Hello, fellow disciples! We've been searching far and wide for individuals who have cultivated for a long time. This month, we bring to you an interview with mypoemattic, the author of whirlwinds and when winter arrives.

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Tell us a bit about yourself!

i'm maseera, an eighteen year old business student that you'll find in the midst of indie music and fantasy books. i've been writing since i was nine years old, with foolish little 'dear diaries' covering the backs of all my school books- which somehow turned into the poetry that i write today. i love cats, winter, movies, sketching, photography, and anything that can touch my soul really. nice to meet you :)

What is your writing process? How do you pick the which words to include in your poem?

for poetry, it starts with one line which i try converting into a couplet by using rhymes and imagery. i like telling stories through my poems so my poetry is akin to lyricism that reflects a scene or a thought. when i wrote the poem "moonlight turns to shadows" (a part of whirlwinds)- the concept behind it was to portray the "last night" or breaking point of a relationship but i wanted to toy with the idea of suspense too so i used the words "a clueless whisper, three reckless words, moonlight turns to shadows and it slowly hurts"- usually the readers would assume that the words are 'i love you' but since it's a break-up story, the words were 'i am leaving' but i never explicitly mentioned this. in hindsight, i don't know if many people figured this out haha but it was made clear by the end of the poem. in general though, for me, it is about telling the story in a way that i can imagine it.

i also write prose poetry and short stories, for which i loosely use an inner monologue, symbolism, or references to traditional poets that might give a few layers to my work. lately i've been writing with a tone of nostalgia which i think i can incorporate best with soft words and gentler settings of the story, anything that elicits a sombre feeling. 

What are some things that influenced your poem?

i've written about many themes actually- fantasy, romance, horror, murder mystery, the world ending, heartbreak, growing up, friendships, estranged family, mythical creatures- so i think the inspiration behind these are random at times. i think sometimes it's just about following one chaotic thought, letting yourself go from one place to another and thinking 'that's an interesting story', and letting yourself build on that idea, before dismissing it completely. but when i'm not writing fiction and writing about my honest feelings, i think then my work is influenced by whatever it is that my heart feels at that point- maybe hurt, maybe happy, anger, or confusion- the life around me constantly whirls and changes so these poems and stories help in anchoring me in ways an inscription would to a piece of wood. 

Pick one of your poems and tell us the backstory. How was it developed and what emotions did you hope to evoke from the reader?

(trigger warning: mentions self-harm & suicide) in my poetry collection 'whirlwinds', there is a poem called 'falling stars'. the story behind this poem is one i've never shared before but i think it's the closest to my heart. i was chatting one night to one of my closest friends during the pandemic, we were in our 12th year, which meant that the stress of the board exams coming up was immense. that, with the fact that we had to stay home at all times, along with the educational uncertainties that were falling upon us- it was just a really difficult time for us mentally. one night, my friend opened up to me, about having fleeting thoughts about life and how hard life at home had been. and slowly, the conversation went to places of wanting to not live on, feeling this inescapable pain that just wouldn't end, and the suffocating feeling of hating oneself. and i don't think i've ever heard my heart hurt that much over a few messages before. and it was the pandemic, there is no physical comfort that i could provide and so i wrote 'falling stars' and sent it to my friend as a silent appreciation for going on and being that brave, and also for trusting me enough to tell me that, and because i didn't know how else to express my feelings. but i understood exactly what my friend meant, because i've been through that thought process myself. falling stars was never meant to be a part of the collection but after my friend thought it was comforting, i decided to add it for any of my readers- i didn't have any at all back then but i still hope that now whoever reads it, feels a little comfort at least.

What were some challenges you experienced while creating this poem?

falling stars was incredibly close to home for me to write. not only was it dedicated to a close friend, but it was also things i had been through myself, so while writing it, i imagined being on a balcony peering out, while someone else somewhere in the world did the same, and that we were reading the verses to each other. it's sounds stupid, i know, but making this poetry true to the things we were dealing with in the pandemic was one of the hardest things to do because it was painful to reimagine that- to break it down to the question 'what would i tell my past self that was struggling with this same exact thing'. 

If you woke up in a time or place that was very different from reality, what would you do?

i would go out and see the world. one of the many dreams of any person who loves escapism is just this!

If you could share only one poem with a stranger, what would it be and why?

i think 'sky as mine' from my poetry collection 'it's archaic' is one that i would share because it has that hint of nostalgia and soothing imagery that calms me down, and i really enjoyed creating the lyricism of that poem so it would feel nice to share that!

Would you rather go through a lifetime of never finding love or be willing to go through several lifetimes of hardships just to save your love? Why?

i think the second option. isn't never finding love in a lifetime being a little too protective of my heart? XD. i think i would do the latter because perhaps maybe even the feeling of falling in love, having someone to cherish and protect, would mean something to me.

What is your favorite creature from Asian mythology or folklore? Why?

kitsune is one of my favourite asian mythology creatures. the idea of a shapeshifting fox with paranormal abilities is very fascinating to me. i think i was first introduced to it through teen wolf, and it intrigued me so much that i read up about it. 

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

the red thread of fate is my favourite myth. it is a myth that says that every person is connected to their 'soulmate' or 'destined other' by a red thread which eventually brings them together. and much like the song 'invisible string', i think there is reckless fantasy and romanticism in this myth- and something about that tugs at my heart. 

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, mypoemattic! We wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors.

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!