A poetry collection in development
The Choir of Closed Mouths
Brief poems about the private struggles we carry in public—and the relief of realizing we are not carrying them alone.
We are all humming the same song.
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What we keep quiet
The struggle is private. Recognition can be shared.
We learn how to look composed long before we learn how to admit what is happening underneath.
The Choir of Closed Mouths begins with a simple premise: fear, inadequacy, grief, envy, resentment, longing, and doubt can feel uniquely ours while they are being carried by people all around us. The collection intends to meet those experiences with clarity rather than spectacle.
It is written for regular poetry readers and for people who do not usually reach for poetry, but recognize the relief of hearing an honest thought spoken plainly.
- Private battles
- The contradictions and fears we manage where nobody else can see them.
- Public composure
- The practiced phrases and capable versions of ourselves we offer the room.
- Shared recognition
- The moment one honest voice reveals that solitude was never the whole truth.
Lines behind the book
The voice is becoming clearer.
The manuscript is still taking shape. These are working concept lines—not finished poem excerpts. Finished work will appear here when the poems are ready.
Working line 01“We keep so many honest thoughts behind closed lips, believing we are the only ones carrying them.”
Working line 02“We are all humming the same song.”
Working line 03“Honesty is loud because silence was getting heavy.”
How the book speaks
Direct enough to recognize. Crafted enough to remain.
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01
Brief, human poems
Each piece aims to name one lived contradiction without explaining it away.
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02
Concrete language
The title may be metaphorical; the emotional experience should remain legible.
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03
Form in service of truth
Rhyme serves the poem when it helps. It never becomes the cage the poem must fit.
David Azofeifa
The Open Choir
Follow the book as it finds its finished voice.
Join for occasional, useful updates: finished excerpts when they are ready, reading dates, and publication news. This is an email list, not a submission call.
What is the book?
A developing collection of brief poems about widely shared struggles that are often carried privately.
When will it be available?
No publication date has been announced. Subscribers will receive release news first.
Can I submit a poem or story?
Not through this list. “Join the Open Choir” means receiving project updates; it is not a call for submissions.