I Have My Musings, by Yaya Cole

Poetry, chapbook, 28 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Bibliotherapy is a form of therapy that uses the power of words to make a change. This collection of poetry is about the words that live in your head and keep you company. The words that stay with you. Words on depression and trauma. Words that describe beauty and laugh out loud to humor. Words on being a woman. These are the words that hold your hand when you walk in the meadow or are alone in bed at night.

These poems culminate in a poetic story about Willow, a woman who goes on a trip to Iceland to escape her past, only to find it followed her there. These poems weave together a snapshot of what it means to be a woman, a survivor, and a beautiful – breathing- complicated human in this world.

Yaya Cole received her Bachelor’s in English literature and minor in Chinese. Born in Japan, she spent her childhood travelling and learning about different cultures. She is a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in singing, poetry, and painting. She is passionate about invoking art and creativity to talk about mental health, culture, and identity. Yaya writes poetry to honor the long line of storytellers in human history: griots, town criers, and Southern grandma’s gossiping. This is her first publication. Finally, she is a proud dog mother to a Bichon Frisé named Louis.