Interview with Poet and Author Amanda Leigh

Amanda is the author of two poetry collections, as well as a fiction novella titled My Heart is Yours. She is currently working on compiling and co - editing a collection of true stories from people with Cystinosis (a rare genetic condition that she herself has.) She’s also working on a YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy with a romance focus in it. Amanda adores reading, writing of many kinds, cooking, psychology, music, swimming and art. She has a cat named Sawyer - named after one of her favorite characters from the show Lost and is a bit of a chocoholic.

I am celebrating the art of POETRY this week! Welcome to my blog, Amanda. Please tell us about your book of poems called Thousands of Mornings.

Thank you so much for having me!! Thousands of Mornings is a collection about love, faith, friends, family, hope, nature and dreams. It is about our Thousands of Mornings and how we should cherish them.

Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

I get my inspiration for my poetry from real life events and things that happen to me. Or maybe an idea that came about because of a writing exercise. Like the poem I’ll be sharing a piece of today, “Broken Boys”.

“Racing Mind” is a poem that I wrote because I couldn’t get to sleep and so I wrote about the fact that I couldn’t sleep and the reasons that I couldn’t. “My Ice Hill” is inspired by when my cousin and I were going sledding but instead of snow the hill was entirely ice and we got stuck at the bottom of the hill. We both tried to climb it. I was writing about the literal experience as well as using it as a metaphor for overcoming adversity and obstacles in my/our lives.

Do your poems rhyme or are they free verse?

I’ve done both when it comes to this question. I do tend to write in free verse a lot but I do also write poems that rhyme. I’ve even written some according to specific structures. For example, haiku and acrostic. There are three haikus in “Thousands of Mornings”: “The Simple Truth”, “Lost” and “Pain”. Three other poems that rhyme are “Time”, “Slipped Away” and “Dark Love”. There may be more that I’m just forgetting.

Will you please give us a sample of your favorite poem in this book?

This is a verse from the poem, “Broken Boys”. This has always been one of my favorites in the book. I also love the title poem, “Thousands of Mornings” (as well as several others) but this is one that I particularly love. It came out of an exercise that we did in Poetry class. To write a poem with two Points of View in it.

“Go back to him, if you can’t decide.

(But I don’t want to lose you)

Make up your mind.

Who do you love?

Choose now, or go.”

Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I have a rare genetic condition called Nephropathic Cystinosis. When I was born, the prognosis for people with my condition was not good. Doctors told my parents to expect me to not live to see 16. I’m going to be 25 years old soon.

Thank you so much for letting me join you on your blog today!! I really appreciate it and I love to see the art of poetry celebrated. Good luck to everyone entering the giveaway!!

Thank you, Amanda, for this wonderful interview. And thank you for sharing a part of your life that is very tender. You have reminded me that we should be grateful for each day of our lives. We should not take our life for granted but cherish it.