1) What is the theme of your poem?

Hatred and rage are two of the main themes of this poem, as well as the desire for freedom. The narrator recognises that this hatred and anger is negatively affecting them. And they want this person to die, because (in their mind), that’s the only way they will ever rid themselves of these painful and traumatic emotions. I’m not going to say that this belief is correct, but I’m not going to say that it’s incorrect, either.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I am a survivor of child abuse. Between the ages of 13 and 16, I was emotionally abused and groomed by an adult who I trusted and looked up to. When I came forward about this abuse, I lost almost everything. I lost my education, my friends, and so much more. What’s more, I’ve been scrutinised and harshly judged because I didn’t react the way people expected me to react. I didn’t behave the way people expected me to behave. A lot of people have this idea of a “perfect victim” and once a victim acts in a way that doesn’t perfectly align with this idea, their experiences are dismissed and invalidated. I wrote this poem because I wanted to challenge this idea of the perfect victim. The narrator is flawed – they think “bad” things, and they’re also angry, bitter, perhaps even a bit immature. But they’re also too afraid and powerless to actually take action against their abuser. I want people to read the poem, and be shocked and unsettled by the content of it. However, I also want readers to understand that the narrator is a product of other people’s actions. Maybe the narrator is a bad person, or maybe they’re just a flawed human being who is attempting to navigate a situation that nobody should have to navigate. When it comes to abuse, there’s no right way to think or respond, and I don’t think the narrator (or any survivors of abuse) should be judged, positively or otherwise, for the way they react to, and feel about, their abuser.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

For over 6 years.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Emily Dickinson. I love her poetry, and I also think she has an interesting take on death and religion. She seems to be much more comfortable with the idea of dying than other people (including myself) are. Additionally, in some poems, Dickinson shows scepticism in regards to the existence of a higher power (see – poems such as “I heard a fly buzz – when I died”), whereas, in others, she appears to maintain her belief that something greater exists (see – poems such as “Because I could not stop for Death” and “I cannot live with you.”) I would love to discuss these subjects with her.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

This poem was always intended to be spoken out loud. The reason why I wrote it was because of an upcoming Spoken Word night. Hearing a professional read it out loud for me is very helpful, and it allows me to strengthen my own performance of the poem, and let’s me focus on the parts of the poem that may not be working very well/may need further rewrites.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I have written a few scripts and a couple short stories, but poetry has always been my main focus.

7) What is your passion in life?

Writing and reading.