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  Kay Poema

Poetic Pathways News

New Season, New Name!

4/3/2025

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Exciting news! I'm thrilled to announce that I'm changing my name from Kay Bell to Kay Poema!
But why Poema, you ask? In Greek, the name "Kay Poema" can be interpreted as:
  • "Κάι" (Kai) - Κ (K) is a prefix meaning "pure" or "clean"
  • "Ποίημα" (Poema) - means "masterpiece" or "work of art"
Together, "Kay Poema" can be seen as "Pure Masterpiece" or "Clean Work of Art" in Greek.
This combination reflects a beautiful ideal: striving for purity of intention, thought, and action, while cultivating creativity and excellence in all aspects of life. I'm embracing this name change as a reminder to myself to strive for excellence and to create my life's work with intention, passion, and purpose.\

in verse and vigor,
Kay Poema


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Call for Submissions ("Bronx Vibes" poetry zine, June 2025)Theme: Ancestors

3/22/2025

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Poetic Pathways “Bronx Vibes”  Zine is seeking submissions for our upcoming issue (June 2025), centered around the theme of Ancestors.

We're looking for poems that celebrate the lives of those who inspired you, shaped you, and helped you become the best version of yourself. Whether it's a family member, cultural icon, or historical figure, we want to hear about the ancestors who have made a lasting impact on your life.

What We're Looking For:
  • Poems that demonstrate lyrical genius,  or in other words, poems that use unique and creative language, metaphors, and imagery to convey complex emotions and ideas. Your poems should tell great stories that help us understand why your connection to the ancestors is pivotal.
  • Submissions that honor the memories and legacies of those who have come before us.
  • Poems that explore the complexities of ancestral relationships, cultural heritage, and personal identity.

Submission Guidelines:
  • Submit 1-3 original poems that fit the ancestors theme.
  • Poems should be no longer than 2 pages (approx. 50 lines) and have no biographical information on them.
  • Include a brief bio (50-100 words) with your submission.
  • Optional: Include a photo with your submission that tells the story of your celebrated ancestor.
  • Send submissions to [email protected]
  • Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2025 @11:59pm

What's in it for you?
  • Publication in our upcoming zine issue.
  • Opportunity to share your work with a wider audience.
  • Chance to connect with other writers and artists at the June 2025 zine launch event

Looking forward to reading your poems!!!

​
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Zine Launch February 1, 2025 @ Dreamyard Art Center, Bronx, NY 10456

3/22/2025

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Poetic Pathways kicked off Black History Month in style with the launch of our inaugural zine on February 1, 2025! This unforgettable afternoon celebration brought together the talented contributors of the zine and others inspired by the vibrant spirit of the Bronx, to share their powerful works. It was a testament to the borough's thriving creative scene and the boundless talent of its poets. Be sure to see live videos of the event by following @poeticpathwaysink on IG. 
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Introducing the Poetic Pathways Bronx Vibes Zine

1/5/2025

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Happy New Year!!!

​I'm thrilled to reveal our powerful cover art, for our inaugural zine! The cover art features a scaffold boldly spray-painted with the words "FUCK WHITE SUPREMACY." I chose this cover art because it reflects the raw emotion, urgency, and resistance that defines our city's streets. The photo of this striking scaffold art was taken right in my neighborhood in the South Bronx, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I strolled along the Bronx streets, looking for hope and inspiration, I looked up and there it was. 
​
This unapologetic statement is a call to action, a rejection of systemic racism, and a testament to the resilience of marginalized communities as it embodies the spirit of authenticity and activism, which Poetic Pathways aims to amplify.

Graffiti has been a vital part of the Bronx's cultural landscape for decades. Born in the 1970s, Bronx graffiti emerged as a powerful form of self-expression, social commentary, and resistance. It paved the way for hip-hop culture, which was also born in the Bronx. Graffiti, hip-hop, poetry, DJing, break dance, and MCing are all interconnected forms of art that have shaped the Bronx’s identity. You will find this zine is heavily influenced by these art forms. 

​Stay tuned for the details of our upcoming Zine Launch Event!!!


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Beyond the Cocoon Poetry Contest

12/1/2024

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And the winners are...










​1st place, Thilini Weerakkody 
@
dressed_up_tortellini
Poem:  Sunshine

Growing up, the mothers in my neighborhood called me, “Sunshine”
Cooing about the unrelenting brightness of my smile
So, I dawned toothy grin like it was a promise
Until I forgot what it was like to look black and cloudy
--Until I forgot that I could even be those shades

The poets say that light cannot exist without dark.
That the sun inevitably brings shadows to the earth
But I didn’t know how to honor all the hues within me.
The world only applauded the parts of me that gleamed.

The wicked always believe they are daylight.
People incapable of seeing their shadows, become them.
It’s terrifying that so many eclipses think they are blazing, honey suns.
So blinded by their own radiance, they can’t see their humanity.

I don’t know how to hold my darkness without becoming the night sky.
But I refuse to become another fool who believes they are all light.


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2nd place, Scarlet Gomez, creator of BX Poetry House
@
loosetoothpoetry
Poem:  daughter of Judas

she had been hosting a cocktail hour.
the court, whose words once wallowed
my quivering hands, quieted as my heels
counted the guests, the quartzite cobbles,
the daggers in their disdain and the
haughtiness. their drunken whispers offered her
the words for my humiliation. I realize in the stillness
between what god made me and what the world
did with me that this had been what she
called me for. to decide my fate
before the congregation. to unbless my heart.
I am no longer a sweet child. no longer
a love. she named me
an animal rebel who tics the curtains
of any room I walk past. a threat to the order.
I would be next in the corn fields, a cautionary
tale for her daughters. love prophets who
hold no fear for an island subdued
die for what they say but I was never that.
I am a poet. eternalized in penned vowels,
I am as enduring as a god. so vital I could
not disappear without the world knowing
I am missing. so she is afraid of me. she beckons
her serpent, a smirked creature who
allows me to survey his silver and offers
communion. cassava and cabernet to compel
clemency for the way they will debase me
all in God’s name
I take this crown of thorns and water the plants
before the crucifix with my blood.
I lay with death as I would a lover. all in God’s name,
I give my body to what devours me
only to roll out of the serpent’s
mouth with a voice that carries no expiration.
A perennial egg.
A new bible. A true god.
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3rd place, Kayla Dudley
​@kaytheepoet
Poem: Becoming

I stand at the edge of who I was,
a girl shaped by whispers and wounds,
taught to shrink beneath the weight of the world,
to blend into the shadows where they wouldn’t look.
but I am more than silence--
more than the names they gave me,
more than the skin they fear yet envy.
each day, I shed a piece of their expectations,
peeling back the layers of too much,
too bold, too loud, too black, too woman.
my hair grows like protest,
twisting and turning toward the sun,
refusing to be tamed.
my voice rises like a hymn,
untangling centuries of no,
and weaving them into a single, defiant yes.
i walks through a world that demands my erasure,
yet I leave traces wherever I go–
footprints of resilience on broken glass,
poems carved into the marrow of my bones.
i am the storm and the stillness,
the rage and the healing,
the daughter of survivors who learned to thrive.
they call me too much,
but I am not enough for their boxes,
too vast for their cages,
too bright for their dull gaze.
i am becoming--
A revolution in flesh and spirit,
a black woman unfurling her wings,
ready to soar beyond their reach.




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Honorable Mention, Karina Guardiola-Lopez 
@kglopez_​
Poem:  This Mirror

Reflects a Gordian knot,
SWOT analysis of self--
acne scars, hooded eyelids, dark brown eyes,
and a beige champagne hue.
These dry blond split ends tell a story,
the grays on my scalp tell another.
These gestures and mannerisms aren’t mine;
I wear my abuela’s face,
these lips are my father’s frown,
the lines and creases around my eyes
are my great-grandparents; travels.
I see my mother,
I see God,
I see my lineage in veins,
the lines in my palms--
a tree that continues to transform and transition.
The roots are multicultural,
the fruits are multilingual.
I  am multifaceted and multidimensional.
This mirror, reflecting a Gordian knot--
​is my ancestors; wildest dreams.







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Poetic Pathways Poetry Contest

10/20/2024

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Beyond the Cocoon Poetry Contest
​Theme: Transformation

Emergence is a process, a journey from darkness to light, from caterpillar to butterfly. Beyond the Cocoon invites poets to explore transformation in all its forms – personal, social, environmental, or mythological. Think about what happens after the cocoon is broken, and the transformed being emerges anew.

Submit poems that:
  • Unravel the threads of self-discovery
  • Celebrate growth, renewal, and rebirth
  • Explore the struggles and triumphs of change
  • Envision a world transformed

Guidelines:
1. Original, unpublished poems only
2. Maximum 3 poems per poet
3. 1 page per poem 
4. Any style, form, or genre
5. Submit as .docx or .pdf to [email protected]


***Be sure to submit a brief third person bio in the body of your email along with your full name and contact information. The subject line of your email submission should include names of poems, example: “Daughter Hymn, Watching you sleep, Girl” 


Prizes:
  • 1st Place: $75, signed copy of Diary of an Intercessor, latest book by Bronx Poet Laureate, Kay Bell 
  • 2nd Place: $50 and mindfulness journal 
  • 3rd Place: $25 

***All winners will be featured on Poetic Pathways IG page. 


Judging Criteria:
1. Creativity and originality
2. Craftsmanship and technical skill
3. Relevance to theme

Timeline:
Submissions open: October 10, 2024 11:59pm 
Submissions close: November 25, 2024 @11:59pm
***No entries will be accepted before or after these dates
Winners announced: December 1, 2024

Entry Fee:  *Free to enter 

By submitting to Poetic Pathways you affirm:
  • Your work is original and you hold the exclusive right to publish
  • Your name or any identifying information is not on your poetry submission
  • Submit no more than 3 poems  (each poem should be one page or less and on its own page)
  • If you win, you agree to have your poem published via Poetic Pathways IG page along with your photo.
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    What is Poetic Pathways?

    Poetic Pathways is an inclusive poetry collective that gathers throughout the year at various venues in the Bronx to foster creativity, connection, healing and to highlight the artistic and cultural value in the Bronx borough. Created by poet and educator, Kay Bell, our meetups provide a safe space for marginalized voices to be amplified, promoting visibility and community. Founded on the principles of healing and self-expression, Poetic Pathways leverages poetry as a therapeutic tool to process and cope with trauma and challenges specific to marginalized communities. Through collaborative writing, social connection, and shared experience, we aim to:
    Provide a supportive environment for marginalized individuals to share their stories, facilitate emotional expression and processing through poetry , foster resilience and coping strategies and promote mental wellness and self-care.

    Please note: Poetry is not a replacement for professional therapy or mental health services. We encourage individuals to consult with a mental health professional for personalized guidance. 

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