FEATURED WORKS
The Forest
They sharpen teeth on the applauseÂ
just before it turns into a mobÂ
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Then the wolves start to circleÂ
Even the rabbits call it justiceÂ
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Vultures don’t kill the wounded
they just wait for the cheering to stop
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The maggots don't kill the ravagedÂ
They just wait for the warmth to leaveÂ
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And time doesn't kill the stink
It just waits for the dust to settleÂ
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And I did my partÂ
by doing nothing at allÂ
The Poetry Collection
The Cult of Shame is a collection of poems for anyone who has ever felt haunted by a memory, startled by beauty or undone by the small strangeness of being alive. Stephanie VanEsselstine’s voice is intimate, unafraid and a little untamed. The poems move between humor and heartbreak, myths and the everyday, with language that bites and hums.
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For readers who savor work that is sharp and unflinching, this collection is an invitation to sit with the ghosts of grief and the rats of shame. And to leave pondering things that you can't quite name, but can't forget.
The Voice Behind the Words
Stephanie VanEsselstine has a spirit shaped by a difficult past and her poetry bears the quiet marks of a stubbornly optimistic mind. She captures the quiet ache of existence through verses that linger like unfinished business. Her work explores the delicate intersections of self love and grief, weaving themes like the strangeness of a moment and the beauty of a connection.Â