My Personal Favorite with Melissa Eleftherion
A Poetry Blog
Hi Everyone,
This blog only asks the poet to answer one two-part question:
At this moment in time, which of your own poems is your personal favorite, and why?
I chose this question because it requires only the poet's subjective discretion and might be answered with a highly acclaimed poem or one that has been rejected 700 times. The only thing that matters to me is that the poet loves this particular poem and wants to share their reason why with us.
Today, I’m happy to welcome Melissa Eleftherion to the blog!
Enjoy!
Kelly
Melissa’s Current Favorite:
Melissa:
At this moment in time, which of your poems is your personal favorite, and why?
This feels like such an indulgent & original question to ponder. I don’t think I have ever thought about my own work in this way, so I appreciate the opportunity to do so. At this moment, my favorite poem in my forthcoming book Suture is “third suture”, which first appeared in Cul-de-Sac of Blood. Using very sparing language (the poem is composed of only 8 words), I attempt to illustrate the violence of growth & maturation, especially as relates to bodies who experience menses. There was/is an implied expectation that one must also become a defender, a protector, of this body to prevent it from bearing unwanted children. The burden was/is placed on the body that menstruates. The violence can come from within, or it can come from the outer world. One feels it must be defended from all sides.
Melissa Eleftherion (she/they) is a writer, a librarian, and a visual artist. Born & raised in Brooklyn, they are the author of four poetry collections: field guide to autobiography (The Operating System, 2018), gutter rainbows (Querencia Press, 2024), Suture (Cooper Dillon, 2026) & Malocchia (White Stag, 2026) as well as twelve chapbooks including abject sutures (above/ground press, 2024). Her work has been widely published & appears/forthcoming in DIAGRAM, Sixth Finch, & Verse Daily. Melissa served as Poet Laureate of the City of Ukiah (2021-2024), and now lives in Northern California where she manages the Ukiah Branch Library and curates the LOBA Reading Series. Recent work is available at www.apoetlibrarian.wordpress.com.