Note: We are in the process of moving all our winning poet interviews to the website. Please be sure to bookmark it at yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org/.

Introducing Our #1, Chandra T. Mountain!

Instagram: @musings.from.my.younger.self

Chandra, welcome and congratulations!

Please, tell us, what is your name and where are you from?

My name is Chandra Tyler Mountain. I am a NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) girl living in Northern Alabama.

When did you first fall in love with poetry?

I’ve been in love with poetry practically my entire life. Poetry first came to me through song. My family has a strong musical heritage, so music reverberated throughout our home, especially Sunday mornings. The crackling of vinyl records followed by music from the 50s, 60s, 70s. Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, Pop, you name it.

I can hear them ole school jams now!

I sat, listened, and sang my heart out. Even though music [singing] was my first love, I was keenly aware of the lyrics and how the combination of words, rhythm, and sound created meaning that could also make me feel. I “wrote” my first song at 5, a song with strange lyrics by a kid trying to process something she heard or read. Reading and writing poetry came a little later.

As a preteen, I was moved and inspired by the poetry I found in youth magazines. I began to dabble with writing my own poetry at age 11 or 12. I later borrowed my older siblings’ poetry anthologies and literary journals. I devoured the poetry. Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, Mari Evans, Claude McKay. I loved the way poets succinctly expressed a potent moment or feeling in just a few words and could leave me staggering. I wrote profusely as a teen and in my college years. My hubby rediscovered those earlier works five or so years ago, and I self-published two books just last year featuring the writings of my youth, Musings from My Younger Self (April 2023) and Into the Garden (September 2023).

We got another poet author in the building ya’ll!

Sorry. Sorry. Go on, lol.

Creative writing slowed down to zero productivity while I worked on my master’s and doctoral degrees and as I focused on research and writing in Africana and women’s literature and theory. I wrote a poem here and there for a couple of decades but returned to [consistently] writing poetry about five years ago–after losing my second sister to cancer and trying to cope and make sense of devastating losses.

Oh no. I am so sorry to hear about your sisters.

Tell us, what inspired your poem?

“I’m Living” was inspired by a brief conversation with a former student. I knew she had been struggling with her mental health and trying to process emotional traumas. One day she called to thank me for a gift. When I asked, “How are you?” She responded, “I’m living.” There was such candor and weight in her brief response. Most people would either commiserate or move on, but this individual lost a sister to suicide, so I knew “I’m living” was more than just words. When we ended our conversation, I penned the poem to lessen the weight of her grief and trauma on my own heart.

Oh wow. See, that’s why you are #1!

In your own words, what is grace?

So, the “textbook” answer is grace is “unmerited favor.” I’ll remain in that lane and try to steer clear of the theological nuances. We don’t earn grace. Can’t buy it. Can’t extort it. It’s a gift from God. Grace does not come our way because we are better than or worked harder than or are smarter than anyone else. Why one cancer diagnosis ends in death and another in 50+ more years of life has nothing to do with goodness or pedigree or wealth. A brief glance outside ourselves will reveal there are others who work harder; there are others who, by our flawed human standards, deserve more. There are certainly others who are good good—absolute angels walking on this earth—who have less of our comforts and less of our fortunes but more in intangible ways that matter. 

A line in my poem is “life is grace.” We are in the land of the living not because of our merits but because of grace. What stopped the “knife held at my throat” from being plunged deep inside? Only the grace of God. One of life’s greatest mysteries is this thing called grace, and once we acknowledge all our comforts, privileges, fortunes, and gifts are grace, only then will we begin to get a little insight and understanding of grace as a concept and a reality.

Beautiful. In what ways can we extend more Grace to ourselves and others?

Can we just cut ourselves some slack? Can we cut everyone else some slack? It’s become cliché, but can we acknowledge life is hard, and everyone is going through hell? Everyone is grieving. Everyone is trying to heal from unspeakable trauma or suffering in one way or another. Extending more grace is not difficult. Just do it. Exercise more kindness, more patience, more acceptance for ourselves and others.

How do we show more grace in our own lives? Accept ourselves for who we are, where we are in life, and the journey we’re on. Stop comparing. Stop striving for perfection. It’s elusive. We are amazing for just being here and staying in the fight.

How do we extend grace in the lives of others? Acknowledge their humanity and let others be who they are and who they’re becoming. It’s not our job to craft people into our own image. I actually have a poem about that!

What do you hope to achieve with your poetry?

Poetry is my space to process big emotions and haunting questions. I listen, observe, feel, and write. I am not writing for a Pulitzer, but I hope my poetry allows people to see themselves, gives them courage to wrestle with the questions, and shows them there is hope even in the darkest moments.

That’s beautiful, Chandra.

Where do you see yourself one year from now?

I am a one-day-at-a-time kind of woman. I’m not sure I can think that far in advance. 😀  I have a rich and full personal and professional life (as a professor and dean), but I am writing all the time. I maintain a blog, Pics and Posts (iamchandralynn.com) to take care of my immediate need to write and share. I write every morning and at least 30 minutes per day. As a result, within the last few years, I have drafted [by hand—gasp!] not one or two but five books—poetry, inspirational writing, and a “semi” children’s book.

My goal is to push at least one of them to publication by the end of this year. Two, if time allows. I have a lot of “other” writing, so I plan to submit to more journals and magazines. Thankfully, placing first (squeals!) in Yecheilyah’s 6^th Annual Poetry Contest encourages me to put more work out there. Confession: I have used creative writing to avoid work on an academic title, so as much as I don’t want to, I have to put a pin in the creative writing just for a little while to complete that work—which [for me] takes a lot more time, intention, and energy. I’m amazing (right?), so I’ll finish it and get back to creative work!

I love this for you and we are looking forward to reading more of your work!

And without further ado, I introduce to you “I’m Living,” by Chandra T. Mountain

for those who answer “How are you?” with “I’m living.”

To say “I am living” is to say much.
It is to say:
Life is grace.
Unearned.
Gifted.
It is to say:
I have survived
those who went to the grave
too soon
and the grief that
would surely engulf me.
It is to say:
I have survived
the knives
held at my throat,
clutched by my own hand.
It is to say:
I have clawed my way
out of pits of despair
and have learned to dance
in the rain.
It is to say:
I choose to
keep breathing
keep fighting
keep moving.
In light.
In truth.
In love.

Copyright©2023 Chandra T. Mountain

About this Poet

Chandra Tyler Mountain is a native New Orleanian living in Northern Alabama. She whines when work gets in the way of fun and wakes up in the wee hours to spend time with God, write poetry,  short prose, and inspiration. When she is not with her guys (hubby and son), in meetings, or in her sunflower-brightened office, you might find her roaming–camera in hand–shooting beauty and capturing light, or sitting quietly in the shade of a tree doodling flowers. By day, she serves as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Professor of English at her alma mater, Oakwood University.  She maintains “Pics and Posts,” a weblog about snail mail, photography, and the beautiful facts of life (iamchandralynn.com).  Her recent publications–Musings from My Younger Self (Chandra Lynn Tyler) and Into the Garden—are available through Amazon in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats.