Tasha Elizabeth Anderson

What is moving you at this moment?

I am moved by the synchronicity in my life. For the past three years I have had so many magical ‘coincidences’ that make me feel reassured that I am on the right path.

What is your relationship to poetry? 

It has been my voice for a long time. I started writing poetry in high school when I was terribly shy and had trouble expressing myself. I still find it to be one of the most therapeutic and worthwhile forms of expression. 

Can you remember the first words you fell in love with?  

Growing up my father used to read me Brother's Grimm and Rumplestiltkin was my favorite....

’Round about, round about,

    Lo and behold!

Reel away, reel away,

Straw into gold!’

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What is your earliest memory of writing?

 I wrote and illustrated a small book when I was seven for my Grandma. I described every room in our house, our dog, Dixie, and the hummingbird nest outside my bedroom window.

Can you describe your current writing process?

I’ve been taking a writing workshop for the last three months that has completely changed my perspective on outlines and structure-- it’s been oddly  liberating and my writing has been more productive than ever.

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Do you have a favorite space to write in?

I like to write poetry in my bed and at my kitchen table, but often lines from my poetry come to me when I'm out in the world.

Where do your poems come from?

From love mostly, but also from beautiful, bizarre or striking images and dreams.

How does poetry connect us as human beings?

We are weird animals and very symbolic ones at that. To me, poetry is a lucid language that transcends rational thought or what most people consider 'subjective' reasoning. We are rational and irrational all at once and poetry plays into that. 

What is the path of love?

 I feel that the path of love is about connection in every sense. Love is about opening up to the limitless possibilities of every moment. It comes in different forms for different folks, but ultimately the same destination -- fulfillment, peace and understanding.

What is the path of fear? 

It’s the attempt to avoid all possibilities of failure. In my experience, it’s a mixed up survival mechanism, but it can completely close you off from everything good. It’s like being a seed that refuses to grow. 

What is your biggest question for the world? If you have one

Why can't we be friends?

What is your dream for the world?

 Peace love and understanding