Lauren: I tend to write in extremes, either at a high or a low. I don't write when everything is copacetic. I wrote this poem about two years ago. I was in an angry place in my life where my boyfriend at the time and I weren't on the same page with our relationship. I couldn't convey to him that I wanted to be serious without settling down. He wasn't ready to settle down, and neither was I. I ended up heartbroken and maybe even a little jaded while seeing out the end of our relationship. I get a lot of backlash from this stance that we as women, settle down too soon in life with people that feel comfortable. It's what we are told we are supposed to do. I have so many friends that hit that golden age and decide they should have a ring on their finger, own a house, and deliver a few babies. It wasn't for me. It still isn't. I think I've heard the word 'bitter' thrown at me a few times.
GS&NS: What advice would you give to emerging writers?
Lauren: Surround yourself with people who get it as well as people who don't. Color your life with adventure and submerge yourself in your passion. Poetry will flow from you without effort.
Connect with Lauren:
@emptyink
@shophouseofvirgo
Evolution: An Anthology