ELLIE SAWATZKY is the author of None of This Belongs to Me (Nightwood Editions, 2021). Her poems have appeared most recently in The Walrus, Canadian Literature and SAD Mag. She lives in Vancouver, where she works as an editor and poetry teacher. Find her at elliesawatzky.com and @elliesawatzky.

A note from the writer:

“Writing poetry is, for me, a practice of surrender—trusting intuition, saying yes to my ideas (the weirder the better), relegating my inner critic to the back seat with no snacks. But that surrender becomes easier, and more meaningful, when it happens in community. Connecting with other writers reminds me that our doubts are shared, our creativity is resilient, and that curiosity and play flourish when we feel supported. This is the foundation of The Strathcona Poetry Studio, the virtual and in-person (Vancouver) poetry community I facilitate. By encouraging writers to let go and lean in, I’m continually encouraged to do the same. Community keeps my practice joyful and alive.”

Find two of Sawatzky’s poems in EVENT 54/1.