Being young and queer has always had its unique challenges and experiences. From the Ancient World to the modern struggle for gay marriage and transgender recognition, it is an almost universal experience that being any flavour of LGBTQIA+ means that life works a bit differently for us than our straight and/or cisgender peers. It also means we have a wide array of voices expressing themselves through art and creativity. Mikayla Elias is one such artist – a radio show producer by day, poet by night, who has given us a wonderful outlook through their new collection of poetry.
Bending Toward the Light is a wonderful addition to the voices of those living as a nonbinary young adult in contemporary society. Elias gives us a unique voice through their suites of poetry, reflecting on themes of nature, the vastness of space, and religion. Elias weaves this imagery together throughout poignant reflections of their own struggles and the lessons they have had to learn, extending to commentary a reader may draw their own inspiration from.
Other poems take a tone closer to the existential, or potentially nihilistic, and Elias shares with us their ponderings over the fabric of our contemporary lives and how they weave together. One that, while fraught with difficulties that many queer people can relate to, is also washed with beautiful imagery of love and light in such a personalised way, that we come to understand Elias as an author.
Bending Toward the Light is like a house of windows, where we get to peer into carefully curated snapshots of Elias’ life. It reminds me somewhat of a journal written entirely in poetic prose – Elias mixes autobiographical elements in their work and pulls from their lived experiences to tell us not just one tale, but an intricately weaved set of tales. It’s almost like picking apart an artist’s psyche, even if it is a curated one. The emotions Elias has painted across the pages are like splashes of colour on a canvas – using the imagery of nature and colours with rich visuals and impressive skill.
The language is emotive and has plenty of natural rhythm, and Elias shows they can shift the forms of their poems when the need arises. While their poetry isn’t quite experimental, it doesn’t mean they haven’t experimented – reading this collection, I found myself following along many of the melodies and delighting in the word play Elias toys with.
From juxtapositions to internal rhyming schemes, and the way they stress certain consonants, I enjoyed going on the journey Elias has created through this poetry collection. This made the change in form of their poems poignant, such as in this excerpt from ‘compartmentalizing’:
It’s something almost every queer person can relate to – that struggle to find where we belong, who we are, what it all means, and the celebrations that come along with that journey. While the heartbreak and love Elias has poured into their poetry is uniquely their own, the decision Elias has made to share it with us is significant.
You can purchase Bending Toward the Light at Archway Publishing, Booktopia or order it in at your local book store or library.
About the reviewer
Spencer Moreau is a creative who loves words. How they sound, look, and feel, and how they have grown and changed over time. They love ancient myths and poems, but they also love scrolling through TikTok for three consecutive hours – so why not join the two? Spencer’s favourite mythological tale is that of King Midas, and their favourite TikTok trend is the Zoolander trend.
About the author
Mikayla Elias is a writer originally from the golden metropolis of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By day, they produce music and radio shows. By night, they pen reams of poetry. They currently reside within the glimmering steel pastures of Nashville, Tennessee.
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