In response to Fernweh: Space musings during the pandemic

Blackout poetry is when you take a written piece of text from a book, newspaper, or magazine and redact words in order to come up with your very own poetry.

In 2020 Yvette Gonzalez discovered Shanika Powell’s blackout poetry on Instagram. It was moving and captivating and she instantly had to learn. Shanika offered the author her attention, trust, kindness, and support as she navigated these first poems.

The author dries flowers as a ritual. This is how she created beauty for her Mom in her final days, framing dried flowers and hanging them on her Mom’s bedroom wall. When she saw Shanika’s blackout poetry and flower arrangements, Yvette was inspired to use her dried flowers for this art form.

These poems are reflections on dreaming, space, and the innate desire to explore and discover. During the pandemic lock down, Yvette created these poems as a tribute to her wanderlust, or fernweh, and a creative outlet responding to the aching to uncover the mysteries of uncharted places in our universe.

"Readers, I hope you get lost in this collection. Read slowly and with care. You’re going to love the poetry, the floral arrangements, and all the richness Yvette’s work has to offer" ~ Shanika Powell.

ISBN: 979-8-9902879-1-4