Bio

B.E. Smoke is an autistic poet and writer from a mountainous corner of Virginia. She holds a Master's Degree in English and Writing. When she is not with her fiancé and three cats, she spends most of her time working for the Learning and Development department of a local non-profit organization or volunteering at her local animal shelter. Her neurodivergency deeply informs her creative work. With each poem, she aims to translate the inexpressible aspects of both her emotional and sensory world. Drawing inspiration from her challenges, she hopes to share her passion for inclusivity and self-expression, using written language as a tool for connection.

Vine
Breathe
Nestle
Suffocate
Cling on like wet cloth
Dampen what in me is screaming

Splay
Flex
Outstretch
And claim air
Growth spilling up—out
While toes sink deep and grip the earth

Hum
Pierce
Inner ear
Reverberating
Tuned and tightly wound
Finding consonant intervals

Press
Hold
Unfurl
Warmth rosy
Bloom, intelligent,
A sturdiness behind my ribs

Sunk
Spun
Release
My short breaths,
Dizzy and cosmic,
From open lungs find endless space