voracious waves
crashing out of the ocean
of my skull—there was a man
who preferred still waters.
Before my thick legs, dimpled
like good cheese,
turned me on—there was a woman
who showed me how to cover them up.
Before I loved my own little earth,
the only home I can hear
inside of myself, I walked inside a frame
of the full house I worship now.
Maria Giesbrecht’s work has been or will be published in Grain, The Literary Review of Canada, Narrative, CV2, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry collection, A Little Feral, will come out with Write Bloody Publishing in 2026.
Questions and Answers
As a published writer, what are your tips or words of motivation for the aspiring poet?
One of the best pieces of advice I have received as a writer, which I pass along, is embodying the writer you want to become. Start wearing the outfits they wear, eat the breakfast of a writer, and get your haircut the way you, as a successful writer, would. Who we pretend to be is who we become. Every little thing, no matter how seemingly insignificant, adds up. Oh, and also, write a Poetry JFDL—a Poetry Just-F***ingDoIt List. Hang it on the wall behind your workstation. Start checking it off.
What inspired or motivated you to write this poem?
I never knew I had curly hair. All of my life, I thought it was frizzy and textured. I spent hours in the morning straightening it for school and then before work. One day during the pandemic, I discovered a TikTok that demonstrated Curly Girl Method, which is a haircare routine for folks who think they have frizzy hair but actually don’t know how to take care of their curls. After a few attempts, a lot of gel, and even more patience, I eventually discovered I had curly hair. Now, it’s basically my entire personality. Lol.