Alycia Two Bears' evolving poetry journey: From hyperbole to concise verse

Alycia Two Bears, a mixed-blood iskwew from Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation, calls Mohkinstsis home. Her upcoming book, Feast: Two Spirit: Stories, Sex, and the Ceremony Behind It All and Other Poems, will be published in spring 2025. Alycia's writing has appeared in publications such as Red Rising Magazine, MBC Magazine, and New Tribe Magazine. Her work often centres on decolonization, mental health, and Two Spirit advocacy.

Alycia holds degrees in General Studies and Education from the University of Calgary, and combines her expertise as a certified yoga instructor with Traditional 2 Spirit Metis-Cree teachings in her Land-Based Yoga practice. A mother of five, she is a passionate advocate for birth sovereignty and aspires to be a midwife.

Poet Alycia Two Bears

Alycia practices birth as Ceremony, supporting pregnant and birthing bodies and working to ensure accessible, dignified care. She has also co-created the Moon Time Bag initiative to redistribute donated menstrual health products to both houseless and housed kin. She received The Advocate for Equality Award from the Calgary Single Mother’s Society, and the USAY Change Makers Award. In this Writers Reveal interview Alycia explores her evolving poetry journey.

The early stages of Alycia's evolving poetry journey: style and influences

On Creative Writing: Has your writing evolved over the years? If so, how? Through writing experience? Reading a lot? Writing courses or communities? A combination, or

something else?

Alycia Two Bears: My writing style has evolved over the last eight years. I used to write long pieces that went on and on, full of hyperbole and the same idea written four times over. Then I started reading instagram poetry. It was a simplistic form, often paired with artwork. I pushed myself to keep pieces concise, use a thesaurus and eventually edit my work. This is also when I developed the love of creating shapes with my pieces. As I read poetry from Nicole Lyons and Jeff Warren Welch, I was reminded how my authentic self included the "f" word and all emotions were valid.

Processing my life became a staple of my poetry. It is important to note, healing is not linear, nor is my prose. Listening to spoken poetry from Cobra and Shaf in the last 6 months, I was reminded how much I love writing and reciting longer pieces, which is where I'm leaning to for my next collection.

Navigating publication in her evolving poetry journey

On Creative Writing: If you’ve been published, how did you find your first publisher?

Alycia Two Bears: My first experience with being published was with New Tribe magazine. They published a movie review, op ed and poetry piece of mine. This began a long time relationship between New Tribe and I.  With this new found confidence, I began to submit to other magazines, anthologies and academic thesis'. I had submitted my first poetry collection to everyone in Canada, with no acceptance. I ended up earning an arts grant through CADA and self published, "Two Spirit: Stories, Sex and the Ceremony Behind it All" in 2023. Wild Skies Press is publishing my second poetry collection, "The Feast" in May 2025.

Social media and editing in Alycia's evolving poetry journey

On Creative Writing: Do you use social media to engage readers, writers, or publishers and, if so, which platforms?

Alycia Two Bears:I created my poetry account, your.moon.woman as a place of accountability and processing. I decided to write every single day and would post to instagram for self accountability. I had a very, oh shit, everyone's gonna know my shit, moment. It passed quickly and created a place of connection to others and myself. I was also utilizing HelloPoetry to build a community, where it was relatively anonymous with creativity being celebrated.

On Creative Writing: Do you edit as you write, or write and edit later?

Alycia Two Bears: I now write then edit. I used to write in stream, no edits, and share the finished piece. After I had done a workshop with Warsan Shire she emphasized the process of editing. How it shifts great pieces into amazing pieces. After self editing my first poetry collection, then including an editor for it as well, I saw how much better it made my pieces. I also learned how important it is for me to use Indigenous editors.

On Creative Writing: Can you trace any common themes across your writing?

Alycia Two Bears: The themes I am known to write about are; sex, relationships, motherhood, grief and identity.