<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[the soft poets club]]></title><description><![CDATA[welcome! to a space for the poets, writers and readers. you’ll find poetry, stories and spoken word, and a place to share your own creations!]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:37:57 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[quiet woman.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i think God purposely made me quiet because He knew i’d be a poet. He knew i’d end up writing my way through every moment in life when i first put pen to paper in my now familiar poetic fashion because i lived my life internally. giving space for those around me to live externally. to observe and learn and pay more attention. He knew my struggle with verbal articulation wouldn’t hold me back but the world of poetry and all its openness and mystery would be a fitting place for my expression. a...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/quiet-woman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aad143104de3b7eae6130fc</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_4c8d27f6c33844899d1bbde91e2c0249~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_656,h_875,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[poetry on your skin.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i want to write poetry on your skin. i want my words to live in your lungs so that every breath is a reminder that i am with you. i want my words to live in your veins so that on rough days &#38; stormy nights you feel my quiet strength easing you forward. keeping you going. i want to write love letters in your mind. so if you ever forget who you are my knowledge of every detail of your being would resuscitate the memory of your extraordinary existence. i want to plant flowers in your heart. grow...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/poetry-on-your-skin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a8760bbacae848610decf33</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_b80a2974c0fc485696f37cb461fb71e3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_812,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[my afternoon dream.]]></title><description><![CDATA[swimming in my afternoon dream. your wave of emotion caught me &#38; held me. it cleansed my heart &#38; untangled my thoughts, spilling them into a million oceans. it felt like you opened up my soul &#38; placed the sun inside of me. i’m your summers day, you’re my storm. together we create tsunamis of transparency, whirlpools of urgency to be free. chaotic &#38; carefree under the glow of the moon as her light heals our scars from fragments of broken stars that fell out of the sky the moment our waters...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/my-afternoon-dream</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7ecda8927c5c43a65a9851</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_72b540c46c3d48559a002541f51cd229~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[young girl.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i see you trying to leave the wars you walked into. were born into. the way your guard raises with a mind of its own when an honest heart wants to love you. &#38; hold you with arms so secure &#38; riddled with warmth. i see how freedom haunts your daydreams. you wish it would come to life so you can live your life. don’t wait for permission. allow yourself to flow in every way you know. the freedom you seek is planted within you. the love you pray for is waiting for you, open yourself up. young...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/young-girl-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a75b52874e2854bcc78dc68</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:00:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_4fefc8a2f38f4be5acdf24c095b04b3c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_931,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[keep going.]]></title><description><![CDATA[when you feel the walls caving in. when the rain won’t stop falling. when darkness feels eternal. when hell breaks into your room &#38; won’t leave. when reality feels no different from your dreams &#38; nightmares &#38; you lose so much strength from being scared. keep walking through the thorns. keep pushing. birth your healing. let your wounds bleed &#38; fall apart. let them scar. coat them in oil &#38; let them fade. don’t stop moving until you finally get to the other side. let everything work in its time....]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/keep-going-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a6c8146851edacbb85a64f0</guid><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_a5887bd843344f4796ab8366dcc00617~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[little me.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i hope she’s proud of me. little me. writing poems and stories while still being true to we. happy to know she grew up with a mind of beauty. of truth. of intelligence. knowing how much we survived along the way. choosing to stay. learning that love was never something that got in the way. but a consistent presence, choosing to stay.]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/young-girl</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a649a9cd4de2edbc2ae8a56</guid><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:28:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_d0df4b65a9924a4d83061716d18143eb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[shenice.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i am the poet &#38; the poem. the gold lined in every word that first took root within. i am the quiet evening. sun setting with amber hues. setting the world alight with a single look. touch. i am the settled morning. the warmth steadily rising behind the clouds. the calm beyond the chaos. beyond the storm. i am still water. tranquillity flows along the surface, while streams heavy, full &#38; unpredictable run deep. i am soul music. the hearty melody that rattles your bones. the anchored voice that...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/shenice</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5a102e2e44f6e014a57b69</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_116dd1d7f5494a73b95068deecf61402~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[in plain sight.]]></title><description><![CDATA[our i love yous are tucked into hot meals. placed into bowls of fruit. braided into our hair. oiled into our scalps. folded in the curfews. in the nos to sleepovers. wrapped in the christmas and birthday gifts they said we wouldn’t get. poured into the cups of ginger tea and mixed into the vicks vapour rubs on our chests. our i love yous felt different. smelled, tasted and looked different. but they were always there. always warm. always woven into every thread of time shared and given....]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/in-plain-sight</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a50c4de19118a26c6b15fa2</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:01:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_563f3a9b69da44b5b7076e2cd07f7695~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[confidence.]]></title><description><![CDATA[it moves in silence. never really lets you know exactly who it is but you know it’s there. it walks strong &#38; moves smoothly. speaks with humility &#38; conviction. when completely worn it is authentic, raw &#38; sure of itself. it isn’t loud &#38; doesn’t have to constantly remind you of its presence, you feel it. you see it in all its gifts you hear it in its voice. it speaks for itself.]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/confidence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a468734466f9a3685245c2e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:01:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_01bdbbf8c3284cf88310e498eeb2395c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[will you?]]></title><description><![CDATA[will you love me when i cannot write? read to me the works of Sonia &#38; Maya &#38; Nayyirah &#38; Reyna? leave a mark on my creative side, wake it up with the sound of your voice &#38; the poems that fall off your tongue? will you be such a blessing that when i feel useless in my gift, you pick up a pen &#38; guide it to say what’s on your mind? what’s on my mind? more than i can manage. will you lead me to music &#38; place the lyrics on my heart so inspiration can flow through my veins? will you still love me...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/will-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3dbd32faba6cee57d9aa9b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_b51fca63024342fba290fa5478982db5~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[my poetry.]]></title><description><![CDATA[my poetry is sleeping. my mind is bleeding. and my body has weakened from being beaten by my thoughts. i don't know how to sleep anymore. my strength is torn and new mornings seem unsure. how does a body resist a mind that wants to leave? a mind laying on its side, wounded from being at war. how do i end this war and leave myself intact? how do i step off the edge of this world without leaving hearts sore? aching? hearts with love missing? is it possible to leave your mind outside of your...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/my-poetry</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2bf5d344c7bef1d02d8ff8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:29:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_8b1e3c6c6fc0477c9565629f137ff10a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_945,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[end.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i remember when i thought my world was ending. had ended. my body shed water until it ached. until my heart burned. when his life ended. i thought mine had ended too. to want nothing more than to be a final moment in time to walk over the edge of life to run into eternity without looking back is where i existed. is where my feet treaded comfortably and where i longed to be wholeheartedly. to be a part of all the leavings and stories and endings. to be the end of me is where i thought i wanted...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/__end</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1038dd0ac12a65423a7850</guid><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_9e9ddec7d06649d78fa819703a7677c0~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[free woman.]]></title><description><![CDATA[free woman. cares laid bare under the heat of the sun. soaking in the essence of self-love. basking in a new found joy. living so fruitfully in your truth. dance into your light with only the sweetest of moves. a woman after your own heart, the most courageous hunger. listen deeply to the magic in your blood, it is teaching you to become the woman of your dreams, a warrior. goddess. free spirit, share your soul share your miracles share the ocean you carry in your mind, but don't forget to...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/free-woman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a019d4f0cf45a42ccaa8f50</guid><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_8806f335a15c44bb9a48e2a1d66958c9~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[blessed.]]></title><description><![CDATA[blessed are the women that learn to let go, through pain. anger. struggle. blessed are the women who gain strength from internal battles they've spent their whole lives fighting because of dark childhoods. blessed are the women who ache &#38; bruise through love because their mothers were consistent with leaving scars on their hearts &#38; their fathers tore down their innocence &#38; made it seem like a work of art. blessed are the women whose unconditional love is made fun of, but continue to show it...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/blessed</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fc850b666cfccd94168a88</guid><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_bb6ad66cdebf4a4d98c8eef645ae20bf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[keep going.]]></title><description><![CDATA[keep going. see where it takes you. where life goes with you. who goes for you. swim deep in still waters. beyond the unknown &#38; through the dark. walk &#38; walk &#38; walk &#38; walk. fill your shoes with wisdom &#38; stories. cleanse your mind with clean air. look for no one. just you. see you. really see you. strip yourself down to all that you are &#38; see. everything you need is already in your hands. just take, &#38; keep going.]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/keep-going</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f477677b1c42fb24f23640</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_7835c65fa87841459f70961400886428~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[for my loved ones | painting the sky.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i wonder if God had you in mind when He painted the sky. if He saw the light He placed within you as each brushstroke graced the canvas. if the warmth He embedded in your heart is the same warmth that He infused in the air as the seasons change. when He arranged the stars, were you there too? the glow of the moon a replica of the glow of your spirit. lighting the world with inspiration. hope. on the darkest nights. the vast. never-ending. mystery that is the universe; a reflection of every...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/for-my-loved-ones-painting-the-sky</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d7b8df4e4fe2e3f72a47af</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_ab1b91d5f7a44b0e8ab59e9da70e5c4c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[gentle hearts.]]></title><description><![CDATA[i used to punish my heart for being so gentle. i would leave it battered and bruised. verbally abused for working the way it was created to. until i realised that gentle is not weak.  is not easy to walk over. is not breakable. that strength is the root and foundation of gentleness. that patience is the nutrient needed to feed it. the gentle-hearted have still known fire and war but have chosen to let it take a different shape. to let it colour us a different shade. our hearts work the way...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/gentle-hearts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e1f45643fd38a1bb6ea546</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_3faa4db784644804b1cf129d301cf2e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[black woman.]]></title><description><![CDATA[stepping into the sun &#38; nature sings her name like angels sing of God's love. melanin so pure. leaves &#38; trees in awe of her softness. flowers &#38; streams falling in love over &#38; over with her delicacy. a breath of fresh air into every room that experiences her presence. sleek. silky. velvet. vocals of thunder. honey. eyes that write love stories onto blank canvases. the foundation of all greatness. wonder. creator of all excellence. existence. the many flavours of a colourful love. infinite...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/black-woman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69da19a4f955c1c966259fb0</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_e9403a5605e84dd3a81ef4a76cfd89b9~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[a writer's dream pt. 2.]]></title><description><![CDATA[you were a dream. writing stories from your skin with gold ink &#38; purity. my voice singing your pain to sleep in the distance. my eyes hidden beyond the hills. my hands planted firmly beneath your memory so you always remember me. you are a dream. blooming between soil &#38; sun. you petal tranquillity. &#38; blossom into a melody that scents sweet serenity. you are my dream. travelling with me into moments unseen. carrying our minds catching butterflies on our way to see, drift, into the rest of our...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/a-writer-s-dream-pt-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cf8e66462bc80100be980e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_99c2c1491f474fbb9ce63ebfe5c031b3~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[just coffee.]]></title><description><![CDATA[A fictional, black love romance, set in the 90's <3
The start of something beautiful...]]></description><link>https://www.thesoftpoetsclub.com/post/just-coffee</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cbe54f7d31fe550c640809</guid><category><![CDATA[short stories.]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:00:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/76e4f9_270d39a21a60465b97f5033229a12109~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shenice Townsend</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>