Poet finds purpose in vulnerability, emotion, and the power of words

Weltevreden Park poet Lucresha Delo (29) is using poetry to explore love, loss, resilience, and the complex emotions people often struggle to express, all while working to build a lasting creative legacy.

For Delo, writing extends far beyond putting words on paper. It serves as a tool for making sense of life, processing grief, and offering a space where readers can acknowledge hidden feelings. While a variety of life experiences shaped her artistic journey, the loss of her mother had a profound impact on her worldview and work.

“Losing my mother, especially, has changed the way I see life and the way I write. The experience reinforced the importance of stories, memories, and the written legacy people leave behind,” she said.

Delo now views poetry as a vessel for difficult emotions, giving them meaning and encouraging others to confront what they might usually hide.

“I hope that when people read my work, they feel something they may have always been too afraid to feel or even admit to themselves,” she said.

Delo never intentionally set out to become a poet. Instead, writing evolved naturally as a means to process thoughts that were difficult to verbalise. Over time, her passion for language and its capacity to offer comfort led her to take the craft seriously. However, the path was not without obstacles, particularly when confronting internal self-doubt.

“One of the biggest challenges has been learning to believe that my voice is valuable,” she said, noting that creators frequently question their work’s quality and resonance.

To move past these hurdles, she committed to writing with unyielding authenticity, learning to write anyway because poetry is about honesty rather than pleasing everyone.

Her perseverance yielded tangible success. A key milestone was her acceptance into the Writers Bloc International Anthology, an achievement that validated her work on a global stage. Beyond accolades, Delo takes pride in allowing herself to remain vulnerable. Grounded in values like compassion, faith, love, and resilience, her poetry draws from keen observations, memory, photographs, and quiet everyday moments.

Though her writing tackles deeply emotional themes, she notes that not every piece reflects her personal life; many stem from imagination, observation, or empathy. Looking ahead, she aims to publish a poetry collection, enter more competitions, and launch a collaborative space where poetry, visual art, and conversations surrounding self-worth can coexist.

Ultimately, Delo strives to create a cohesive body of work that endures over time, helping readers feel understood and less isolated. Rather than chasing technical perfection, she measures her success by the emotional resonance of her words.

“If someone reads something I’ve written years from now and thinks, ‘Someone understood this feeling,’ then I would consider that meaningful. I would rather be remembered for making people feel something real,” she concluded.

Readers interested in her poetry can visit the Writers Bloc website or attend open mic sessions hosted by the organisation.