In June of 2021, I self-published my first book of poetry and prose, WANDERER. WANDERER tells my story during 2019, as I traveled to different places – both physically and metaphorically. At the start of that year, I left behind a two-year relationship after reconnecting with a college flame. I spent the summer falling for that flame, had my heart broken, and then ended the year with the best love of them all. Each section of WANDERER corresponds to a location, as I wandered through life and love and lust during that year. Places hold memories for me; it is how I see the world. WANDERER takes readers on a journey through southwest Virginia; Seattle, Washington; the neighborhoods of Arlington, Virginia; then finally back home to my roots in North Carolina. Two of my favorite pieces from WANDERER are:
Pg. 51 I was lost in a field of sunflowers while you were caught in the rain our paths crossed momentarily before the clouds took you away. Pg. 127 When the ocean’s heart breaks and the mermaid cries her tears become sea glass – a gentle reminder that sometimes beautiful things come from pain.
I remember sitting at my desk after writing both of these. The feeling you get after writing a poem that you love is almost euphoric. It’s a bit weird for me to talk about why I love these pieces but for the first one, I love the subtilty of the emotion. I don’t mention heartbreak at all but that’s what I feel when reading this piece; I just feel the wave of sadness from a relationship ending. The second piece is one of my favorite poems I’ve ever written. I like the hopefulness of it and the idea that yes, it hurts right now but you will overcome it and you’ll be better for it. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the tough times in my life and I’m thankful for them.
Before I started my poetry Instagram, I was always a lover of poetry. I grew up devouring the works of Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. I loved to read and always wanted to write a novel but could never finish anything. I think that’s when I turned to poetry. I’ve been writing poems since I was a kid, usually about animals. When I was in college, thanks to my amazing English professor, I used poetry as a way to understand my emotions, especially when it came to boys and dating.
Unfortunately, after college I stopped writing poetry. I went through two years of my life where I was numb. Coming back to poetry in 2019 felt like coming home. It made sense. At first, I was heavily influenced by the popular micropoems (WANDERER consists of mostly love micropoetry) and on Instagram I became known for my love poetry. But now, as my heart has healed and I have grown in both my personal life and writing, I have shifted into longer pieces. I still write about love and relationships most of the time but have also expanded into writing about nature and healing.
You can find me on:
Instagram @carolina_poetry TikTok @carolinapoetry Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carolina_poetry Website: www.courtyoung.com WANDERER is available on Amazon and many other retailers (check out my website for more). I also sell signed copies of my book on my Etsy shop, CarolinaPoetryDesign.