Tyler and other group members Melissa Dey Hashbrook and Marycela are all survivors of abuse who promote poetry as a tool for healing and bonding. 

“Poetry's like instant gratification” Hashbrook says.

The group also hosts "Survivin' and Thrivin'" a monthly poetry outreach at Gone Wired Cafe, in Lansing, that celebrates women, unloads emotions and encourages the community to do the same. {mosimage}

The women agree that the greatest part of sharing their poetry is the response they get from listeners.

Saturday night's audience offered several reactions. When Tyler read “I Want Sex,” the audience gasped and laughed boisterously, impressed with Tyler's honest delivery. Marycela read some poems in English and others in Spanish. Even those unfamiliar with Spanish could be lulled by the rhythmic way she rolled the words off her tongue. Hashbrook silenced the room when she read “I Am More,” a recovery poem with a pervading death metaphor.

The women closed the evening with a group reading of Lisa Chavez's “Seal Woman Accepts the Sacrifice” before opening the microphone and stage to willing readers.

“If hearing my poetry helps one person then I've done what I'm here to do,” Tyler says.
Marycela, 54, says she would like to see the group perform at women's shelters.

“I want women to know they can get out of messes at any age,” she says. 

At 31, Hashbrook is “the baby of the group” and a self-described “local yocale” from the Lansing area.  She tutors at Lansing Community College and befriended Marycela and Tyler while they were students at LCC.

The trio soon began meeting outside of school regularly to share their writing and give each other feedback. Five years later, the women now meet once a week and perform monthly.

Hashbrook says the purpose of the poetry series is to connect with local poets and provide the community at-large with more opportunities to share and hear poetry.

The group was invited to perform its series at an open-mic speak out today at The Green Door for the nationally organized “Take Back the Night,” a rally for survivors of abuse.

“I'm thrilled,” Tyler says of the opportunity.

Hashbrook, Marycela and Tyler have a self-published book of poems “Echoes of Women.” The book is dedicated to Samantha, a fourth member of the group who committed suicide.

“I get angry when I see the statistics that show a high suicide rate among women who have been abused or raped,” Tyler says.

The three women will host the next "Survivin' and Thrivin'" open mic poetry event Saturday, April 7.

 "Survivin' and Thrivin'"
Open mic poetry series
April 7
Gone Wired Cafe
2021 E. Michigan Ave.
Sign up at 7 p.m.
Reading at 8 p.m.
womenwriters.blogspot.com