Life of a PnQ Poet - Novalyn Grace RR

Life of a PnQ Poet allows members of PnQ to interview the poet of the week. Please keep your questions respectful and if the PnQ poet wishes to abstain from any questions, remember they may do so without explanation. Have fun and ask away!

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19 year old Novalyn, hailing from the magnificent US of A, has 64 poems posted to her account and has been a member since 2007.

Her latest poem won the weekly contest. Here it is:

Cacophony.
by Novalyn Grace RR

I am a modern sonnet,
penned by a modern punk.
the fractures in my spine
lead way to a putrid mind,
whose neurons are overripe;
drunk on colorless wine.

it was once I knew a sculptor,
of dreams and words delightful,
who matched my motives for meaning
on a scale of his own design.

(my heart was drenched in accolades
who came well before their time.)

with one full turn of the clock
we danced, on blushing feet,
atop a tiled membrane
of lust before defeat.

I may have later been gutted
by a seemingly gutless intruder,
my newly neutered romance
strung up by its spindly heels,
while language rested on my sill,
precariously crystalline
and suicidal.

I held delusion to my breast,
and taking one swift breath,
calmed this pulsing meteor
allowing rage to collapse.

I wept in defiance instead.

we cling, we crawl;
(though you're not here at all)
we break without even bleeding.

(c) Novalyn Grace RR 2011

Favorite poet (on P&Q and off)?

Favorite poem by a member of the site?

Favorite poem from a famous poet?

If you could re-live one moment in time, what would it be and why?

"Novalyn....
why are you so damn beautiful ? XD"
Hahaha, you are way to kind to my silly face!

"what is your favorite poem (by you)?"
There is one piece in particular that I have not posted on this site, which was written about someone I love dearly. But in all fairness, I'll pick one you guys have read ;)
I'd have to say that, at this point, I think 'Fruition' is one of my favorite pieces. The words seemed to just fall out of my pen, and it was so important to me for many emotional reasons, and today still holds just as much of my spirit. 'Anatomy of a Dream' is also very dear to me, because it describes a very raw and innate part of myself; I'm such a dreamer (:

"what inspires you?"
People who never stop dreaming despite their age; people who never stop striving to make their dreams a reality, however "irrational" they may seem. Light, and the way it dances with shadow, especially when reflected off water. Colors, eyes, hands, the lines in a persons face, music, fear, pain, loss, birth, nature, animals, .. I could go on forever.

"do you drink or smoke ?"
I do drink, lightly - for taste and pleasure. I'm not a fan of getting drunk, though a bit tipsy is enjoyable every once in a while ;) I'm also not a big social drinker, like.. at parties or highly populated/public places. And no, smoking is nasty. :D

"what do you like to wear ?"
Hehe, ummm, that really depends on various things; the weather, my plans, my mood .. Lately we've been having beautiful Cali weather - so I've been wearing a lot of dresses and traipsing around flower covered fields. (:

"Favorite poet (on P&Q and off)?"
Ahh, I have so many people that inspire me - and I go through phases with certain styles as well.. so I'll do my best to answer this ;)
On P&Q: Danny (The Prince), Melissa
Other: Sylvia Plath, Ranier Maria Rilke, Pablo Neruda

"Favorite poem by a member of the site?"
Most recently, 'Somebodies' by The Prince

"Favorite poem from a famous poet?"
I have many, but one of them is: XVII by Pablo Neruda

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

"If you could re-live one moment in time, what would it be and why?"
Ahh, that's a good question, and I want to do it justice. So this one I will have to think on, and come back to when I'm not keeping from falling asleep. ;)

Novalyn is a very beautiful name, reminding me of a Starburst or a unfolding Lily. What then of Grace? Divine, hence: Novalyn Grace, and unfolding Lily of Divine Elegance.
Ok, just me a rattling. So what are your goals? Your favorite flower? Favorite scent? Can you cook? I always like to ask this question because there are some women who can't boil water. LOL
Novalyn, I read all your Poetry, although I do not comment all, I enjoy all immensly. My favorite poem of yours is "Routine Magic". How is Magic.
Peace and Blessings

If you were in a situation where, cannabalism was the only option, who would you eat first? Friends...lovers...family or strangers?

Also whats the one thing that totally relaxes you to the point you think of nothing and just...breathe..?

Conversation stopper?

Haha, sorry guys - I had a really busy and rough week last week, I wasn't able to get on the internet much. I'll answer all of these lovely questions in a few hours (:

Admittedly, Kevin, that is a tough and somewhat scary question - but I'll dig my teeth into it best I can. ;)

GRRR I had typed nice, long answers for all of these, and the site signed me out and didn't post. :C Booooo hoooo. Here goes round two:

"when you write a poem, do you write it for yourself or for others?"

Hmm. It depends on the day, my notions, and mood. I initially started writing for myself; it was a form of release that I found through my passion for language, which allowed me a deeper understanding of self that no other medium provided. To this day, it still serves as a type of catharsis. However, I have written several pieces in the past few years with a person, or several people (whether known or strangers) in mind. Often times, when I find myself wanting to write, without something specific pressing on my heart, I will write for other people. This is something kind of difficult to answer though, because all of my words are soul-driven, and I find that no matter what you write about - this form of art is one that will always reveal something about you (the author). I can write a piece solely for others, and end up conveying something about my psyche that would have otherwise remained uncovered. On the flip-side, even when I do write for myself, simply to dissect a thought or feeling, at least 60% of the time I have an audience in mind. If I want to write about something very personal that I would like to remain ambiguous, I will write highly metaphoric yet endeavor to keep my words understandable from outside eyes; I try to keep my work open and subject to other individual's experiences, so that people can relate and make it their own. Does that make sense? (:

"when you write a poem, do you release your thoughts or feel better?"

Absolutely! As I just touched on, I can start writing about the laundry that I did that day, and end up seeing some of the idiosyncrasies in my psyche and why they exist. It seems no matter what I touch pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard with intent to write about, I will always walk away with a sense of achievement, peace, and new light.

"when you write a poem, what do you care about the most? (rhyming\metaphors\wording)? or you just write your feelings?"

This is also something that is totally subject to my mood, and the content of the piece I want to write. For me, especially once writing is shared through an outside source such as the internet, it becomes much more than a one-sensory experience. I often find that shape and sound can really make or break a good portrayal; adding the other senses allows us to put emphasis on certain ideas that (because of the different ways the human mind works in regards to language, and interpretation) might otherwise go unnoticed. At least in the manner you want them to be. Say, for instance, I want to write about dreams/dreaming - my goal is to make the piece feel ethereal and light, as if the words are floating. So I would use the proper vocabulary, and perhaps a rhyme scheme that would create a melodic cadence without being too sing-songy. I may also use shape to create that light, floaty feeling I mentioned. At the same time, I write a LOT of prose and un-interrupted thought. Some of my best pieces just flow; the words fall right out of my pen.

"when it comes to love, are you a brave person? or have you been hurt? do you fear love as I do? XD"

I like to think that I am brave in love - I do not cower away from it, that much I know. I have always embraced love in every facet, be it romantically, between friends, or within family. I'm one who loves deeply and easily. Not in the sense that I will love just anyone, or throw the term around meaninglessly.. I simply mean that once I open my heart to loving someone, whoever they are, it is generally unconditional - and unconditional love has always come easy to me. Well, as easy as such a thing can come ;) But I think that everyone is a little bit afraid, or wary of it. It is one of the most dangerous and vulnerable things we do as human beings, so it's only natural to be hesitant of love at times. I have definitely been hurt. In ways directly related to love, and in ways completely out of my control, related to relationships and general intimacy. I struggled with those hurts for years, and they will obviously always be a part of me, but I try my damndest to NEVER let fear or the desire to avoid pain rule any of my decisions. Allowing yourself to love someone can be the single greatest thing you ever do.

"has someone ever changed your life? a friend? a lover? a relative? etc."

All of the above! I am blessed with a wonderful family, an amazing (though small, maybe I prefer it that way) circle of best friends, and loves that have not only changed me, but continue to inspire and awe me. (:

Woo hoo! I did it! Bring on more questions, girly.

Edward, you're too kind! (:

"So what are your goals?"

I have so many goals! x) I think the best way to answer this though, is by stating the long-term, and over-arching goals I have for my life. I want, more than anything:
to not allow myself to be ruled with fear
to recognize, validate, and wake up my dreams
to create, to inspire,
to change lives, in any large or small way
and to give and love openly (:

"Your favorite flower?"

My favorite flower changes, honestly.. there are so many beautiful flowers in the world, I can't claim to know them all at any given time! Some that I have always adored, and find endearingly beautiful are:
Calla Lilies (especially purple, white, and orange)
Orchids
Roses (what girl doesn't love 'em?)
Sunflowers
and fields of Bluebells

"Favorite scent?"

Baking, of pretty much anything, but especially breads and cookies/cakes/pies.
Rain, before, during and after rain showers.
A nice clean, (and maybe cologned) man. ;)
Burning leaves, and general Fall smells.

"Can you cook?"
I am a mean cook! I started out loving to bake, and once I got that down, I moved on, haha. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a gourmet chef, but I love to cook, and I'm known to whip up some 5 course meals that leave people raving.

Hahah, boiling water can be tricky if you have a faulty stove top! ;P

Thank you so much for your support, Edward. (: I am a fan of your work as well, and always try to keep myself up to date in reading. My kitty Magic is doing well, though I am missing him tremendously! I recently moved across country, and he had to stay back home with my parents. He is getting old, and was never raised around other animals, and the people I moved in with also have a (young) cat. I will be visiting home and seeing him soon though. (: Can't wait to give him a good snuggle! I admit to making my parents hold him while we skype sometimes too, just so I can see his little white face!

(:

"If you were in a situation where, cannabalism was the only option, who would you eat first?Friends... lovers... family or strangers?"

Well, this may seem like a cop-out answer, but I have honestly mulled this around a bit and have to say that I couldn't eat another human being. :P I'd exhaust every other option (plants etc) and if it came down to it, I guess I'd die of starvation! There are a lot of moral, ethical reasons behind it obviously, and I think the fact that I'm also a vegetarian (not against eating meat in general, I simply won't support the corporate consumerism in America, and I advocate animal rights...but that's a whole other conversation within itself!) plays a part here too.

"Also whats the one thing that totally relaxes you to the point you think of nothing and just...breathe..?"

I have a few things that provide that level of peace for me. Which one I turn to depends on what was on my mind that I'd like to escape from. I'd say the main three things are:

Photography
Yoga
and listening to/playing music.

Hi. Can you describe and explicate what an atom is? Just kidding, nevermind that, lol. :D

Well, if Hollywood will make a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play lead role as you? hey, in the previous questions, i think weve established the fact that youre beautiful so dont you go pickin anyone unrealistic ok? anyways, its still your choice, just sayin, lol.

- your friendly neigborhood Dib aka Hallucinostic :D

Hahaha, that would be a fun one to answer. ;)

Well that's easy: me! Seeing as I'm an actress and all, I think it's only fitting. :D

Just in case you think that's a cop-out answer ; there are a few people that I've been compared with (in personality/ mannerism, not necessarily looks), and whom I respect: Anne Hathaway and Kirsten Dunst might make interesting "me's."

annnd seriously: you guys are way too nice to my face! :3