
Eithar Almosibeah, whose poem ‘Soft Armour’ is published in issue 7 of Lucent Dreaming, is a writer from Saudi Arabia who believes that words are the most ancient form of magic. With one publication already under her belt in Arabic, her poetry is finally making an appearance in English with her poetry collection A Cup of Chaos. She is hoping to reach minds and hearts all over the world in order to deliver one message: emotions are relatable across all boundaries. No language, gender, nor culture can prohibit the entwining of souls over one shared sentiment.
So, what inspired your piece ‘Soft Armour’? Can you tell us a little more about what it’s about?
“Soft Armor” is a very close piece to my heart. I chose my words here very carefully because this piece handles the delicate topic of wearing the Abaya as an Arab/Muslim woman.
The act of females choosing what they want to wear is still a very political act world wide. I have grown restless with how media stereotypes women who choose to wear as it as “oppressed” while disregarding the simple fact that styles and meanings do differ from region to region. This being said, there are still some double standards within the society that needs to be addressed. I wanted to give a voice to that. A voice that actually lived and experienced and loved from both ends of the spectrum.
There is an acceptance that comes with writing a feminist piece, and there is a learning curve to it.
From one side, there is the power of writing your truth and rebelling on the status quo. From the other side, there is the conditioning of being female and having to “act like a Lady.” The real challenge is finding the balance in between.
What are some of your favourite books and art (including shows, videos, music) – of all time or more recently. Why are they favourites?
Since I am currently taking my MA in Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes, I have been exploring more POC poets. Poets like Maya Angelou, Mary Jean Chan, (who I am delighted to have as my dissertation supervisor), Chen Chen, and Zeina Hashem Beck, to name a few. I relate so much to their universal themes of alienation and their struggle in finding their voice. I am currently reading “The Binding” by Bridget Collins, “The secrets we kept” by Lara Prescott, and “Before the coffee gets cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. (I tend to read more than one book at once!) I love switching between different styles and perspectives, it keeps me alert to notice how the writer is writing, as well as enjoying the story itself. I am also a Harry Potter fan, and I love listening to P!nk and Halsey!
What, if anything, are you looking forward to right now and what writing/creative projects are you currently working on?
I am looking forward to exploring more elements of my authentic self through poetry and other creative forms of art.
My latest projects are collaborations with many amazing artists to give life to my words beyond the page. I have explored spoken poetry, had pieces from my second book, “A Cup of Chaos” transformed into a painting or a dramatic black and white scene, or even into contemporary dance!
Can you tell us about how you got into writing and art? Is there anyone whose support or encouragement really inspired or motivated you?
As a writer, it took me some time to find my voice and hone my skills to allow myself to say what I want to say and form it elegantly. I have started writing at a very young age; I recently found a poem that I wrote to my mother when I was in the fourth grade!
Ever since then, she has been my greatest supporter.
I love to fill my eyes with wonder and take inspiration from everything surrounding me; I missed people-watching the most in these testing times.
Where can people see more of you and your work?
I am still manifesting more collaborations that anyone interested can see through my Instagram account: @Eith_606.
I also have a writing account where I post a few lines every now and then @Eith_The_Writer
My poetry collection “A Cup of Chaos” can be ordered through my website; https://www.eitharm.com/
Lucent Dreaming is an independent creative writing magazine publishing beautiful, imaginative and surreal short stories, poetry and artwork from emerging authors and artists worldwide. Our aim is to encourage creativity and to help writers reach publication! Subscribe to Lucent Dreaming now, support us on Patreon and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.