Check Out Kwamise “LadyK’ Fletcher’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kwamise “LadyK’ Fletcher.

Kwamise “LadyK’, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I didn’t start poetry as a career, I started it as survival.
For a long time, I was trying to make sense of things that didn’t have easy language: grief, identity, faith, self-worth, being a Black woman of a certain age going through Perimenopause & navigating spaces that didn’t always see me clearly. Poetry became the place where I could tell the truth without interruption. It was the only place I didn’t have to shrink to be understood.
What began as personal release turned into performance. I found my way into spoken word spaces, onto stages, into slam competitions…and I realized my voice didn’t just belong to me. It resonated. It connected. It created community.
Over time, I committed to the craft. I studied it, sharpened it, competed nationally, and grew into the work as both an artist and a storyteller. That journey led me to become a nationally ranked spoken-word poet, a Grand Slam Champion, a self-published author, and a workshop facilitator.
Now, my work lives at the intersection of personal testimony and cultural critique. I write to challenge, to heal, to disrupt, and to remind people, especially those who have felt unseen…that their stories carry power.
Poetry is no longer just how I survive. It’s how I live.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road…and honestly, I don’t know many artists whose journey is.
A lot of my path has been about unlearning. Unlearning the need to shrink. Unlearning the idea that my voice had to be softened to be accepted. Unlearning the habit of pouring into people and spaces that didn’t know how to hold me.
There are seasons where I struggle with self-worth, where I questioned if what I had to say mattered, or if I was only being received in small doses, as an afterthought instead of a presence. I’ve navigated rooms where I was the only one who looked like me, or where my truth felt too heavy, too much, or too honest for the audience in front of me.
There’s also the emotional weight of the work itself. I write from real places…grief, trauma, identity, healing, and performing that over and over can be both powerful and exhausting. Learning how to protect my spirit while still being vulnerable on stage has been its own journey.
And then there’s the practical side…building a name, creating opportunities, funding projects & travel, showing up consistently even when it’s hard, even when the recognition doesn’t always match the effort.
But every challenge shaped the artist I am now. It sharpened my voice, deepened my purpose, and made it clear that this work isn’t just about being heard…it’s about standing fully in who I am when I speak.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But it’s been real. And it’s been worth it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a spoken-word poet, author, playwright, and workshop facilitator whose work lives at the intersection of personal testimony and cultural critique.
I specialize in performance poetry that blends storytelling, social commentary, and emotional truth. A lot of my work centers on Black womanhood, identity, faith, healing, and the complexities we don’t always say out loud…whether that’s grief, body image, reproductive trauma, or the tension between strength and softness. I’m known for bringing both vulnerability and precision to the stage…poems that feel intimate, but land with impact.
As a performer, I’ve competed nationally and earned recognition as a top-ranked spoken-word artist, including becoming a Grand Slam Champion. But beyond titles, I’m known for creating moments that stay with people…pieces that don’t just sound good, but shift something in the room.
One of the most recognizable parts of my presence is my tagline: “Let’s go, poet.” What started as a simple phrase has become something much bigger. It’s now synonymous with LadyK…requested in rooms across the country, echoed back to me by poets and audiences alike. It’s more than a catchphrase…it’s an energy transfer. A call to step fully into your voice, your power, your moment. Wherever I go, it becomes a shared language…an invitation for every poet in the room to rise and be great.
Outside of performance, I create spaces for others to find their voice. Through workshops like “Find Your Voice… & THEN USE It!” and “Mic Drop Ready: From the Pen to Podium Toolkit,” I help emerging poets develop both their writing and their stage presence, giving them the tools to move from page to performance with confidence and intention.
I’m also the creator of A Hot Flash Gospel: My Unconfirmed RSVP, a one-woman poetry play that blends storytelling, humor, and spoken word to explore perimenopause, identity, and what it means to be a Black woman navigating transition…both physically and emotionally. That project is one of the things I’m most proud of because it pushed me beyond the mic and into full theatrical storytelling.
What sets me apart is the way I bridge worlds. I can deliver a piece that resonates in a slam competition, a theater, a classroom, or a community space, and still feel honest in all of them. I write with intention, perform with purpose, and teach from lived experience.
At the core of everything I do is this: I don’t just write poems.
I create experiences that make people feel seen…and sometimes, for the first time, understood.
And before I leave any stage, any room, any space…
I remind them:
Let’s go, poet.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I am a huge audiobook fan…It just fits better in my life & allows me to multitask…I utilize all of social media platforms & its capabilities to engage, learn about & experience other poets & different forms of poetic verse just as a fan of the artform & to sharpen my own pen.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladykpoetry
• Facebook: shttps://www.facebook.com/kwamise.fletcher
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ladykpoetry

Image Credits
Jessie Marie Photography
Nuvio