Postcards from PPF 2025 Poet Elya Braden!
Below are gorgeous postcards and poems created by 2025 PPF poet Elya Braden. Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous work, Elya!
Earlybird registration for the 2026 Poetry Postcard Fest is open now, CLICK HERE to register today.
Once a Mermaid
Do you forever carry the memory
of saltwater in the roots of your
hair after you traded song for
separation, gills for ambulation?
At night, you swim through dreams
of bubbles & coral reef, wake to
bedsheets and sand clogging your
eyes. Even princes lose their
charm in the grind of pomp &
circumstance. Best to move to
the mountains, exile the imprint
of the shore on your thirsty body.
Under an Orange Moon
I wear a dress cut from the
cloth of night, a rivalry
of stars landing the dark.
City lights jitterbug in a violet
dance hall, winking their
attraction like fireflies in
the late dark of summer. I ask
the moon: “Where is my love?”
and only silence answers. How
long must I walk this path
alone before a hand reaches out to mine?
Music of Heaven
Then, one day, the monochrome
life you wrapped around yourself
like a cloak of fog, inhaling
despair with every tarry puff,
stumbled into a garden riotous
with daffodils, periwinkle,
blue bells, foxtail, canna lily, &
jasmine. Spring on steroids. A
fantasia of fragrance suffused you
with hope. Birdsong reminded you
of wonder. God’s orchestra
tuning to a symphony of love.
When Joy Washes Over You Like Gold
Even an empty room blooms
crimson with possibility. All
those lonely nights tucked away
in the cupboards of your memory
dissolve like coastal fog under
the sun’s patient gaze. You
always wore red, carrying love’s
promise in crystals dripping
from your throat, a lace ribbon
encircling your slim waist as
gently as two curious and
wandering hands.
Oh my! How beautifully lyrical and sumptuous are these poems, Elya! You’ve just acquired a new fan to what I’ll bet is a well-populated fan base. And thank you for such enjoyable reading.
Yes, I do “carry the memory of saltwater in the roots my hair”. . . Thank you for reminding me. Lovely!!!
These are amazing! And I’m not just saying that because you’re my wife–they truly are! They are amazing–just like you.
Absolutely gorgeous on both sides of the cards. Thanks for posting.
Beautiful! Thank you!
Please join the PPF Facebook group and share some of these exquisite creations!
hi Elya, I *love* your 2025 &:2026 postcards art & poetry. Muriel forwarded them to me
Just wow! These…art & poetry…are awesome.
Love them all but Music Of Heaven really lifted my heart!