“real love says” by MayaSpoken
Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “real love says” by MayaSpoken, part of the 2025 Poem in Your Pocket Day collection and winner of the 2025 Very Small Verse contest.
real love says
By MayaSpoken
real love says
“you are enough”
before
you even try to be
Copyright © MayaSpoken
Winner of the 2025 Very Small Verse contest, and published as part of the 2025 Poem in Your Pocket Day collection.
MayaSpoken is an award-winning multidisciplinary spoken word artist. She is the author of self-published poetry novel “Warriors in Broad Daylight” and founder of platforms such as Spoken in the City Poetry Slam, Tell ‘Em Girl Women’s Spoken Word Showcase, and Loud Black Girls, where local poets are invited to share their stories loudly and without apology.
A two-time champion of Ottawa’s largest poetry slam OG500, Maya was also crowned the 2023 Canadian Individual Spoken Word Champion and ranked 4th across the Americas. Her poetry is published internationally in anthologies “De las Periferias a las Fronteras” and “Poesía Y Disidencias” (2024), as well as CBC and “Black Ottawa Scene Magazine”. Through spoken word Maya tells her own story of overcoming to contribute to the urgency of larger conversations surrounding collective liberation and justice for all.
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