The power of love is remarkable,
Offering us hope in life as well as a source of motivation.
We are all chasing it, recovering from it, relishing it or eager to experience it’s beauty and joys.
For some magical creatures, the emotionality of love and heartbreak has overflowed in artworks that touch one’s soul.
This month, devoted to LOVE, I have the joy of speaking with Marissa McCudden from Jacksonville, Florida a gifted poet that was first published at the young age of 17.
We will be exploring her deeply evocative work which express the emotional complexity of heartbreak and adoration. To truly appreciate this work we’ll delve into three original poems crafted by Marissa.
Carnivorous Carnations
There’s something about her
That tears my petals off
One by one.
Like a lion teasing its prey
Before it pounces.
She loves me not.
But it’s days like these
When she folds into tender roses
With dandelion dreams and a
Daffodil smile.
Easily, she blows me away
From my stem.
Forever tumbling, I wrestle
With the wind.
She loves me.
Evil to the eye, she’s a
Cross-pollination of
Danger and delight.
And I’m left, petal-less,
In a field of nothing.
She loves not at all.
What inspired you to write these poems?
Each of these three poems was crafted at a unique point in my life journey.
for instance, “Carnivorous Carnations” was written during my high school years, when I felt least inspired especially due to the restrictive nature of Creative Writing class assignments in high school.
Inspiration rarely came from those prompts that were mandated by teachers – instead, I often felt drained of any artistic ambition or creativity. I take a great deal of pride from the poem I wrote, entitled “Carnivorous Carnations”. It was an effortless labor of love when writing it; every draft just seemed to get better and better!
Although I may not remember what initially ignited my interest in writing, this piece will remain a constant reminder of why it had such an effect on me and continues to captivate me even today.
How do you find the right language and format for expressing your feelings of love in a poem?
You have to be willing to be raw and vulnerable with yourself. Combining what motivates you with comprehensive mental unloading on paper can be extremely helpful in writing your story, as it will naturally flow from there.
I don’t always focus my writing on my own life experiences; I’m often inspired by the stories and lives of others–some heartbreaking, some joyous. Every day is a new chance to open myself up to something that sparks creativity within me. Whether it be tales of heartache or love-struck newlyweds, I am constantly hunting for inspiration in this world we live in.
How has your experience with love shaped the way you write about it in your poetry?
I believe that each time we develop a deep connection with someone, whether it be a friendship, a romance, or familial ties, we’re unlocking another layer of ourselves. Each lover I’ve had has taught me something different and helped peel away a new layer of myself.
Each failed friendship or burnt bridge with someone I loved has molded me into the person I am today. It has also widened my range of emotions as well as my capacity to feel them. Writing about these experiences and feelings helps me to better understand who I am and can potentially be a very healing process for diving deeper into what I’m feeling and why I feel that way.
Insecurity
Tell me
Do your goals and dreams
Include me?
Would I find any trace of me
If I wandered around your mind?
Sometimes I’m afraid of
What I might find.
Am I the wind
In your sails?
Or the blinding light
That gets in your eyes?
If I told you I need you
Would you be surprised?
You ask me if I’m okay
And I tell a white lie
Because no matter the pain
A love like ours
Is hard to find.
What themes or topics are most important to you when writing?
As a writer, I tend to find a common theme in my pieces of love and loss. Ultimately, I think this is what life boils down to: We’re here to live the human experience, create connections, and feel love for one another; however, nothing lasts forever in the cycle of life.
The moments of love and loss in my life have greatly shaped me into the person I am today, so this is often an inspiring theme for me.
Reciprocity
Love breathes life
Into the aching
Corners of my body.
It’s the invisible string
Keeping me upright.
Even on the most bitter days
It’s the melody
That vibrates in my veins.
If home were a person
I’d hang my
Most sacred art here.
I look forward to
Returning to you each day
Ready to fill the
Empty and wounded
Corners of your body.
How do you think poems can help us to better understand our own relationships and experiences with love?
I think writing in general helps us to better understand ourselves and our own emotions, which in return can help us to try and better understand our partners.
Reading other authors’ works can also give you a new perspective that you may not have stumbled upon on your own.
We experience things as we are, not as they are.
Writing allows you to intimately explore your feelings and gain a more profound understanding of life.
What do you hope readers take away from reading your poems?
My sincere wish is that these poems will stir something within you; if they do, maybe they unlock a new detail in the layers you’re exploring within yourself.
It could be a new detail of the inner depths of yourself being discovered or simply an inspiring spark for your literary or artistic endeavors. May these verses light a fire under your passion.
Poems can move people in ways that are often mysterious and profound. When written from the heart, they have the power to touch us deeply, conveying emotions more powerfully than words alone could ever express.
They can speak to our own experiences of love, helping us to better understand our feelings or providing comfort and solace during times of distress.
On a more philosophical level, they can also provide us with insights and reflections on the nature of love, helping us to explore our own relationships with others.
“I get inspiration from the calm moments in my solitude where I’m left alone with my thoughts and nothing else. There’s nothing that makes me happier than creating art in any form and being able to share that with other people.”
A native Buffalonian, Marissa McCudden now resides in Jacksonville with her partner and four-legged furbabies. A true artist at heart, she loves crafting anything from writing to pour painting, epoxy resin work to jewelry making – all of which can be found on her Instagram page @mystic_makingz through her business Mystic Makingz.
