The Poem’s Action

What does poetry make possible?

*Scroll down to see all sliding scale options.

The Poem’s Action is a workshop that explores the possibilities and limits of poetry. It is Part II of a workshop series grounded in the ars poetica form—essentially a poem about poetry.

For this generative workshop, we will meet weekly for a total of five sessions on Saturdays from 1-3pm EST.

  • Gathering 1 (March 29, 2025): The Unwritten

  • Gathering 2 (April 5, 2025): What We Make Known/The Manifesto

  • Gathering 3 (April 12, 2025): What the Poem Cannot

  • Gathering 4 (April 19, 2025): “no poem to free you”/A Deep Dive into BLUFF by Danez Smith

  • Gathering 5 (April 26, 2025): The Poem’s Action

Each session will be two hours long and will include reading poems, whole group discussion, a poetry prompt, solo writing time, and share out.

I will also be hosting an additional, optional Poem-Growing Gathering to provide guided support for working with the drafts that you create during our main sessions.

The syllabus will include links to the readings for each week, guiding questions, and links to additional texts to explore based on each week's focus. We will be reading Layli Long Soldier, Harmony Holiday, aracelis girmay, Fargo Nissim Tbakhi, José Olivarez (& more!) in addition to the required text for this workshop: BLUFF by Danez Smith.

At the end of this workshop, you will have:

  • five poem drafts or poem-seeds

    • We do plenty of prompted pre-writing together so that you can enter the writing process with as much material to work with as possible.

  • refreshing strategies for connecting with a poem for beginners and long-time poets alike

  • for further exploration and added depth, a syllabus of 30+ texts (mostly poems, some essays) that engage with the ars poetica and our focus for this workshop

  • a sense of community, and hopefully new poet-friends

  • a clearer sense of purpose as a poet.

*This workshop is intended to be accessible and enriching for the poetry-curious and poets at all levels.

**I am offering three scholarships [all scholarships claimed], and they are intended to create access for those who would not have access otherwise. If you would like to request a scholarship, please complete this form. If you would like to stay informed on future workshops, sign up for my newsletter here.

Workshop Testimonials

  • I do not consider myself a poet, but I think every writer should study poetry. Poetry can feel very daunting and inaccessible, but Yomalis‘ class felt warm, open, and inviting. I felt like I tapped into a creative part of myself I hadn’t seen for many years, and I wrote two poems I am very proud of. I recommend her workshops for anyone who wants to honor their creative spirit, and learn and practice craft in an approachable way!

    Mercedes Annaís, Multimedia Artist

  • Life Distilled felt like alchemy. Through the readings, discussions and exercises Yomalis prepared I often felt my heart, mind, and creative practice break open to possibility. It felt like this workshop met me at the right time and helped rejuvenated my writing practice. I look forward to revisiting the work I created in this workshop, as well as the plethora of resources shared and gathered.

    Elizabeth Mudenyo, Poet and Author of With Both Hands

  • The exact compost needed for fertile poetry. I knew that I wanted to write and that I needed a class that allowed for that space, but I didn't realize how much I would learn about the craft , the idea and art of poetry in itself. I'm so grateful for how this course was led. I found myself digging deeper into understanding the shape of my work, and found a new room and new way of understanding what it is that I do.

    Jasmine Kumalah, Poet

  • Thank you so much for designing and hosting this workshop. I loved having space and time for myself today. I felt a fragmented/forgotten piece of myself power up over the course of our activities. This space is exactlyyyy what is needed right now- down to the rawness and artistic approach vs. academic approach, though personally I believe e-motions have an undeniable space in the academy. I hope you see your brilliance shining as bright as we students got to today!

    S. Hadnot, Author of We Have Everything: Future Building Systems for Sustainability

Workshop Registration

Life Transformed Poetry Workshop [Sliding Scale, Tier 1]
$80.00
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The Poem's Action Poetry Workshop [Sliding Scale, Tier 2]
$130.00
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Life Transformed Poetry Workshop [Sliding Scale, Tier 3]
$180.00
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