Muted voices are heard in this Kelowna poet's book

• Muted Swan features 30 poems
• Combines personal and seen experiences
• Available at local book stores

Giving a voice to those who have been muted is what one local poet is offering in her work.

Lesley-Anne Evans recently published her first collection of poems titled 'Mute Swan: Poems for Maria Queen of the World.' It is the culmination of three years of work.

The publication is nearly 100 pages long and features 30 poems across five sections to carry the story. It follows a sequential order, starting from when she was a little girl coming to Canada from Northern Ireland. It takes readers through a journey of motherhood, marriage, and more.

In the book, Evans explores the landscape of the voiceless, with an alignment of her own experiences and what she sees in culture, such as organized religion and those experiencing homelessness.

“[I’m] holding space for people who haven’t had the opportunity to use their voice, or their voice has been subverted, or their voice has been cancelled out,” Evans told Kelowna10.

While the poems stand on their own, if read together, there is a journey to be had. Within that journey, themes around what it means to be a woman, and how one can fully become themselves in an often patriarchal world.

As a self-described introvert, Evans curiosity is often piqued while connecting with others. She reflects on those experiences and sometimes it comes out in her poetry weeks later.

“I enjoy how [poetry] makes me connect to something deeper than just what is seen on the surface. I like to consider things more deeply,” she explained.

Evans described the writing experience as magical, as she can become transported out of her current circumstances, with time almost vanishing as she gives herself the right to enter a creative flow.

While a majority of her readings are currently conducted over Zoom, she has some in-person events planned for the months ahead.

Mute Swan is available at Mosaic Books, Indigo, and on her publisher’s website.