Amba Elieff is a poet and is fittingly our Featured Artist for April, National Poetry Month. Amba’s poetry has long been a quiet companion in her life. She doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. A closet poet for most of her existence, she began sharing her work in 2022 with her debut collection, Maiden Mother Crone. This powerful book, a raw exploration of womanhood, won the Imadjinn Award for Best Poetry Collection in 2023.
Her poetry is deeply rooted in real life. She tackles issues such as depression, motherhood, childhood, belonging, anxiety, and the daily struggles we all face. Amba’s mission is simple: to help people reflect, start conversations, gain new perspectives, and most importantly, to remind us all that we aren’t alone. Many of her poems were written from a place of isolation, where she once felt like “the only one” experiencing those emotions. But through sharing her words, Amba has come to realize that none of us are truly alone in our struggles.
Domesticated Demons continues her exploration of raw and honest emotions. The work provides readers with a window into experiences of anxiety, insecurity, and trauma. Written in the same style as her debut, this collection speaks to real people living real lives. She touches on the universal challenges we all face. Amba’s work serves as a reminder that we all carry our demons. The key to handling those demons is in learning to domesticate them.
In autum of 2024, she released Naked and Healing. This collection features poems inspired by the big and small moments that shape our lives. The quiet heartbreaks, the unexpected joys, the mundane, and the profound all inspire Amba to write. Her poetry explores experiences as simple as getting a flat tire or navigating the trials of parenthood. Domesticated Demons and her new work offer a reflection on the relationships that define us. From connections with our children, parents, friends, and selves, Amba’s work shows us that life is shaped by the people we encounter. She shows us that the shared experiences of being human can offer profound healing.
Amba believes that poetry should never be a burden but a gift, a means of healing and celebration. For her, writing is a process of both remembering and releasing. She creates poems of passion that speak to both the heartache and the triumphs of life. Her collections are an invitation to join her in this healing journey. She encourages us to find solace in shared experiences. She hopes her works allow us to discover the peace that comes with knowing we are never truly alone.
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