Collage poetry unlocks ideas and feelings that live below the surface. The words guide me into the creation of the poems as I am being pulled by an external force.
How to tell the tale
Reflective
Salt Water Can’t Freeze
The death of a toxic relationship, sent to a watery grave made of tears. Fears that it will survive because there can be no solid divide.
Rooted and Unchanging
A personal essay about change.
A Cup of Tea
This piece is dedicated to my grandma.
Story Finds
By buying the church, he bought the graveyard and used his children and grandchildren to become the librarians of the dead.
A Perfume Named Nostalgia
Memories branch the past and present. Through four vignettes, this piece documents the continuities of life and the importance of revisiting and appreciating past experiences through olfaction.
Pt. 2: Am I Really Indian?
This short essay describes my ongoing journey in navigating my identity.
NYC Mayor’s Office Cover Letter
Scramble.
This piece showcases a collection of lines from my journal with clips I’ve taken on an old camera.
How to Mourn for Something That Was Never Yours
This recipe/poem explores my longing to establish a connection to my familial ancestry through my grandmother’s delicious cookie recipe. I reveal what I know, what I don’t, and the murky truth in between.
Justice is Blind Swayed
In light of recent events, we can no longer say justice is blind. Justice, like the rest of our government, is biased and bought. Lady Justice has opened her eyes and we should, too.
Speaking on Following the Script
In this final episode of Speaking in First Draft Season One, Mentee Justine Ramirez and Mentor Viviana Leo engage in a conversation about authentic representation of humanity in scriptwriting, the importance of planning and discipline in your craft, and the struggles with getting others to read your work. Join in on the laughs and enjoy this lighthearted conversation between two amazing storytellers.
Silver Lining
Babysitting the silly trio was never a chore. Rather, their careless, gleeful babbles were a timely source of solace.
To Future Fariya
I imagined what I would like to say to myself 15 years in the future.
Eternal Discourse: The Stanford Prison Experiment [Episode 1]
In the first episode of Eternal Discourse, a podcast centered on complex social issues, Salma and Ashley cover the Stanford Prison Experiment, the unethical psychological demonstration conducted by professor Philip Zimbardo in 1971.