Poetry & Growth: The Tale of Sister Poets

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From a budding seed to a blooming flower, from a caterpillar to a butterfly, from chorion to chrysalis, these are examples of physical growth. But what about transcendental and mental growth?

Throughout our childhood, my older sister Vania and I were inseparable. During the day, we explored the compound, hiding in our headquarters made from rocks, brewing balloon bombs with gooey mud, worms, and M&Ms. At night, we cocooned in our warm blankets, teleporting to a world of fairies and thrilling adventures. In our imaginations, we were brave superheroes, fighting villains with laser eyes and telekinesis. We grew up with our characters. They gave us the strength to step out of our comfort zones and go on new adventures.

However, our storytime ended when Vania reached high school. It was not that she felt our stories were childish, but rather because she went to boarding school in the US. Although we were separated, magical stories tugged both our cold blankets, begging to be cuddled with love and recognition. Therefore, despite being miles apart, we worked on story outlines and ideas virtually. Through video calls, we were able to talk, “face to face.” But something felt off – something we couldn’t quite explain. Surprisingly, we found out what was lacking during COVID-19 – authentic connections of the soul.

Beginning in the spring of 2020, my sister was stuck outside of Beijing for over half a year. Everything was online – school for me and high school graduation for her. All forms of communication were virtual, which strained our eyes. As mentioned, FaceTime is different from physical connection. We realized that we needed to find a new way to connect, one that didn’t require electronics. Since we both enjoy writing poetry, and in honor of National Poetry Month that April, we decided to connect through words, through poetry.

We came up with an overarching theme – the growth of a butterfly – and divided it into three sections. Within each section, there were ten prompts that we’d both react to. However, the twist was that we couldn’t read what the other wrote until both were finished with the same prompt. It served as a wonderful catalyst and source of inspiration, as we desired to read what the other wrote, to feel what the other felt from miles away, to foster our sister bond, and to connect our souls through enigmatic and magical words. Another interesting aspect was that many people thought that we were twins throughout our adolescence. Therefore, we wanted to see our similarities and differences through this project. This is something that you, our dear reader, could decide and decipher for yourself. In less than two months, we both finished reacting to the 30 prompts, writing 60 poems in total.

Not only did we write poetry, but we also drew accompanying illustrations. Unlike my older and younger sisters, I am not much of a drawer – I am more of a music person. I always thought that part and parcel of being a good artist was the ability to draw flawless human beings and living things, but I was mistaken. There is a myriad of art styles – poetry itself is one! Through this project, I realized that drawing inanimate objects, flowers, and simple things soothed me. Like music, it’s therapeutic. Thanks to both my sisters’ encouraging words and helpful tips, I’ve found my art style – one that does not frustrate me.

I am also proud to say that our youngest sister also drew a few illustrations! We are hoping that she will write a few poems in our next sister poetry book, so we can deepen our bond with her. (Yes, there will be more coming! And no, there will be no spoilers regarding the next theme.)

This sister poetry book is meaningful to us, and we will cherish it forever. We wrote it with love, with yearnings to be close to each other during devastating times like the pandemic. Poetry was also a way for us to express our emotions. It was as if time had stopped while I wrote. It was as if my sister was next to me when I read her poems. We realized that our sister bond flourished through this experience. Like the butterflies from our poems, we, too, metamorphosized.

Poetry provided me with a medium to delve into my subconscious soul, finding my quirks and voice. My exploration of diverse poetry styles complements my journey of growth, which is learning from experiences.

Seeing the growth of one another, we realized that we want to share our experiences and poems with the world, hoping that our story will impact readers, showing them alternative mediums to connect with their loved ones and to express themselves creatively. As a symbolic gesture, we published our poetry book on Jun 1, Children’s Day, marking the end of our childhood and the start of adulthood.

On Jun 27, our poetry sharing and signing event successfully influenced parents and children who attended to try to communicate creatively. One mother told us that she aims to write letters with her daughter, while another hopes to go on walks with her family, just as my family does. Through this event, I grew and still am growing. I learned more about myself and my sister, as well as those around me. We all inspired one another, as I became more motivated when I saw the loving smiles on parents’ and children’s faces. That’s the power of sharing experiences – we all grow together. To be frank, it felt like a dream until they called us their fans, asking us for signatures and photos.

After the event, the communication and growth continued. One buyer sends us daily images of her analysis of our poems in our poetry group chat, telling us that she improves her English and understanding of love by reading our poems. Many also told us that they felt our love through our exquisite packaging – the sweet and jubilant smell of lavender, the antique paper, and the flamboyant wax seal.

We hope to impact more families through our poetry about growth. We hope that more connections can bloom like the budding flowers, growing into blossoming love.

Visit their website by scanning the QR code below.

Get in touch

If you would like to discover more about how two butterflies metamorphosized, you can purchase the book via our official WeChat account: 水果来袭 Fruitelicious or email [e-mail].

Images: Helena Zhao

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