Potatoes by Ivy Lee Moyer

Today's feature is the poem "Potatoes" by Ivy Lee Moyer, which was originally written in January of 2025. Get crispy, y'all.

Baked Potato - Andrea Breithuber

About Ivy Lee Moyer:

“I am a queer, neurodivergent person, and frequently nonverbal. I think that's heavily reflected in my work's perspectives and structures. I've always loved the textures and rhythms with which words hold, so I spend a lot of time playing around with them. My poetry can range from being utterly silly, to serious and contemplative. My biggest influences are Alfred Lord Tennyson and Lewis Carroll - Along with a long line of lyricists I could not possibly begin to name all of.”

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Potatoes

I love sunshine
Inhaling light with skin
Laying on old porch swings
Roasting outside in

Humans are raw
Lost
Forgotten frozen things

I'd like to believe
We all just need
A little butter
And
Some baking.

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We asked Ivy Lee Moyer some questions about “Potatoes.”

Q: What were some of your inspirations when writing this piece?

‘There's always someone doing something horrible somewhere, and for the most part I can't do anything about it. But I don't like the empty despair that leaves us with. The impulse to succumb to nihilism that the modern news cycle proliferates. Scary headlines sell better than happy ones, so they write more of them, but that doesn't mean there isn't some hope to be found. There may be bad parts of humanity out there, but there can be good as well. I think we could all use more warmth.”

Q: Is there anything you hope the reader will take away from it?

“A smile, or a laugh.”

Q: Do you have any additional thoughts you'd like to share about this piece?

“Discovering this collective after already having written a work called potatoes felt very serendipitous.”

Ivy Lee Moyer wants us to enjoy some warmth with this piece, and for me? I’m cracking open my air fryer and throwing tater tots in right now.

I’m impressed by the personification of a potato in such a short piece. The second stanza is chef’s kiss. I mean, we, the human race, are getting judged by a potato. I think we might need to reset the board, y’all.

Hope you enjoyed today’s potato-themed poem! Drop a like, comment, and reshare to support independent writers and the collective.