Dear Reader,

For those of you who don't know me or my background, I first want to introduce myself. I am 21 and a senior in college. I started writing poetry around age 10 (so a little over a decade ago) and I started really doing spoken word or slam pretty close to three years ago. Since that time, I have met some of my poetic role models. I have traveled the world. I have grown so much. Looking back over the past three years, let me show you what poetry has done for my life and why my life would be completely different without it.

Early spring 2013.

I published my first poetry book. It was pretty short and definitely self-published, but it was only the beginning of a three book series. Published sometime in February or March, it was the start of something much greater coming to fruition.

May 2013: Slam #1.

I was 18, about to graduate high school in West Texas. I participated in a slam at a coffee shop in Midland, TX. Little did I know, but I'd be competing against an international champion, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. I would get dead last with a cumulative score somewhere around 14 points out of 30. I would go home that night so upset, but also so inspired and so truly ready to begin the hard work that would be the foundation of my last three years.

June 2013: Slam #2.

(Photo credit: Ryan Fryoux)

So, after writing 40 poems in the past month and memorizing like a madwoman and working like crazy on all things poetry, I won! Straight up, I won my second slam! I also was named President of the Permian Basin Chapter, Poetry Society of Texas. It was super awesome and wonderful and at this point, I definitely had caught what I fondly call "the poetry bug."

October 2013.

At this point, I moved away to college at Mount Holyoke in Western Massachusetts. I met some of my dearest friends through poetry at Mount Holyoke and we have shared so many memories together. This was the first of many slams I would take part in while in Massachusetts. I also met Miles Hodges and Alysia Harris from Striver's Row and performed at UMass's Poetry Jam for the first time.

December 2013.

In December, I was introduced to the Northampton Poetry community. At first, I only really attended slams, but as months passed, I started coming more and more regularly. It became a home away from home for me.

February and March 2014.

I opened with a poem for Mary Lambert when she came to Mount Holyoke in February. This was one of my first 'wow' moments when it came to celebrity poets who were so inspirational and also so kind.

First met Andrea Gibson in March. Really, that's all that needs to be said here. Andrea was the first poet to truly inspire me WAY back when and there I was talking to my original inspiration.

July 2014.

(Photo credit: Schott's Photography)

I competed in the West Texas Talent Show and came in third in the poetry section. I also released my second book of poetry, which was published by Inner Child Press, Ltd. and I had a photo shoot for the cover with Ryan Austin Fryoux. I also did an interview for West Texas Talent!

September 2014.

I competed in what is called a "Dead Poets Slam" and dressed up as W. H. Auden. Poetry can be not only super nerdy, but also super fun! Imagine combining poetry with performance with comic con. Basically, that's a Dead Poets Slam.

November 2014.

Here is where I start meeting some of my poetry role models fairly regularly. First up, Mayda del Valle came to Mount Holyoke.

A week later, Beau Sia came and performed for us! Both were so incredible as performers and as people!

February or March 2015.

February was the month where I met Buddy (freaking) Wakefield. There is really nothing like watching Buddy Wakefield perform live. Genuine beautiful seamless performance skills from Wakefield!

March was the month where I met Jesse (freaking) Parent. Parent, the sweetheart that he is, seemed just as excited to meet me (a practically nobody in the poetry community) as I was to meet him (super famous poet on the internet).

Later in March, I met Sierra DeMulder! Sierra is another insanely fantastic and sweet poet who makes me want to strive for more and work hard to be as influential as she is one day.

(Photo credit: Michael Medeiros)

I performed in the Five College PoetryFest as one of two poets from Mount Holyoke to represent. This would later mean photo shoot and performances in Emily Dickinson's house!

April 2015

(Photo credit: Maya Delaney)

April was the month I made the first ever Northampton National Poetry Slam Team. And helped host a Five College Poetry Slam. And went on a showcase in North Adams, Massachusetts. And was midway through the mission to do 7 poetry slams in 5 consecutive weeks. I was also awarded the Gertrude Claytor Award by the Academy of American Poets! What a month!

Fall 2015.

I could sum this up simply by saying I went to Nationals and then toured the UK and Ireland.

I met Sally Jenkinson, Anthony Anaxagorou, Dan Simpson, Anna Freeman, Luke Jackson, Luke Wright, Wise Words, Art31 and so many others.

I performed at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin, at the Gulbenkian in Canterbury, at a cinema, in bars and pubs, in London at Word Up, in Thanet, etc.

Above is a picture of my beautiful photographer, Katrine Solvaag! I got my third book published in December by Whisky & Beards Publishing. I did a photo shoot in the middle of the woods. I filmed poetry videos. I was published in anthologies and magazines specific to the UK.

I met people who will be lifelong friends and constant inspirations!

Spring 2016.

This semester has also been a whirlwind of poetry. I was awarded Poet of the Year by West Texas Talent. (This picture shows a dear friend of mine accepting the award on my behalf. Just a month or so after this picture was taken, he passed away in a car accident. He was an incredible playwright and director and is greatly missed.)

I conducted by first ever poetry and writing workshop in January, sponsored by West Texas Talent.

I toured through parts of New England, including Witch City Poetry Slam in Salem, MA and Ignite the Mic in Springfield, MA.

I met Sister Outsider Poetry (Denice Frohman and Dominique Christina) as well!

In the last couple of weeks alone, I met my poetry mentor, Melissa May,

I did a feature with three of my poet friends (we call ourselves Sisterhood of the Traveling Poets) in Waltham, MA at a great youth-run bookstore called More Than Words,

and then met Neil Hilborn (the sensation that he is).

All of this to say...

Here's to you, Poetry! Thank you for changing my life for the better. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I've traveled Europe and the US with poetry. From writing and writing and writing (nearly 1,900 poems in total) to giving me confidence in public speaking to allowing me to have a voice and gain recognition for my work, poetry has turned me from an average teenager into someone who has the confidence and work ethic necessary to accomplish my dreams.

I plan to become an international lawyer focused on human rights issues. I am not afraid of speaking in public, of being judged, of giving my heart and soul to something I believe in, or of working hard. Poetry is not for the faint of heart. It's a lifestyle. And to end this national poetry month, I wanted to look back and reflect on how far I've come from the terrified 18-year-old at her first poetry slam getting dead last to who I am today as a 21-year-old woman ready to take on the world.

(Photo credit: Tom Pitta)

Love Always,

Jocelyn