This work was first published in Spread the Word’s Young Writers Collective Anthology, 2025. This anthology stands as a testament to the courage, creativity, and growth of a remarkable group of young poets who have spent seven months exploring the power of language and self-expression. The anthology is more than a collection of poems—it is a celebration of emerging voices, of stories told with boldness and vulnerability.
All of the poems can be read here on our website, or you can download the Young Writer’s Collective Anthology to read as a PDF.
Love Mum by Poppy Amberg
Open door close door
wave arms circle motion
one way other way
daughter alone daughter independent
rest elbow table top flat palm under jaw
bare teeth pout lips knit brow scowl ahead
shame again hurt inside
rage onward feral colour
loud music soft music pant hard
go weird wear shoes different shoes sweat through change clothes walk hard
push neighbour electric jam sore knee funk right jaw ache lie down sleep now
hair awry hair up hand rub don’t stop
pack bag carry load go downward
muddy ankle deep fungus dig around scratch earth pick bark brown impale
kneel up bark loud kneel down face flat mud mouth worm tooth cadaver touch
muck absorption peace sensation pussy embrace
self harm self mutilate take photo art made
wank again eat words swallow tears soft pillow dream arrival
listen now silent forever
wonder why question her
bleed some love mum
empty resent shame over
crave more cradle me
here comes sniff air speak now
change up draw up wake up make good
evening forgiven romance mornings embrace desire
hear her call her.
About Poppy Amberg
Poppy Amberg is currently undertaking an MA in Non-Fiction Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Her writing is informed by the tenets and intersections of queer theory, autotheory, and experimental writing. She lives in London.