Two Years
A collaboration between Melanie Haagman & Stephen Aldridge
March 2022
Melanie Haagman
(she/her)
"Hey!
I have been writing poetry for as long as I can remember. It has always been an innate form of therapy that I’ve used to make sense of the world during difficult times. I am a loyal rhymer and a big fan of Pam Ayres!
I juggle my time between teaching, writing, and ensuring I play my part in promoting other artists through our digital platform, Open Door Poetry Magazine. Open Door strives to help promote and showcase the work of talented, unknown authors in our free monthly digital magazine.
I am so excited to be the feature poet for ‘Poems by Post,’ and hugely admire the unique work Alex and the team are doing!
I am the author of two published collections: 'Lexical Lockdown: Poems about Binge-Watching, Exercise Mishaps, Fridge Surfing and Other Pandemical Pursuits', which was published in July 2020 and my most recent book, ‘Lost in Mind; Found at Heart which was published in December 2021.
The back cover for Lost in Mind; Found at Heart reads:
‘These poems are written straight out of life. Brimming with raw human emotion, they wonderfully chronicle the experience of being a woman in today's world. 'Lost in Mind; Found at Heart' contains utterly engaging poetry that tells stories peppered with wit but never denying the trials and tribulations of life. This collection guides the reader gracefully through a journey of reflection and self-growth, and gifts readers with an understanding that despite hardship, stress, and the pressure of life, the heart will always lead the way.’
I hope that you enjoy my poem and that you are all doing well and starting to see the light at the end of this extremely long tunnel we’ve all been wading through."
Stephen Aldridge
(he/him)
"My name is Stephen. I am a self taught illustrator and addicted to the process of creating artwork in my own unique style. I come from a very creative family, my Mum has a degree in interior design and lends her hand to incredible crochet and cros-stitch projects. My sister is an incredible graphic designer, and my Dad has built and moulded boats for the last 40+ years!
It's safe to say it runs in the family and I have really enjoyed working on my illustrations throughout the pandemic which has certainly helped with the boredom."
