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 Wattys Shorts Winner potionandpoetry, the author of Poetry Jar and Moon child.

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Tell us a bit about yourself!

It feels so awkward writing about myself! Let me give this a go. I go by the name Pari on Wattpad, which translates to "fairy" or "angel" in English. As my private library would say, I am nowhere close to being a fairy or angel >.< I write poetry and romance on Wattpad, although my initial love for writing stemmed from the werewolf genre in like, 2016? I've always been a big believer in books and the magic they can bring into our lives, so getting to write stories and bring that magic to someone else's life is just so thrilling for me! I hope that my words are worthy of all the love they receive online, and continue to work towards improving my writing so people can enjoy what the things that I write.

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

I am such a pantser, it's ridiculous. I sometimes write entire poems while I'm in the shower, because that's the place where I feel my feelings the most. Usually I pick up a topic that has touched me deeply, or an emotion that has struck a chord with me, and pick out words that come to mind when I think of it. I tend to write poetry in free verse, without boundations of a rhyming scheme or line structure because it's important for me to express myself and get my feelings across. Poetry is just a medium to get that done. So anyone who thinks writing poetry is too hard, give it a go in free verse. It's liberating.

What are some things that influenced your poem?

My own experiences usually influence my poetry. When things get too hard sometimes, and I am unable to comprehend the chaos it brings in my life, that's when I turn to poetry. My emotions and my thoughts need to come out on paper for me to fully process my life and make sense of everything.

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?

I'll talk about Let's Meet Again, because it's one of the poems that I feel the most deeply about. I wrote it about a week after my break up, for what was a very short lived, but in hindsight, very emotionally abusive relationship. I'll spare you the details, but all I can say is that while I begged him to break up with me and end this toxic cycle, I missed him more than any of my words could describe. I wanted to meet him again, and do things differently, maybe to see if the outcome would be any different. The poem is very specific to us, I did not expect anyone to resonate with it, really. But when I see people's comments on certain lines, or the entire poem, I am glad that I am able to bring out a certain sadness of a failed relationship in people and that they can get an idea of the pain I had experienced.

What were some challenges you experienced while creating this poem?

Not crying my eyes out while writing it? Lol. Honestly for Let's Meet Again, the biggest challenge was knowing when to stop, and knowing what parts of the poem to cut out. The first draft was scathing and cruel, almost and I had to mince a lot of my poem to put it out in the world.

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

I wish I wake up in a world where I am best friends with Taylor Swift. I'd want to pick apart her brain and understand her songwriting process, because no one tells a story in 4 minutes like she does.

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

It would probably be When I Say I Love You. I think it's important for people to understand how to love each other. The poem talks about how intensely I feel love, and how I can do a lot for the people I love. It gives a very vulnerable view of how I feel love, so I think it's a good introduction to me. Stranger would probably freak out, tho.

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?

The hopeless romantic in me chooses the latter, but the real lazy version of me chooses the first one. When I find a love that is lasting, I'll probably do anything to protect it. It's what love does, I believe. So, yeah, several lifetimes of hardships to save my love. And hey, it makes for great content for poems!

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

I was always gravitating towards characters like Draupati and Sita, and now that there are several books that outline their perspectives on Mahabharata and Ramayana, I love finding out more interesting facets of their story that were excluded from the original narrative.

What is your favorite Asian myth? Why?

There's one myth that I will die by - the Red String of Fate. Can you tell I'm a hopeless romantic yet?

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

Until the next chapter, fellow disciples!