Holly Payne-Strange

Holly Payne-Strange is a novelist, poet and podcast creator. Her writing has been lauded by USA Today, LA weekly and The New York Times. Additionally, she’s given talks on podcast creation at Fordham University and The Player’s Club. Her English language poetry has been published by various groups including Quail Bell Magazine, Call me (Brackets), and Red Door, while her work in Italian has been published by We Have Food At Home. She would like to thank her wife for all her support.

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► Holly Payne-Strange's microchap & poem selections are available below. Download the single-page PDF by clicking the title.

Origami Microchap (Selections)

My Mum's Singing

Click title to download microchap

Holly Payne Strance BioCVR My Mums Singing 2023

Cover photo by Ruby Saltbush

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My Mum's Singing

I love my mum’s singing.
She has more enthusiasm
Than talent,
But to be fair, she has a whole lot of
Enthusiasm.

I’m convinced she has a tiramisu soul,
Rich with chocolate dipped wisdom,
Cultivated from a complex life.
Sweet as cream, zany with
An unstoppable, caffeinated
Brilliance.
Unconcerned with the finer points
Of hearing or sight
She knows she can handle it.

So we dance around the kitchen
Making cupcakes,
Throwing in one too many eggs
-Or perhaps not enough, it’s not quite clear-
And I belt it out,
Because she’s the one who taught me
Not to care so much
About how silly joy can look
We are far too wild for that.

La Mare

Ogni notte, sospiro all’unisono con le onde.
La luna sorride,
Giocando con me attraverso la marea.
Vorrei piangere, ma so che è solo un gioco,
Non può resistere
Al mio ingegno e alla mia bellezza.
Il fuoco ha bisogno della terra,
Anche i draghi devono nidificare.
La natura trepida davanti a una donna paziente.

The Sea

Everynight, I sigh in time with the waves.
The moon smiles,
Teasing me with the tide.
I would cry, but I know she's only joking
She cant resist
My wisdom and beauty.
Fire needs the earth
And even dragons must nest
Nature fears a patient woman.

Roses and Roses and Roses

Fancy a drive?
We could go to the rose garden,
The one you showed me last spring.
Petals and thorns and the roar of butterflies.
Somehow we fell through time.
You tied my shoelaces,
And laughed like you’d earned it.
Yes, I’d like to go back there.

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Poets