'Still rising from the ashes of quite an unconventional life, Monique de Koning doesn't have certain credentials or acknowledgments, yet. Something describes this self-taught artist well though: she is a very determined Dutch(wo)man with a curious mind who has always loved to create. Writing her first poem a few years ago, inspired by an unusual, life-changing connection, evolved into an unexpected but welcome new way to express her creativity and voice. So far, her poems have been published in Matter II, Volume II, as well as by the Academy Of The Heart And Mind.'


"Your work has a great voice, and I'm sure we'll see more of your success in the future" ––Andrews McMeel Publishing (Emerald Heart, '21)
"Your work and your voice are worthy and important" ––editor, Frontier Poetry (Unity I Am, Chapbook Contest '22)

Published Work

Published, online, by the Academy Of The Heart And Mind (more samples of my poetry here):

––Colorful Dishes (sample):
' Any belief we hold hangs in the
balance of ingredients to a recipe of truth,
adding flavor to a bigger one. [...] we
all
have something to bring to a table of colorful dishes
for a shared meal that serves a better understanding
of our world ―merely prepared in very different kitchens
from personal cravings. No matter how far apart our
tastes or views may seem or be, each an integral part
of the lock to a golden key, with the ability to solve
the puzzling dish of life and the answers we seek.'
from Unity I Am

––A Spider To The Sun (sample):
'Each passing sun
reminiscent of the spider ―planets, like dew, lounging
on the threads of our universal fabric.'

––Cutting Edges
I'm not broken. The cracks
of the reassembled pieces
formerly known as me, each part,
merely a reminder ―a contemplation
of who I thought I'd become
or once was: a work in progress.
The reality I used to live
never who I was meant
to be: myself  ―the
key to a mystery of
who I will have been,
or made into: a was
that never comes.

––Wildflower (sample):
'Trees lush with cherry blossoms caught
in the corner of my eye, overlooking a meadow
of mesmerizing shades as far as skies reach:
the artist's selection, chosen to attract
butterflies and honeybees gathering from afar
to attend this season's feast, hosted by Mother Nature.'


––Quiet Flow (sample):
'How to tell the difference,
the truth of a direction:
aligned though not quite,
a different note to strike
that symbiotic balance?'
from Unity I Am

––Joyful Elegance
––
My Geographical Heart
––Jackied

––Human Fashion (Unity I Am)
I am a woman of celestial design, in this lifetime's season
dressed in skin sensitive to the sun but, like any, soft and warm,
made to be touched; well-suited for exchanging hugs, accessorized
with a generous smile. My mind in humble, supportive service
to my intuitive, embellished heart: rich glints of compassion tied
to a keen playfulness, never out of style. Together, they pursue balance
between sense and reason in their search for truth: a source of common sense
that wishes to learn and grow. Commonly in a stubborn mood
for glasses too rosy to some, adding a rising sun's glow: our innate warmth
so often lacking. Shaped ―coated with a no-nonsense filter ―to see differences,
though in a positively glowing light: highlighting the fine qualities
of our individual essence and tastes that should be celebrated, none used
as a weapon to divide. I am thrilled we're not the same since it enriches our world
in such vibrant fashion; similar to the classics wildlife and nature: the
reason humankind, ever since its earliest history, continues to explore
the wondrous gifts our planet so selflessly offers. When our distinct,
uniquely talented personalities work together in free honesty
with respect for all, we create a transcendent cape of
multidimensional light transforming humanity into its own superhero.

––My Day In The Sun (sample):
'Waves of a midsummer's heat
a silent invitation to travel south: a
colorful summer hive buzzing
from aliveness, dancing to the rhythm
of an ocean's heartbeat.'


The poems below were published in the poetry anthology Matter II Volume II, September 2022:

Avalanche Of Gold (Unity I Am)
A prime key to life, the hidden skeleton of our times
seems conspicuous, fair to understand: the idea
that everyone is capable, no soul's genius
left behind. To achieve success, to rise up to
the ability of us all to impress ourselves ―in this world
and far beyond, to feel positively alive.
But we all need a hand in some fashion, or
elemental form: a door to open, a stable leg to support
our efforts, for each to enter our fullest potential: higher
than skies unspoken. I believe in the fire,
the spark within: to find that intuitive force
that naturally flows. Like a roaring avalanche
in need of a place to express itself, to grow.
Our character and talents a humble pair of pennies
gently rolling into a wave of coins, impressive
in its uplifting tracks: a shimmering flood reaching over
the arch of the sky to lead us back home.

Beyond The Fence* (Unity I Am)
Conflict, duality and opposition ―a clash
between indestructible titans at the gate: wrong, right, dark,
light, in reality, two sides of the same change. Connected through
the middle, like twilight and dawn a fusion of night and day, the center
an impartial mediator that unites. Not by convincing anyone, or
for either camp to agree ―maybe the only thing to take
is to acknowledge all have their place, there's truth in each.
As the moon offers another quality and purpose to the sun,
struggle and tragedy opposites to laughter and compassion,
forged in the same fire. Two imprints: the negative
to a positive, a perceived reality through one lens
and angle, both required to develop a photograph. The
multifaceted image of a moment frozen in time: a kaleidoscope
of contrasting colors, beliefs and views ―perhaps some
not that different in their essence. All contribute to a
much bigger picture, like that of a timid, vulnerable flower
instinctively drawn to the light. For it to bravely grow,
without pretense, through the seemingly impenetrable layers
of a resisting road, entwining the wired metal at the crossing.
Not choosing either side, I am the flower and the fence.

*an earlier version

Clicking the image takes you to the Amazon-page of the book: