Raina Masters: Poet Interview

It's time for another featured poet/poem from the 2013 April PAD Challenge. Every Friday, we'll roll out another poet and poem from the Top 25. This week, I'm happy to introduce Raina Masters for her poem "Fire takes care of bad memories, too."

Raina Masters writes poems, occasionally shares them and is hoping to submit more in the future. She spends most of her time daydreaming about faraway places and loves music, the quiet of a walk in cold weather and the happiness a warm blanket provides. Some of her work has appeared in Chantarelle's Notebook, Hobo Camp Review, Drown In My Own Fears, Thick With Conviction and Work to a calm. You can find her on Twitter @rainaishername.

Here's her poem that made the Top 25 list:

Fire takes care of bad memories, too, by Raina Masters

I watched it all crumble, one section
at a time. The heat broke the windows
out and I stood just feet away while
the curtains I had just picked out
a few weeks ago became engulfed in the
blaze. The dog was in my arms. My laptop
and my cell phone were wrapped in my
jacket and sat in the passenger seat of
my car. I thought about the things I
wouldn't be getting back: my favorite
hat, the one I bought in Philly at a
cute little store on South Street, those
pink heels I never got to wear (they never
went with anything I had), the old tv that
gave a slightly red picture but managed to
hand in there for almost fifteen years.
Then, there was almost relief in knowing
that I didn't have to pack his things so
soon after we'd decided to call it quits.

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Where are you located?

I am nestled in a small town in The Garden State. It's perfectly quiet and conducive to writing.

Who are your favorite poets?

I like a wide range of poets. To name a few, Sharon Olds, Keetje Kuipers, Traci Brimhall, BJ Ward, Valzhyna Mort and Katie Ford.

As a reader, what do you like most in poems?

I look for a connection. I want to be connected to what the poet is conveying in their work. A poem that strikes a chord with me on a personal level is a definite keeper.

What were your goals for the 2013 April PAD Challenge?

To make it to the end! Thankfully, I did.

My other goal was to have at least half of the poems be serviceable, at some point. I suppose I did, since some of them have already been published.

What's next for you?

I'm hoping to focus on getting a manuscript together. It's important to have cohesion and I want the potential chapbook to carry a strong theme while remaining personal. I'll also be back again next year to write 30 more poems. I love to be challenged.

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Get your poetry published!

Learn how the 2014 Poet’s Market can help you do just that with hundreds of listings for book publishers, online and print publications, contests, grants, and more!

Click to continue.

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor for the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He runs poem-a-day challenges on this blog during the months of April and November. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Here are some more poetic posts: