Every voice has a story.
Every story adds to the signal.
Our Words is a living library of poems, stories, essays, spoken word, and reflections from across the Poetry & Prose Network community.
These pieces come from writers at every step of the journey—discovering their voice, refining their craft, and connecting through the simple power of words:
Some began as quick workshop prompts.
Some were forged through peer feedback.
Some were born under the spotlight on stage.
Some were written simply because a story needed a home.
Together, they capture moments of courage, vulnerability, and genuine human connection. This is more than a digital gallery—it is a living record of our community’s journey: the voices we’ve heard, the stories we’ve shared, and the connections we’ve built along the way.
The Stories That Helped Shape Us
Before there was a network, there were voices—people writing, sharing, listening, and discovering what happens when words become a shared experience.
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Author
Community-Defining Pieces
Seismograph Readings from My Body Electric
I sing the body electric
Birthday cake crumbs still floating in my stomach, January 1986
In the liminal pre-sleep phase, just before the sandman seals the deal
I celebrate the me yet come
My body is filled with buzzing, rumbling, levitating above my bed
I toast to my own reunion
I can’t control it
can’t get down,
I’m terrified
something awful
When I become one with the sun
The next day in math class where I watch my sluggish, frog-eyed teacher
scrawl on the overhead projector,
“Q. E. D.” for what he cavalierly says is, “Quite-Easily-Done,”
the librarian rushes in and whispers in his ear.
And I'll look back on Venus
I'll look back on Mars
“The Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded,” he relays matter. of. fact.
And I'll burn with the fire
The news sends me crashing into the mattress of reality,
with the electric sizzling knowledge that
last night’s fizzing sensation
was a somatic divining rod
Of ten million stars
of the teacher and six other space pioneers who are now fiery sparks
among the brilliant dust that we are made of
that sends light relentlessly, mystically
to us with the speed of beckoning
Ashes to ashes, star dust to star dust
And in time
Q. E. D. Quo Era Demonstratum, thus it is demonstrated
And in time
we sing the body electric
We will all be stars
Kari Tai with lyrics by Songwriters: Dean Pitchford / Michael Gore
Add Your Words to Our Words
Every poem, story, and reflection in Our Words began with a single spark—an idea, a conversation, a workshop prompt, or a moment that refused to be forgotten.
Now, we’d love to amplify yours. Whether you’ve attended one event or twenty, your writing is an essential part of our community's story.
What We Accept
📜 Poems & Spoken Word Pieces
📖 Short Stories & Flash Fiction
🖊️ Essays & Creative Nonfiction
💬 Personal Reflections inspired by PPN events & prompts