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.

Solar Eclipse by Julia Motcho

Love, a natural phenomenon,
recurring, yet destined to fleet.
A rarity in celestial form,
where singular souls now meet. 

I, lone soldier forged in fire and pain,
Her, a temptress whose pull moves the main.
A stolen sight – a brief embrace
will be ours for the first time
in a while.  

Although I may not spend eternity by her side.
Only I know how she perpetually shines
reflecting her into the night.
The mechanics of our love, made of rare design. 

Even when she is asleep
our essence conjoined, a sacrament.
As in the night, I show an outward sign of her inward grace
but today is different
When the world is dark and we are alone
I’ll see her face
beautiful as the sun she is.
Where she and I converge at last,
we finally get to kiss 

About Julia Motcho

Julia “JULZ” Motcho (she/her) is a poet and songwriter who writes on topics surrounding loss, love and issues of intersectionality which manifest through Blackness and neurodivergence. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Law and has transferred those writing skills to more creative endeavours. Her work has appeared in the Tate Modern, representing artists of South London. She is mainly a written artist, although is expanding into spoken word as seen in her participation in Mind Over Slammer.