 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:
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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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:
Submission Guidelines:
What's in it for you?
Looking forward to reading your poems!!! 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.
 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!!!  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.  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.  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.  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. 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:
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:
***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:
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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: Archives
April 2025
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