I would be hard-pressed to find a poet with a heart more naked than that of L Mathis. An artist blooming from the soil of the internet, they hide nothing from us and expose all their struggles, low points, and moments of clarity for the world. To follow their work is to follow Mathis's growth as a human being as they become more and more aware of their identity. This transparency has made Mathis a guardian angel for thousands of readers looking to understand theirs. Their poetry is concise, direct, and totally accessible, and Mathis updates their Instagram with new work every day. There have been many dark nights in my life that Mathis has gotten me through. Their poetry acts as a how-to guide for shedding the ways we've been taught to have contempt for ourselves.
Mathis has written two full-length collections (The Women Widowed to Themselves and Instinct to Ruin). Their work deals mainly with issues of body autonomy, gender, abuse, and mental illness.
Bless the crazy femme.
For how much they endure silently.
For the survival game they
play against their heads
every day. For the hurt in them
that wants to swallow the softness.
May they know
comfort in their bodies.
May their heads not win
and the world be theirs.
— "Bless the Crazy Femme" by L Mathis
