Expressing oneself through poetry can be liberating, empowering, and uplifting. Putting words down to describe one’s emotions and experiences has been a fixture in society for as long as we can remember. 

“When I started United Poets at Heart (UPAH) in September 2021, I wanted to give others a space and the opportunity to share their poetry,” says Veronica Roma Pingol, founder of UPAH. The group now boasts over 4,300 members from a wide range of different countries, including South Sudan, Nigeria, India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, USA, Vietnam, Philippines, Romania, Macedonia, Kenya, Bhutan, and England, to name but a few.

The overwhelmingly positive reception the group has received has motivated Veronica to keep pushing the reach of their poetry and give her UPAH poets more and more opportunities to showcase their work. “Lalakas ang loob mo kapag maganda ang feedback sa’yo. Gusto kong pagandahin ang experience ng mga members,” [It gives you courage when you receive good feedback. I want to improve the experience of our members] she shares.

Veronica arrived in Hong Kong in 2016 as a migrant domestic worker (MDW), but her full-time work hasn’t slowed down her literary dreams. Her poems have been published in many online and printed publications including Migospecta, Humanity magazine, and Blossoms journal, amongst others. Her self-published book, Night Butterfly, is the culmination of her hard work, and a personal milestone in which she speaks freely about her emotions, thoughts, and opinions about life, love, and soul.

Running such an active and fast-growing Facebook group is better done as a team, and Veronica has a handful of select individuals that she knows she can rely on for support: UPAH’s graphic designer Glynda Andrade; group experts Melody Munson (HK), Loreta Bande (Philippines) and Sudipta Mishra (India); and group administrators Frieda Norma Dela Cruz (Philippines) and Ledarose Delima (HK). 

Poetry is meant to be accessible to everyone, and this is where UPAH has found its place – bringing together poets from around the world, showcasing their writing, and providing them with opportunities to be published.

Many members post poems in their own language, sharing a slice of their culture and heritage with their fellow members. 

Many within the group have forged close friendships, finding a common voice that brings them together. “Never lose your momentum, keep your ink on a blazing flame. Bring out the best writing in you!” says Melody Munson, UPAH group expert and founder of Horizons International – an established literary group here in Hong Kong. 

So what does the future hold for United Poets at Heart? According to Veronica, “Gusto kong mas maraming mga kababayan natin dito sa Hong Kong ang magshare ng kanilang poetry sa UPAH. Maraming mga submissions galing ibang bansa, at alam ko na maraming mga magagaling na Filipino poets, kaya maganda kung madami tayong representation.” [I want more Filipino compatriots here in Hong Kong to share their poetry on UPAH. There are a lot of submissions from different countries, and I know there are a lot of really good Filipino poets, so it would be nice if we had more representation.]