“I was supposed to write a poem but”

By special guest Issa

Nov 04, 2023

Hello everyone! Ptk is still taking a bit of time off. As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, we are still committed to highlighting poetry, even if it doesn’t come directly from us. In this time of making space for community, a poem came TO us through our instagram network. We read Issa’s piece and were moved by their openness and her voice. We invited Issa to publish this poem on the newsletter this week and we are so glad she said yes. Without further ado, we are passing the metaphorical mic over to Issa

Hi PTK friends, it’s so fun to be here !!

My name is Issa and I’m a writer and multidisciplinary artist living in London, creating work spanning music, poetry, film and visual art.

2 weeks ago, I found myself at the intros(p)ect x poetry trapper keeper collab zine launch party and what a joy it was to meet everybody and hear Larissa and Kelly read their poetry, from the latest issue! So when Larissa reached out a few days ago, asking to feature my poem in this next newsletter, it felt like a really cool full circle moment.

Like most, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks with my eyes glued to my phone, seeing tragedy unfold and feeling like no words are enough. I was supposed to write a poem but — the world is on fire and I know that no amount of making art will put it out.

It’s got me thinking about our purpose, and the power of our voices.

How, as poets, we have this ability to wrap the truth in rhymes, in hopes that it helps to shine a light on the things we care deeply about. How, as people, half a million of us marched down the streets of London shouting out for liberation and human rights.

There’s so much community to be found in poetry, and protests. And it reminds me that it’s not hopeless.

So I wrote this xx