SONIKA EDWARDS originally hails from the West Indies / Caribbean and now resides in Montréal, Canada, where she completed her B.A. at Concordia University. She has had a passion for writing (predominantly poetry) since about the age of seven and over the years has made contributions to various online and print publications, including Newspapers, Journals, Zines and Blogs.
Most notable among these include:
• Subversions: the Journal of Gender and Sexuality (Concordia’s Women Studies Student Association, 2006).
• The Link: Sexuality special issue (2005) and the Creativity special issue (2006) (The Link: Concordia’s independent student newspaper since 1980).
• Poets Against The War.org (2004).
In 1996, at the age of fifteen, Sonika was awarded a Royal Commonwealth Society Essay competition commendation, for her essay: Then and Now. Sonika also has a passion for photography (having done studies in the medium as well) and she hopes to one day publish a compilation of her poetry and photographic pieces.
Apart from putting pen to paper, Sonika can also be found occasionally blogging on one of her favourite topics, vampires, via her blog: VampirePhile: A Fang-Phile Fille, Files.
Included among Sonika’s favourite authors are Anne Rice and Tanya Huff. William Blake is one of her all time favourite poets.
Editor’s note: We were taken by the subversive qualties of this poem―”let me be your tattoo” seems ingenuous, yet has a definite eroticism and also a dark undercurrent of knowing (“reminder of past loves and sin”). It refers to “reds, blues, blacks, greens” and we wondered about how “black” could be plural, but those who have tattoos―and passionate relationships―know there are many shades of black. ~ GVB
Tattoo
The ink river runs across the back mountain,
Along the shoulder ridge to the slope,
Arms spread eagled, as spread eagle is drawn,
Embellished skin canvas.
Let me be your tattoo,
and hold a special place on your body,
All over your body.
Admired, inspired, desired,
Taboo Tattoo.
On you. In you. Around you.
I am you, though made of ink,
Reds, blues, blacks, greens in your skin,
Never fade, never wilt,
Reminder(s) of past loves and sin.
On arm, back, ankle, thigh,
Let me reside.
Come and let me be drawn,
Let your body be adorned.
Come and let me in. Stain your skin,
Let me be your Tattoo.
