a place to put things, by Rhea Melina

Poetry, chapbook, 28 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

a place to put things is a short collection by Rhea Melina in 2022. These 17 poems are about surviving and thriving. At times haunting, at times humorous, these poems document what’s hard to tell, the love we aren’t proud of, the interactions that baffle us, and the observations we don’t always enjoy—How pangs of pain connect the past to present.

Reflecting on mixed-race identity, heartbreak and trauma, APTPT explores the lessons our wounds can teach us. Touching on challenging subjects, such as childhood bullying, racism, domestic violence and sexual assault, these poems ask questions about society, beauty and love.    In the face of unyielding adversity, a story of resilience surfaces.   

Rhea Melina is a multi-ethnic poet from the Western Washington. She has self-published multiple zines, broadsides and chapbooks, and she likes to sing and perform spoken word when she has the chance. Montessori educator by trade, Rhea is also an herbalist, visual artist, birth worker and parent.