And Now A Poetic Interview with Terri Malek!

Terri Malek is a great friend and talented poet. I had the privilege of interviewing her for my blog recently. Please read her incredible words for yourself.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
All things mystical and metaphysical create movement in my soul. I will be married 19 years this fall to my best friend and soul mate. I currently have four pets. My lifestyle and passions marry with my line of work, which is extremely fulfilling and freeing. I am in Holistic Healing for the mind, body, and the spirit. My primary passions within this field are teaching and writing. I am a Reiki Master and Practitioner, a teacher of other forms of Energy Healing and Holistic Healing modalities, and Founder and Executive Director of a Holistic Healing and Educational Center. I use creative expression of many forms to include writing, which brings about much healing for self and others.

2. When did you start writing poetry?
I began writing poetry as a young teenager.

3. Do you have a favorite poet/poem?
My favorite poet is Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known more commonly as “Rumi”.

4. Does music inspire you? What kind?
Music highly moves and inspires me if it is music that brings out my true self and makes my soul dance. Some of my favorites are Indie, Classical, Kirtan, and music used in sound therapy that mimic sounds in nature and the cosmos.

5. Do you write on the computer or in a notebook?
I prefer to write on a computer when writing books and blog articles, but I still find myself often pulling out pencil and paper to write poetry.

6. If you could write a poem anywhere, where would it be?
I write poetry, or other forms of writing, anywhere and anytime that spirit moves me.

7. What do you enjoy most about writing poetry?
I enjoy writing poetry because it affords an opportunity to express what is often difficult to articulate verbally, or is not received well audibly by others.

8. If you could hang out with any poet, who would it be?
I would love to spend more time in the presence of Snatum Kaur, musician and poet.

9. If you could physically fight a fellow poet, from any point in time, who would they be?
All you need is LOVE.

10. Have you read or performed poetry live at slams or open mic?
No, I have never performed poetry live.

11. Why does nothing rhyme with orange?
I just recently learned that this is the only word in the English language that does not have a single word that rhymes with it. Since I am not one for conformity, and am a proponent of uniqueness, I say hooray for orange!

12. Do you post your poetry online?
I just started posting minimal poetry online earlier this year.

13. Do you put your writing into pictures to share on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook?
I have never put my writing to pictures, but am drawn to this form of poetic expression.

14. What is the most difficult poetry to write? Are there any forms you dislike?
The most difficult poem to write is the one that is not ready to be birthed. I do not follow or prescribe any defined styles necessarily, but let the message tell me what it is to be.

15. Do you believe anyone can learn to write poetry? Do you think anyone can enjoy reading it?
Anyone who is willing to freely express themselves can do whatever they put their mind to, whether that be writing poetry, or reading it from a perspective that truly resonates with them.

16. Where do vanishing objects go? Remember to phrase your answer in the form of a riddle.

Objects vanishing
Is only an illusion.
One’s frequency of vibration
Delineates conclusion.

Objects re-emerge
When frequency shifts.
Universal alignment
Brings magical gifts.

17. What project(s) are you currently working on, poetry or otherwise?
I am currently in the later stages of writing my own book of memoirs and recording of my physical, emotional, karmic, and spiritual growth and healing process. It includes stories, lessons, poetry, blog articles, and journal entries.

18. Would you like to share a poem with us today?
Yes, I absolutely would love to share a poem with you today. Thank you for the opportunity.

Pieces

To feel your own heartache
With each painful pulse
Is to feel like you are dying,
But to truly be alive.
So alive that each heartbeat
Resounds like the beat of a drum
In your chest, your ears.

As the rhythm rises and falls,
The wrenching grip of pain
Clutches at each breath.
As the pain climaxes
Death feels so near,
As despair overcomes all else
Thoughts twist and turn.

Surrender sounds promising
Yet so far away,
Like a fairy tale
Floating on a cloud
Millions and millions
Of miles into another galaxy
In an altered universe.

Yet you are here
In this place, at this time, in this pain.
In between the moments
Before the incident,
And this instance in time
Where future does not exist
And the past cannot return.
To feel the heartache of a
Soul sister is to know
Complete helplessness.
Experiencing one’s heart
Contort in unfathomable ways,
As if your heart was a piece of theirs
Strengthens the bond of sisterhood.

To know their pain physically
In every cell of your body
As if you opted
To take just a piece of that burden
That they carry every second,
Every minute, every hour,
Every day, and into eternity

Hoping somewhere
Deep within you
That you can ease even a moment
Of suffering
That you can replace even a small
Piece of the broken vessel
That is their heart.

***

Find more about Terri Malek:

On her blog: healingtouchreiki7.com