The Self is an Ocean

Cypher’s debut full-length poetry collection - The Self is an Ocean - is a poetic memoir rich with cultural commentary. Through striking metaphors and images, paired with a deeply musical writing style, this visceral collection delves into complex trauma, mental illness, womanhood, queerness, religion, culture, grief, and the search for meaning. Each poem here promises to crawl beneath the reader’s skin and unfold from the inside out.

“Cypher’s poems are shaped with an expertise around form, integrating playfulness into formality, which cultivates an inviting vibrancy for readers to come alive in. In short, it is an exquisite ode to the embodiment of the unembodied, to wholeness that is fought for, and to survival and humanity despite it all.”

- Devaki D. Devi, Pushcart Nominee and Author of Earth & Earth-like Planets (Abode Press)

Hi! I’m Cypher

Thank you for stopping by :) I’m a self-taught writer whose work is equal parts autobiography as well as social commentary. My writing style itself is a blend of musicality and sensorial elements.

My pieces have appeared in Wildscape Literary Journal, OTHERSIDE, FLARE Magazine, and several other journals. You can find samples of my writing on my Instagram and Substack as well.

My first full-length poetry collection - The Self is an Ocean - will be released in July 2026 with DarkWinter Press. I cannot wait for you to have it in your hands!