Slam Poetry and Spoken Word

Spotlight Series (Part 5)

Esther Dianne Lowe Breakfield Interview

The featured Poet of the Week is Diane Lowe-Breakfield.

Growing up in Houston, Texas and what a talent she is.

Dianne is an Extremely talented Poet, Her Poetry is full of thought-provoking and Raw emotions and draws you into a world of dark yet laced with truth and hope.

I love the dark edgy glimpse at reality and human reflection and I can see a similarity to Edgar Allen Poe, As she weaves a dark tapestry of feelings and edge of the seat reading.

Some of her Poetry is being published in an Anthology Titled “Person Suit” Published by DreamingBigPublications.com (DigitallyvAvailable on Amazon).

I will put some of her Masterpieces below:

Whispers the Ghosts
A still voice whispers
But no sound travels there.
Ghosts of the past are remembered,
Yet there is no one there to care.
The destiny of the children turn,
With a flicker of hate,
Into pain that no one shares,
Save for the mother, Fate.
Memories pound on the door
Like the reaper come to collect
And the souls of the damned
Stare into the blank face of regret.
Dianne Lowe Breakfield

Natasha
(Illuminating)
As the black hands of hell
encompass multitudes of children,
their tiny hands stretch out to me,
fingertips almost touching.
As I reach them,
the forces of hell reclaim them.
As I stare into the darkness
that surrounded the children
an image appeared before me
repeating my name.
I awaken to the sound of my
own voice yelling
your name over again.
There at the foot of my bed,
bathed in luminescence
is the essence of innocence.
I beckon to you and you come to me
and erase the lines on my face
with your tender kisses.

Dianne Lowe Breakfield

Enough From me here is the Interview.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Houston Texas but in the summer between my eighth and ninth year of school, my parents bought a 150-acre farm in Mississippi and moved us here far from the bright lights and culture that I was used to. I left home at twenty-one and didn’t come back until I was in my Forties.
My parents died and left my brother and me the farm and that was the end of my hobo life travelling all over and experiencing different cultures and ways of life. Now I spend my days writing and working on my art.

A lot of your Poems are published, How many have you got published and where can people find them?

Currently, there are ten of my poems published in an anthology titled Person Suit. It’s a collection of poems and short stories dealing with mental illness. Throughout the years I have been published in various newspapers and small magazines but it wasn’t until 2016 that I found a publisher that wanted to publish my work. Now I have a contract for several more books and poems. You can find Person Suit in several book stores but on Amazon, you can also get the digital version. Published by DreamingBigPublications.com

If you could meet any poet dead or alive who would it be?

Edgar Allen Poe! I have often dreamed of time travelling back to his day and just hanging out with him. He is a genius and a true wordsmith. Someone actually told me once that my poetry reminded them of his work. That was the best compliment I have ever had. It would be wrong to me not to give a shout out to my favourite living writer of fantasy, Piers Anthony. He’s old now but I have always wanted to meet him.

What is the best poetry you have heard or written?

The best poem ever is The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. I read it several times a month and never get tired of it. It’s hard to choose a favourite of my own work but I would have to narrow it down between Night Terrors and Smudge and Shade which will be included in my next book.

How Long have you been writing/performing?

I started writing at around nine or ten years of age. The first poem I wrote that I liked was I Saw Me which is featured in Person Suit.

When I was fourteen I wrote The Faded Flower which is also featured in Person Suit as well as published in various newspapers and small magazines.

What is your creative process? How do you find the focus of your poem?

I have a muse that pops in and out of my life. When my muse arrives he pounds my brain non-stop until I sit down with pen and paper.

This can last from a few days at a time to several months, sometimes years at a time. When he leaves me I have usually created several publishable poems and short stories.

My inspiration is almost always related to my mental illness and the fantastic life I have lived despite and because of the bipolar type one that lives with me.

Are there any themes or motifs that you gravitate to?

I gravitate towards the dark side with the goal of making the reader FEEL. Rather they feel fear, hatred, love, disappointment or disgust it doesn’t matter to me as long as I can make them feel and my words come back to haunt them in a good or bad way.

Any tips for the upcoming Poet?

Tips? Write what you know but most of all write, write, write then when you think you have a winner get people to critique it for you with brutal honesty. Don’t let your feelings get hurt, just listen to the public and hone your craft.

Peace