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Signs of life | Beatrice Willoughby
11 days ago
One of the myths about poets is that they and their talents are inevitably misunderstood, especially by their families, until they are either famous or long gone.
In the case of Beatrice Willoughby, poet and copywriter, the opposite is true. As South Africans prepare to celebrate Family Day on 21 April, the AVBOB Poetry Project sat down with her to explore a happier origin story for a talented poet.
Her debut poetry collection, So, (Karavan Press, 2023) is dedicated to her parents, late writer and performer Guy Willoughby and poet, novelist and teacher Finuala Dowling, whom she describes as “a source of unconditional love, expert mentorship, and motivation.” While the pain of losing her father at the age of 16 is palpable in several poems, her relationship with her mother runs like a golden thread through the entire collection.
“My mother has been my most significant teacher and creative influence,” she explains. “Between homemade lasagnas, drying my tears, and rewriting my essays, I’ve witnessed her excel at her craft with unwavering dedication.”
In one particularly moving poem, ‘I Will Be Your Mother’, Willoughby promises to continue this legacy of combined creativity and intelligent care:
“When I am your mother,
I promise to be my mother,
and cut up apples
and read you stories
and write your essays.”
At a time when the relationship between mentor and student is often described in negative terms, Willoughby’s poems about their relationship are strikingly generous. In fact, mutual generosity prevails at the readings she and her mother have undertaken together. “We don’t try to act out a scene from a Hallmark movie,” says Willoughby. “Our poems about each other are simply honest and relatable.”
Indeed, the poems in So, are characterised by honest, vulnerable utterance, no matter how difficult the subject-matter they explore. One short poem, called ‘Feeling is Power’, illustrates this perfectly:
Better hurt than hardened.
Better agonised than apathetic.
Better seething than shrugging.
Better overwhelmed than over it.
“I wrote that poem when I was overcome with grief, anger and sorrow. But as overwhelming and exhausting as these emotions were, they were signs of life, of fight. When I perceived them this way, the feelings turned into lighthouses, and I was grateful to endure. Through this poem, I wanted to articulate the idea that although heavy to carry, despair, fury or fear can be what drives us to change and are almost always better than feeling nothing at all.”
What would she like readers to take away from her effortlessly conversational poems?
“I’m most inspired by poems that reflect a deep level of intimacy, that are so personal they feel as if they should be whispered or scribbled on notes entitled ‘For your eyes only’. I’m always looking for a way to start a conversation with readers, who I hope feel seen in some way. I don’t want any confusion about what I’m writing. I want the poem to be a mirror, a friend, or a memory that leaves you smiling, nodding or reflecting.”
How does it feel to read such vulnerable words two years after they were first published?
“I do feel distanced from some of the poems now, because a lot has changed since I first wrote them. I suppose poets are always out of sync, discussing past poems while greeting new ones at the door. But I’m proud of the bravery and brevity in So.”
In the next few days, write a four-line poem in which you give yourself urgently needed advice. The advice can be as practical or as silly as you like.
The annual AVBOB Poetry Competition opens for submissions on 1 August 2025. Visit www.avbobpoetry.co.za today and familiarise yourself with the competition rules.
In the case of Beatrice Willoughby, poet and copywriter, the opposite is true. As South Africans prepare to celebrate Family Day on 21 April, the AVBOB Poetry Project sat down with her to explore a happier origin story for a talented poet.
Her debut poetry collection, So, (Karavan Press, 2023) is dedicated to her parents, late writer and performer Guy Willoughby and poet, novelist and teacher Finuala Dowling, whom she describes as “a source of unconditional love, expert mentorship, and motivation.” While the pain of losing her father at the age of 16 is palpable in several poems, her relationship with her mother runs like a golden thread through the entire collection.
“My mother has been my most significant teacher and creative influence,” she explains. “Between homemade lasagnas, drying my tears, and rewriting my essays, I’ve witnessed her excel at her craft with unwavering dedication.”
In one particularly moving poem, ‘I Will Be Your Mother’, Willoughby promises to continue this legacy of combined creativity and intelligent care:
“When I am your mother,
I promise to be my mother,
and cut up apples
and read you stories
and write your essays.”
At a time when the relationship between mentor and student is often described in negative terms, Willoughby’s poems about their relationship are strikingly generous. In fact, mutual generosity prevails at the readings she and her mother have undertaken together. “We don’t try to act out a scene from a Hallmark movie,” says Willoughby. “Our poems about each other are simply honest and relatable.”
Indeed, the poems in So, are characterised by honest, vulnerable utterance, no matter how difficult the subject-matter they explore. One short poem, called ‘Feeling is Power’, illustrates this perfectly:
Better hurt than hardened.
Better agonised than apathetic.
Better seething than shrugging.
Better overwhelmed than over it.
“I wrote that poem when I was overcome with grief, anger and sorrow. But as overwhelming and exhausting as these emotions were, they were signs of life, of fight. When I perceived them this way, the feelings turned into lighthouses, and I was grateful to endure. Through this poem, I wanted to articulate the idea that although heavy to carry, despair, fury or fear can be what drives us to change and are almost always better than feeling nothing at all.”
What would she like readers to take away from her effortlessly conversational poems?
“I’m most inspired by poems that reflect a deep level of intimacy, that are so personal they feel as if they should be whispered or scribbled on notes entitled ‘For your eyes only’. I’m always looking for a way to start a conversation with readers, who I hope feel seen in some way. I don’t want any confusion about what I’m writing. I want the poem to be a mirror, a friend, or a memory that leaves you smiling, nodding or reflecting.”
How does it feel to read such vulnerable words two years after they were first published?
“I do feel distanced from some of the poems now, because a lot has changed since I first wrote them. I suppose poets are always out of sync, discussing past poems while greeting new ones at the door. But I’m proud of the bravery and brevity in So.”
In the next few days, write a four-line poem in which you give yourself urgently needed advice. The advice can be as practical or as silly as you like.
The annual AVBOB Poetry Competition opens for submissions on 1 August 2025. Visit www.avbobpoetry.co.za today and familiarise yourself with the competition rules.
