Poetry & Process

Release dates tend to be both exciting and anxiety-ridden for authors. There is something beautiful about finally sharing your work with the world, but there is also fear in it. You never truly know how your work will be received once it leaves your hands. Something I have learned recently, though, is that creating becomes far less frightening when you stop writing for validation and start writing for yourself—and for the people who might see pieces of themselves reflected in

I am not my thoughts. My thoughts are not me. I am a chronic overthinker. The need is as great as the wind through the trees. Analyzing everything, everywhere, all the time. I am stuck in my mind, trying to find my way out. A maze with migrating walls, Thoughts abutting every turn… still no exit. —Destany

Destany Stevens shares a joyful moment with her daughter, engaging playfully with her book "Goodnight, Wiggles" through a lively high-five. When I decided to publish Goodnight, Wiggles, I thought the hardest part would be writing the book. That was adorable of me. Turns out, writing the book was the easy part. The real challenge came after. Publishing. Marketing. Learning how to talk about something I created without feeling awkward. Figuring out how to believe in my own work

My writing exists across different spaces—from children's literature to more confrontational, adult themes. This is one of those pieces. Read it fully—sit with it. —Destany

Grey sky, grey shutters, grey cottages, and grey houses. Grey bells, grey grass, and grey branches. Grey trees around the park, surrounded by grey people on a grey day. A poem by Destany Stevens A rustic park bench sits by a tree, adorned with a purple bag, a can of lemonade, and a journal with a pen, set against the backdrop of quaint buildings in a peaceful park.

An untitled poem Memory is but a wisp within the misty tendrils of destiny. I am ever bound to the curse of the mind. Death. She calls me with her all-consuming embrace. She is always distant yet never far. Some days I yearn for her visit. Like a lost friend I welcome her with open arms. — Destany Stevens

A snow-covered pine, standing quietly beneath the weight. Photograph by Destany Stevens. My favorite video game is Kingdom Hearts. The storyline, the meaning behind it, the art, the characters, everything. But the quotes are what hit the most. “I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately, like, is any of this for real or not?” —Sora, Opening of Kingdom Hearts I have never felt so close to a game as I have these past few weeks. From navigating my mental health and facing a po

Some of the silent moments that exist between the poems. Lately, I've been juggling a lot with work, my physical and mental health, and various projects. Amid the stress of doctor’s appointments, therapist visits, and managing daily tasks, I discovered something unexpected. As cliché as it might sound, I found a semblance of silence through writing poetry. Over the last few months, I have been pouring my frustrations and various emotions out onto my laptop. Struggling with e

As my writing career has evolved, I’ve become more intentional about expanding my creative range. Like an artist working in new mediums, I’m drawn to the spaces that both challenge and sustain me. Poetry has become one of them. It can be dramatic, but it can also be restrained, abstract, or deeply embodied. Lately, I’ve been reading collections by writers I admire, studying the ways reflection and vulnerability shape their work. The pieces that linger most are often the quiet