https://www.coloradopoetrycalendar.org/blog daily 0.75 2026-04-01 https://www.coloradopoetrycalendar.org/blog/aerik-francis monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/6362adfc-3a05-47ba-9a74-6160c79c39c9/Untitled.jpg Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - Welcome to Conversations With Poets at the Colorado Poetry Calendar. We begin our series in conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/53720068-cfa5-4bcc-ac61-e799f5013a11/Untitled.jpg Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - Aerik: The word “inherent” often makes me nervous and itchy, and so I tried to conditionally logic out if there are inherent musical possibilities in my poetry and this is what I came up with: If I'm writing a poem, then I’d like it also to be spoken aloud. If it is spoken aloud, then it will create its own sound. If it creates its own sound, then it has a particular music. If it has a particular music, then melodies and harmonies follow. If melodies and harmonies follow, then a song is made. If a song is made, then new creations can be generated. If new creations can be generated, then a new poem can be written https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/2ac51b12-e26f-4330-8a93-ccf61c3eee12/e72aee_9420ac3bcb384ad2a556f84c2cda4189%7Emv2.png Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - TLC: I don’t want to end our conversation without asking you about your new book BODYPOLITIC from Abode Press. Something I noticed is that just about every poem in your book is a sort of after poem or unraveled out of lines from the proof of your reading, all of it very good reading. And by reading, I also mean the music you listen to. There seems to be no separation from the experience of your inner self, your body, and the external that you surround yourself with to be in fluid conversation and in connection. I see this all in alignment with what you're talking about — connecting generally, and the wish for us all to connect with each other and to see each other more. So, here’s my not very well formed question: I wonder about this as a practice, which is a very powerful practice, and to me it feels much more alive than a lot of things I have read, which tend to separate on the basis of one who is thinking, to intellectualize, which I think often forgets the body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/29f7b3c7-211a-4a12-bbc7-eb4fb8e704f9/Untitled.png Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - The last note is I want to touch on the the I-Sing-The-Body-ness of the project. For me, so much writing I experience when it talks about the body is very binary. Either the body is negative and a site of trauma, or the body is positive and something to love no matter what. I fall in the in-between, not wanting to take us back to the site of trauma but also wanting to let the body feel what it feels and if it feels bad, that’s okay too, and to sit with the questions of it all. I think that’s why I lean so much on the music of it all, the emotional complexity, how sad songs can feel amazing or how the happy songs can feel like a synthesis or a transformation of feelings rather than just a blithe bliss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/e306e3fa-e6c8-4de0-93a5-b82eabad8daa/533746D6-5E59-4B2D-8B3F-63AB05DB132D+%281%29.jpeg Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - About Meca’Ayo Meca'Ayo (Tameca L Coleman) is a multi-genre writer, itinerant nerd, sound maker, massage therapist, zine maker, and point and shoot art dabbler who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. Their writing and photography have been featured in literary magazines, art exhibits, newspapers, and other venues and publications on and offline. Some publications of art and writing include DARIA Art Magazine, Femme Salée, Denver Westword, East Window, Rigorous Magazine, The Colorado Independent, Heavy Feather Review, Lambda Literary, just femme & dandy magazine, Inverted Syntax, Full Stop Literary Reviews and Ottawa Design Club. Many of their works implement improvisation and collaboration. Collaborative projects include work with Cellists for Change, Adams County public arts events, and anthology zines and postcards featuring collaborative poetry. Meca’Ayo completed their MFA in poetry and fiction at Regis’ Mile-High MFA program in 2018. Their first book, an identity polyptych, debuted from The Elephants in 2021. They are a current artist resident at CAST 108 Arts Studios in Englewood, Colorado. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69b838e6780e6203bec8d6d9/63a38bff-cff8-482d-ab41-e66bc278c53c/Colorado+Poetry+Calendar+%284%29.png Blog - A Conversation with Adam’s County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis - Write with us! Have an article idea, or want to contribute to the Conversations With Poets series? We are excited about poetry book and project announcements, events, people making poetry alone and together, and much more. 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