Send me poetry for May's moans exclusive!
Added 2023-05-02 19:28:55 +0000 UTCHi moans!
For this month, I want to do some poetry reading for the SFW audio, so send me your favourite poems you'd like to hear me read. Links in the comments, Patreon messages, anonymous comments form or email are all great!
I'll collect them until I think I have enough to fill 20-40 mins, plus some talk back/my own commentary. Excited to see what you all send in!!
Have a great week and take care,
august 🌨️
Comments
That's such a good idea, OMG
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-06 04:37:47 +0000 UTCCan we have some kind of open document where people can put the poems they’re recommending? I’ve been looking up people’s suggestions because I’d like to read them, but some of them are just kind of tedious to find. It would be a lot easier for me—and for you, I’m sure, but mostly for me—if the full text to each poem was available in one place and people could just paste theirs in.
Ella
2023-05-05 11:23:43 +0000 UTCAlso "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith - kind of a dark mood too, but somehow I think you would make it sound comforting 😭 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89897/good-bones
✨ jo ✨
2023-05-04 03:31:20 +0000 UTCNot me furiously saving these all these suggestions to read later 😌✨ Anything by Ocean Vuong (mentioned a couple times already!) would be lovely, but especially "A Little Closer to the Edge": https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/88734/a-little-closer-to-the-edge
✨ jo ✨
2023-05-04 03:28:31 +0000 UTCHi, August! Excited to see what you pick out for this audio. This one is one of my favorites. https://wordswithoutborders.org/read/article/2014-01/union/
Little_Lapine
2023-05-04 02:36:25 +0000 UTC@Ella oh GOD yes the “and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant” line undoes me every timeeeeee https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49493/i-carry-your-heart-with-mei-carry-it-in
sarah 💫
2023-05-04 02:22:22 +0000 UTCso glad someone else also wanted shel silverstein!
Rya Li
2023-05-04 02:14:54 +0000 UTCThat's such a good one <3
Thelnie
2023-05-04 01:25:05 +0000 UTCUmmmmm “Masks” by Shel Silverstein please
Ella
2023-05-03 11:50:03 +0000 UTCI'm really enjoying reading everyone's poetry recommendations. They're almost as good as the upcoming audio! Can the poems be slightly NSFW? If yes, I'd love to hear you recite the Cinnamon Peeler by Michael Ondaatje and Why Things Burn and Watch Your Tense and Case by Daphne Gottlieb (you can switch around the pronouns for these since they're from a woman's perspective). Here are the links: https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-cinnamon-peeler/ https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/why-things-burn/ https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/467661-pelt
Deedee
2023-05-03 11:33:11 +0000 UTCNo suggestions beyond Shel Silverstein or reciting something by Emily Dickinson to the tune of Gilligan’s Island. I just know I’m probably going to fall asleep within 5 min of this audio and never get to the end and I’m very excited for it.
Thelnie
2023-05-03 09:05:36 +0000 UTC“Bright Star” was given as a declaration of love to a woman named Fanny Brawne, and his letters to her are spectacular. Can we count them as poetry? I think they should count as poetry. I think they’re poetry. As good as the poems are, the letters are just… beyond. Seriously, anybody who hasn’t read them, stop what you’re doing right now and read them.
Ella
2023-05-03 06:02:42 +0000 UTCIf we’re doing e. e. cummings, it haaaaassssss to be “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]”. I will accept nothing else. I will revolt.
Ella
2023-05-03 05:48:36 +0000 UTC"It was like this: You were happy" by Jane Hirshfield
cruelworld9011
2023-05-03 03:12:50 +0000 UTCOcean Vuong “kissing in Vietnamese” https://poets.org/poem/kissing-vietnamese ❣️
Eunice
2023-05-03 03:03:03 +0000 UTC@Katana I LOVE THAT ONE!
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-03 01:24:08 +0000 UTC“Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art” by John Keats: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44468/bright-star-would-i-were-stedfast-as-thou-art “As Winds That Blow Against A Star” by Joyce Kilmer: https://allpoetry.com/As-Winds-That-Blow-Against-A-Star Apparently I really like star imagery 😊
Saya J
2023-05-03 01:11:08 +0000 UTCYeah absolutely!
August Winter
2023-05-03 00:50:22 +0000 UTChonestly now that i think about it that right there might have been the very beginning of my nsfw audio journey lmaoo
Katana
2023-05-02 23:17:17 +0000 UTCI don’t really have any poems that come to mind at the moment, but I do think of a book that’s sorta like poetry. The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse. Maybe another month you can read some sections of a book. I’m excited to hear what poems everyone loves! Also august you should put your favorites as well.
Misa Yamamoto
2023-05-02 23:12:51 +0000 UTCcan you imagine august reciting that one in his prince / high fantasy / royal court voice im 🫠
Andie
2023-05-02 23:09:46 +0000 UTCImagining August’s voice reading this is driving me insane actually
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 23:04:56 +0000 UTCHOW DO I LOVE THEE 😭😭😭
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 23:03:08 +0000 UTC@Katana ahhh you have unlocked a core memory for me 😳🥵 that video was…uh…yeah *opens YouTube* I may just have to add that poem to my long list up there lol 🤔
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 22:58:12 +0000 UTC@Ruth Yesssss she’s so great, and I love that one too! I just bought “Upstream” by her and am super psyched to read it 📖🏕️
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 22:56:55 +0000 UTC@Andie Aww yay so glad to have made your work trip morning! 😅 Hope your event goes well! And ikr, I’m clicking on all these links and feeling very *moved* 💖 #poetryislife Honestly I can’t believe it’s happening I feel like it’s worlds colliding for me 🫨
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 22:55:24 +0000 UTCand my actual favourite poem, w my favourite line at the very end. :) “Those Winter Sundays” https://poets.org/poem/those-winter-sundays
Andie
2023-05-02 22:53:34 +0000 UTCsome classics: “How do I love thee?” https://poets.org/poem/how-do-i-love-thee-sonnet-43 “If —” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46473/if---
Andie
2023-05-02 22:52:04 +0000 UTComg i remember finding E.E. Cummings when i was in my marvel obsessed era and found a video of Tom Hiddleston reading the "May I Feel Said He" poem
Katana
2023-05-02 22:47:03 +0000 UTCMary Oliver! Yes! Another of hers that I love is "How I Go Into the Woods" ❤️🌲
Ruth Hope 🩷
2023-05-02 22:42:57 +0000 UTCThat's the one I suggested! My absolute fave 💕🌸🍒
Ruth Hope 🩷
2023-05-02 22:37:19 +0000 UTC"Every day you play" by Pablo Neruda https://img.poemhunter.com/i/poem_images/202/everyday-you-play-pablo-neruda.jpg
Ruth Hope 🩷
2023-05-02 22:34:22 +0000 UTCoh maaaaan seeing ee cummings here made my (very sleepy early) morning (work trip to a work event haha). im really excited to read through these and everyone’s suggestions i love poems 😍 edit: and also of course to hear august read them hahahhaha brain still booting
Andie
2023-05-02 22:27:22 +0000 UTCI’m just a huge slut for Mary Oliver so most of my recommendations are her stuff lol she writes a lot about nature (which could be fitting considering it’s May) and the Self and connection to earth which I think is lovely and would be interesting to hear your opinions on. Anyhooo here are my suggestions: •Poppies - Mary Oliver https://www.scribd.com/doc/190019663/Poppies-Mary-Oliver •To Begin With, the Sweet Grass - Mary Oliver https://anyaporter.com/footstepsonthepath/to-begin-with-the-sweet-grass?format=amp •Sometimes - Mary Oliver https://www.tumblr.com/apoemaday/615848834138046464/sometimes •Mindful - Mary Oliver https://www.atimeofmyown.com/uploads/5/1/1/6/51161337/mindful_mary_oliver.pdf •Wild Geese - Mary Oliver https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/O/OliverMary/WildGeese/index.html •Entering the Kingdom - Mary Oliver https://www.tumblr.com/apoemaday/709348703385878528/entering-the-kingdom •I Like My Body When it is With Your Body - E.E. Cummings https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1590/i-like-my-body-when-it-is-with-your/ •My Love is Building a Building - E.E Cummings https://hellopoetry.com/poem/1622/my-love-is-building-a-building/ •Sometimes I Am Alive Because With - E.E. Cummings https://allpoetry.com/Sometimes-I-Am-Alive-Because-With The E.E. Cummings ones are definitely more on the “spicy” side but still relatively SFW. Super excited to hear which ones you end up reading!🪻
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 22:21:04 +0000 UTC(august feel free to take this as a suggestion but if you don't feel like putting this in the audio i totally understand)
Katana
2023-05-02 22:02:57 +0000 UTCi tear up every time i read it, i love the message of this one so much
Katana
2023-05-02 22:00:28 +0000 UTCOH MY GOD I love that one so much it’s so heartbreaking and important 💔
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 21:45:42 +0000 UTCTW: suicide my absolute absolute favourite is "The Morning After I Killed Myself" By Meggie Royer
Katana
2023-05-02 21:33:51 +0000 UTCCW: dark themes we were emergencies -buddy wakefield https://wordsfortheyear.com/2014/11/10/we-were-emergencies-by-buddy-wakefield/
Andie
2023-05-02 21:32:24 +0000 UTCRichard Siken 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Andie
2023-05-02 21:18:20 +0000 UTCI have soooooo many complicated feelings about Neruda, but you just can’t do a reading of love/erotic poetry without him. I’m going to have to read the sonnets again now and dramatically fan myself with my hand.
Ella
2023-05-02 20:53:34 +0000 UTCKatana, now I'm so curious about these poems 😭. I love sad poetry. Do you have any recommendations you're willing to share?
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:48:04 +0000 UTCthe torn-up road by richard siken is a fav https://frshery.tumblr.com/post/45903096713/torn-up-road-richard-siken/amp
ari
2023-05-02 20:42:46 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "I Prefer Fingering Over Flowers on Valentine's" by Z. B. He told me I reminded him of roses and calla lilies I was his favourite flower in the bouquet The one he would admire in a stranger's garden How do I tell him That I am nothing like a flower I want to be ravished Torn apart I have no thorns to shield myself I want to be plucked from my earth And set ablaze
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:40:20 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "Proving My Love Will Only Take a Minute" by H. M. If I close my eyes You are all I can see I sleep too much now That's alright with me You're not here You haven't been for a while I think you might be trying To check if I'll walk a mile My darling, my dearest Don't you already know? I will look for you Like penguins look for snow I am in dire need for you Nothing else could satisfy This hunger I have inside me For what lies between your thighs I am battling myself, my darling I am in a mood so blue Do I close my eyes to see your face? Or open them to find you?
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:38:54 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "Let Me Convince You of Everything" by H. M. and Z. B. (writers' group collab piece) Give me all of your pain And let me make something beautiful from it I promise I will be careful with your heart It is safe in my hands, safer in my chest Do you not see how my lungs breathe your air? Do you not hear the way I call your name? Give me your soul in a silver tin And let me place it next to mine
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:35:40 +0000 UTC"And it Wasn't Just a Goodbye" from the "Read This Before You Fall in Love With Me" collection by ZB And it wasn't just a goodbye I was sixteen, she was so pretty I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't I'm not supposed to tell girls they're pretty I'm supposed to pretend I can't see The light in their eyes The hearts in their smiles How do I pretend, I'm not hopelessly in love With the bridges of their noses Or the bows of their lips? Do they know how much I call to God, When I see her smile? Do they know the most fervent of my prayers, Are the ones I make for her? I was nineteen, she was so handsome I wanted to whisper it in her ear But my mouth was too scared to get that close I was terrified of the boat toppling over She gave me a curve of her lips, the grip of her palm Suddenly, the sea was too vast to let her traverse alone She has the softest heart, couldn't kill a fly I screamed at the ladybug on my shoe She kissed my tears, and put me back together The boy across the street is pretty too But I'm not allowed to tell him I want him, I want her, both are so far away She ran her fingers along my shoulder He memorised my hands with his mouth I prayed, I prayed, I prayed I was twenty-one, they were so beautiful I was still afraid of telling them the truth I didn't know how the universe fit inside their souls (Somehow it did) And it wasn't just a goodbye, It was never just a goodbye I don't know how to say farewell When I prayed to my God, When I begged for His Grace, How was I not supposed to say their names? She has this lilt in her voice He has this magic in his hands They both mesmerise me I couldn't begin to count The times and times I held them So fearful that it would all slip away Why do you threaten me with a god I don't believe in? My God made me to love I am not abandoning Him for you I was twenty-three, they were not mine anymore I had missed my chance to confess How did I let them go without knowing? She went to speech therapy, He calluses now ran cold All I could do was cry My God took him from me, but I forgave Him, He was the one who gave him to me in the first place How could I blame Him for taking him away? I used to stare up into his face Now I was taller, eleven-and-a-half feet high What I wouldn't give to be small once again I still write them love letters, Like the one you're reading here, They seem to have forgotten how to reply That last time, that very last time, When my teeth had tried to mark their collarbones in turn, I said this thing, this thing, this thing (It wasn't just a goodbye) It was a "see you later" It was a "I need you tomorrow" It was a "you are part of me, don't you dare take it away" He took it anyway. And it wasn't just a goodbye, It wasn't, I swear, it wasn't It was too real, to raw, to be a closing call "I love you I miss you I'm always praying for you" It wasn't just a goodbye, or a promise, or a thanks, It was my admittance, my faux confession I didn't know how to say it any other way How are you really supposed to tell a person, That they made you believe in God? I don't know if I've ever prayed for anything else I could count every favour, say every Dhikr But the tilt of their mouths would do more for my faith Than any miracle or verse all other people could relay I love them, I do I miss them, I swear I pray for them, always It wasn't just a goodbye Goodbye means it ends How do I explain to you that that's where it all began? I love her I miss him I pray for them No supplication goes unspoken from me No memory goes unrefined with my pain No moment goes unadorned with my heart I love I miss I pray I don't know what else to do.
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:31:14 +0000 UTCI’m dreaming. Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? Holy shit.
sarah 💫
2023-05-02 20:30:02 +0000 UTC"My Dreams Are Better as Ink" by HM And I wonder if anyone will ever read these poems Am I writing for an audience? Or, perhaps, simply to use the ink in my pens? I dream of a lover so kind, the birds sing him goodnight and the angels kiss him awake I dream of a lover who caresses me every afternoon Ensuring he memorises me thoroughly, not to be disturbed by faulty memory I dream of a job that makes me happy, That brings me stress that I can bear and hope, not just despair I dream of children who will tell their children stories Of me, my love, my care, my worry, my sacrifice I dream of houses big and broad, To house all of the those I love, I love too many, I know I dream of a lover who touches me softly and desperately, I dream of their hands, I've crafted their hands from nothing I dream of a mother who is not like mine, One who loves me, unconditionally, unrefined I dream of a father who is nothing like mine, One who works hard only at his job, not on his wrath I dream of a coffee table with books galore In front of a window with a view of the shore I dream of an unmade bed with mismatched sheets, Only me and my lover will know what lies beneath I dream of nights long and days short, I want the wind to be the wintery sort I dream of a lover who calls my name One who knows I am not one to tame I write these poems, these dreams, these songs Knowing that my idea of love is wholly wrong I pray to a God I know is real, For a love I know is not.
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:27:50 +0000 UTCYes!!! poem 14 is so iconic
Bel
2023-05-02 20:21:38 +0000 UTCAnother excerpt from "Don't Tell Me When You Die, I'll Already Know" by HM You are like the moon, my darling You light up the darkness but you are too far away.
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:18:39 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "Destruction Is Our Shared Last Name" by HM "I hate you." "Do you now?" "I hate you. I hate you. I ha—" An interruption. His mouth on mine. Suddenly, I don't hate. I miss. I revere. I desire. My knife against his neck. "Any last words?"
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:16:35 +0000 UTCI would love to hear anything written by Lang Leav
charlie90
2023-05-02 20:15:13 +0000 UTC"Forevers Are Not Always the Same" by H. M. I wish I could love you longer But sadly, my darling, My forever is smaller than yours I want to hold you through the end of mine I want to kiss you for one last time Even knowing your forever will longer than mine Will you kiss him softly, like you did me? Will you kiss him reverently, like you did me? Will you kiss him goodbye, like you did me? I wish my forever was longer than yours But sadly, my darling, I'm creeping on death's doors So hold me tight Squeeze me right I'm ready for you on all fours The infinity between me and you Was always less than the infinity before two No matter the size Infinity it is And now, my last kiss can be your coveted prize Will you let me hold your hand until the grip fades away? Or will you push it aside, so gently, my arm doesn't sway? Will you kiss my ears before saying goodbye? Or will you whisper in the night so quiet it goes by? I wish I could love you longer But sadly, my darling, My forever is smaller than yours Maybe in another forever, I'd finally be yours
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:15:02 +0000 UTCAnother excerpt from "My Prayers Are for Her" by ZB I'm so in love with her I told God He needs to make a special supplication just for me That starts with His name And ends with hers
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:13:24 +0000 UTCShe really should publish her work! I’d pay to read them :)
MissGoldenChaos
2023-05-02 20:12:40 +0000 UTCMy favourite Pablo Neruda line: I want to do with you what Spring does with the cherry trees
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:11:45 +0000 UTCOcean Vuong’s ‘Prayer for the Newly Damned’ would also be great to hear read out-loud !
Bel
2023-05-02 20:10:57 +0000 UTCWe've been begging her to publish her stuff for years, but she's too scared. I'll tell her you liked those two!
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:10:32 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "I'm Broken, Bring Glue and Her Smile" by ZB I am a sum of parts Her legs, her lips, her heart I know nothing else but her More precious than gems, more fancy than fur I promise, for my sins, I will atone But forever still, she is mine and mine alone
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:08:30 +0000 UTCWow, your friend is really talented! These were nice to read, especially "I Swear I Hate You" and "The Problem is You." Man, I miss writing poetry!
MissGoldenChaos
2023-05-02 20:05:32 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "Don't Tell Me When You Die, I'll Already Know" by H. M. When you leave me I keep my lids closed I don't want to see the world without you I don't want to experience colour unless it's reflected in your eyes
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:04:55 +0000 UTCAnother excerpt from "Who Am I Without Her to Tell Me" by ZB I begged her once To go to the lavender fields with me She never did go anywhere that could be as beautiful as her I pretended she was jealous of nature But really Nature was jealous of her
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:03:46 +0000 UTCAnother excerpt from "Who Am I Without Her to Tell Me?" by ZB I believe there is nothing left for me here I read all the books she gave to me Without her sending me more What lifetimes are left for us to spend together?
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:03:11 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "Who Am I Without Her to Tell Me?" by ZB I pretend that she kisses me goodnight By God, I still haven't learned how to sleep without her I'm afraid I never will So, grass and cement and tears Became my bed And the moonlight our blanket By God, I could feel her heartbeat somewhere Only then did my mind allow me rest
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:02:16 +0000 UTCPablo Neruda!! ‘Tonight I can write the saddest lines’, ‘I hunt for a sign of you’, and ‘I do not love you except because I love you’ are som favorites
Bel
2023-05-02 20:01:21 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "My Prayers Are for Her" by Z. B. When I looked at the mountains All I could see was her Do not tell me God does not exist Who else could make oceans And give me sight Just so I could watch her swim
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 20:00:51 +0000 UTCUuuunnngggghhhhh why are you doing this to me
Ella
2023-05-02 20:00:16 +0000 UTCoh dude all my fav poems are sad and possibly very sensitive/triggering regarding some topics so i wouldn't want to bring down the mood for everyone but i can't wait to see other people's picks and hear you read them!
Katana
2023-05-02 19:59:20 +0000 UTCAnother excerpt from "How Dare You Leave" by Z. B. And please tell the shirt on my floor And the stain on my pillowcase Why you had to up and leave me Don't leave them hanging Waiting for answers you aren't planning to give Was your courage only enough to last you five minutes? Tell the neighbour's cat you woke up And the witch who lives across the street That you never really knew who you were after all Are you just going to leave your chain Your jacket, edges fraying On the couch you didn't have the decency to clean?
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 19:58:49 +0000 UTCExcerpt from "The Pain That Is My Love" by H. M. I don't take her to the beach near my house. I'm afraid her laugh will make the tide rise to meet its height.
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 19:57:04 +0000 UTC*I Swear I Hate You by Z. B.* I don't want you Except I wish I could You turn your head to look at me I collapse into nothingness I do not want to be perceived by the likes of you Haunter of dreams, stealer of creams You have too many stars in your eyes My friends keep telling me to stop looking directly at the sun I don't like your messy hair Or the way you say "underwear" I hate your smile I hate the face you plaster it on I try my best not to give you any mind It should be easy, you're not exactly mine I have this weird feeling in my chest Whenever you wish me all the best I hate how you talk to me How you use your words to trick me I hate how clever you are How you hold the steering wheel in your car I don't want to want you I thought it was easy too But for some odd reason My heart commits treason And I find my eyes looking for yours
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 19:51:43 +0000 UTCOkay, I'm going to reply to this comment with a bunch of poetry I've collected over time. Are there any rules/restrictions? A bunch of these are from the same poetry collection my friend gifted me. I think you can Google some of her stuff, but the ones she gave me were handwritten. Decided to throw in ones from a writing group I'm part of! Okay, I think that's enough from me hahaha. If you want more, let me know! Also, if there are any words you don't know how to pronounce (like Dhikr — TH-ick-er — the "th" sound is like when you say "there" but put your tongue between your front teeth. It's in between "d" and "z" in terms of sounds), just ask!
Lambda Sitta
2023-05-02 19:50:16 +0000 UTCIf not, I have several ideas for suggestions for poems that are not mine lol
Ruth Hope 🩷
2023-05-02 19:37:42 +0000 UTCCan it be our own original poetry?
Ruth Hope 🩷
2023-05-02 19:33:33 +0000 UTCAwww that’s such a cute idea!! 🥰 can’t wait to see everyone’s picks!
Grace
2023-05-02 19:29:47 +0000 UTC
