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<blockquote><h2>When you read hundreds of poems every month, you stop looking for perfection, and start listening for truth.</h2></blockquote>Over the past 16 months, I have had the privilege of serving as a poetry curator and reader for the Yemipoet Monthly Poetry Contest. Each month, I read between 150 and 300 poems, spanning themes such as Zero Hunger, Victory, Comfort Zone, World of Love, Poetic Rant for Social Change, Poetry for SDGs Letter to Self, and many others.This experience has changed me.First, I have learned that poetry is not just art, it is testimony. Across different voices and backgrounds, I encountered pain, hope, anger, faith, resistance, love, and resilience. Writers consistently reminded me that poetry is often a place where truth feels safest.Second, I have evolved as a reader. I now read beyond beautiful lines and clever metaphors. I listen for intent, honesty, clarity, and growth. I have learned to value poems that may be imperfect in form but powerful in purpose, as much as those that are technically polished.Third, I have seen patterns that matter. The strongest poems often:- Stay true to the theme without forcing it - Show rather than tell - Use simple language with deep meaning - Speak from lived experience or sincere reflectionTo writers and poetry contest participants, my advice is this:- Write honestly, not performatively - Read widely and revise intentionally - Respect the theme, but don’t imprison your voice - Growth matters more than winningEvery poem submitted is a step forward. Every attempt sharpens your voice.To all the poets who have trusted us with their words, thank you. You have not only grown as writers; you have also shaped me as a reader.Poetry continues to teach me that listening is an art, too.Opeyemi Enitan Moses .......

What 16 Months of Reading 3,000+ Poems Taught Me

Sad, crying and woman in studio for crisis, ptsd or mental health on black background with closeup. Tears, half face and unhappy person with trauma from abuse, stress and depression with mockup space

<blockquote>Because sometimes the heart speaks louder with water..</blockquote>Each tear drop…Each one carries a weight you can’t measure with eyes,A heaviness you only feel when the world finally grows quiet.Let them flow.Because sometimes the heart speaks louder in waterThan the mouth ever could in words.These drops…They’re not weakness,They’re the body’s way of saying,“I’ve held too much for too long.”Every tear is an emotion escaping;A silent scream,A broken prayer,A soft confessionOf everything you couldn’t explain.So let them fall,Let them travel down your cheeksLike stories sliding off a tired soul.For in the falling,There is relief.And in the relief,There is healing.And in the healing,There is you—Still standing. —Zainab Kolajo.

Each Tear Drop.

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<blockquote>But my unfolding is a journey..and not a destiny.</blockquote>I am a seed planted deep, deep, inside and within&nbsp;I yearn to sprout, to unfold and to thrive,The me I desire, is waiting, waiting to break free,But my unfolding is a journey and not a destiny. It's a process, in between, a slow release,A shedding of layers, a finding of peace,I'm unlearning and also learning to beThe best version of me, wild and carefree. I'm a work in progress, a masterpiece in the making,A story still being written, with each step, though aching,The chains of doubt, the weights that I've carried....I'm finding my voice, my heart, my soul and my manner through all... My unfolding is a journey, winding and slow,But with each step, I find my flow,I'm discovering parts of me, I never knew existed,I'm becoming the me, I've always wished to be existed. So I'll keep on unfolding, like a flower in bloom,I'll keep on growing, till I reach my full bloom,My unfolding is a process, and I'm feeling alive,I'm becoming the me, I desire, and it's feeling good to thrive. (Sometimes growth whispers in the silence) —Oreoluwa Odusina.

The Me I Desire.

Voices Of Naija: November’s Yemipoet Spoken-Word Contest Unveiled

<blockquote>Now his heart beats with a different song.He knows connection makes the broken strong.</blockquote>I remember telling this fragile soulto cherish the one thing that keeps us whole.I begged him to value what truly sustains,but he never granted audience.His silence echoed through my veins. Life in his little cubicle seemed enough.He hid there, smiling through moments rough.An island in a desert he quietly made,a lonely wanderer living in fading shade. He carried baggage no words could explain,the kind that bends shouldersand sinks a heart in pain.With every step, his strength slipped away,yet he kept insisting,“Relationships ain’t my thing.Life is every man for himself.Guard your soul and guard your shelf.” His voice trembled with a confidencehe never truly felt.Fear was the armour in which he dwelt. He refused the lifeline I stretched with care.He pushed away comfort, warmth, and prayer.He could have had shelter on stormy nights,arms that shield and heart that lights. Yet he wandered alone.Craving a fellow man.Needing a touch of companionship,but unable to open his span.His Master whispered warnings soft and kind,but he locked every door,closed every window,shut out every design. Without these bonds he could not rise.His dreams fell still before his eyes.He made other things his top pursuitand paid the price in silent dispute. But life has a way of teaching trutheven to the strongest heart aloof.Pain became his tutor.Loneliness became his guide.And from experience he finally learnedwhat pride tried so long to hide. Now his heart beats with a different song.He knows connection makes the broken strong.He has become a voice for love’s embrace,an advocate for bonds we dare not replace. He teaches that relationshipsare gifts wrapped in human form.They pull us from darknessand carry us through storm. Building bonds with fellow menshould be our highest call again.Help from above will reach your handbut often through the touchof another human’s strand. So build with tenderness.Value with grace.For relationships soften life’s hardest place. —Adetutu Oluwapelumi Deuel.

Human Bridges. 

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<blockquote>And I hope that someday I'll rediscover what it means to be in a comfort zone</blockquote>I've found solace within myself,&nbsp;Yet, I tremble in the presence of others.&nbsp;The four walls of my room have become my sanctuary.&nbsp;I tried to find comfort with myself. My emotions are overwhelming,&nbsp;And the weight of failures and rejections has sobered me.&nbsp;I'm intimidated by my own self,&nbsp;And surprisingly, I don't find solace within myself any more. Comfort zone you say??To me, that is just a foreign concept.&nbsp;I struggle to find peace,And I hope that someday I'll rediscover what it means to be in a comfort zone….. —Zainab Kolajo.

The Weight of Emotions.

Yemipoet Creation

Yemipoet is an Instagram  page that organizes monthly and random poetry contest. Top 3 winner gets a cash prize. Yemipoet is registered  as Yemipoet Creation Company in Nigeria