing on feminist issues. My favorite thing, I must say, is the strong female voice she uses so very well. Girl Power!

Paisley Rekdal

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/paisley-rekdal

I can relate to Rekdal because she does not limit herself to one genre of writing. She has not only published five books of poetry, but a book of essays, a memoir told as a photo-text hybrid, and a book-lengthy essay. Rekdal's work touches on race, sexuality, myth, and identity. She has a variety of works available for purchase, but some of her individual pieces are available online.

Blythe Baird

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/thank-you-to-blythe-baird

Baird is one of my most recent finds through Instagram. She specializes in spoken word and slam poetry with a focus on sexual assault, mental illness, eating disorder recovery, sexuality, and healing. I appreciate her work because she is an activist for so many things that I feel are under discussed in our society. If any of these topics interest you, I highly suggest you check out her work (available on Instagram, her website, and YouTube).