Natasha C. Akinfolarin –
UK-based working-class dyslexic poet and spoken-word artist.
I write what people feel but don’t say.
Dyslexic. Unfiltered. Real.
Raw confessional survivor poetry.
Dark poetry for those who feel too much.
My writing lives in ordinary working-class places – kitchen tables, buses, notebooks,
shopping aisles, late–night thoughts,
and the quiet moments people overlook.
80,000+ people felt one poem.
This is where the rest live.
If this found you… there’s more waiting.
Eyes Always Watching
I had to sharpen my mind,
Turn fear into something refined,
A child too young to see
The danger surrounding me.
Read the full poem
A room full of monsters and eyes,
Where truth was buried in lies,
Where silence kept you alive,
And scanning room, helped you survive.
I learned how to read every space,
Who carried threat in their face,
Who smiled but sharpened their teeth,
Who hid their intent underneath.
My eyes never stayed in one place,
I trained every flicker of face,
No fear, no crack, no reveal,
Just locking away what was real.
I schooled every breath, every move,
Gave them nothing to use or to prove,
Because if they saw through the mask,
They’d twist it — their predatory hold would last.
Nothing soft could stay safe,
It left you open, exposed, displaced,
So I buried it deep inside,
Where even I learned to hide.
But something stayed quietly awake,
A part of me they couldn’t take,
It watched as I faded from view,
Learning to split into two.
One version survived every night,
Silent, controlled, out of sight,
The other still trapped in that room,
Small, and expecting the gloom.
And that’s how I made it through,
Not soft, not safe, not true,
But sharp in a world that confined,
A child who sharpened her mind.
🖤 © NCarolAkinfolarin2026 🪶
#DislexicPoet
21/04/2026
(Fractured Mind Collection)
Latest News
🎙️ Featured on You’re the Poet Podcast – Episode 77
I recently had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on Episode 77 of You’re the Poet with hosts Matt and Phil Burgio.
During the episode, I shared four of my poems and discussed poetry, creativity, spoken word, and the stories behind my work.
Listen to the full episode here →
Featured by Poetry Cooperative — #poetslift
I was honoured to be featured by Poetry Cooperative as part of their #PoetsLift series.
In this interview, I discuss my writing journey, dyslexia, publishing, and the experiences that have shaped my poetry.
It was a privilege to share my story and poetry with the wider poetry community.
