My Portfolio
Welcome to my portfolio. Here you’ll find a selection of my work. Explore my projects to learn more about what I do.
About Me
My name is Lily Trimmer, and I am thrilled to share my journey and aspirations as a recent graduate from the College of Charleston. With a B.A. in Creative Writing and Environmental & Sustainability Studies, I have found poetry to be my focus—a medium through which I explore the complexities of human experiences and our connection to the natural world. While writing has always been my outlet for understanding the way I perceive the world around me, it wasn't until my time at the College of Charleston that I discovered poetry as my true passion. I am drawn to crafting poems that delve into internal struggles and existential observations, aiming to expose our shared human experiences. In my poetry, I strive for consistency in voice and tone—a thread that connects the vulnerability depicted in themes about mental health to broader perceptions of life. My goal is to create work that makes readers feel heard.
Right now I am really excited about using my poetry to advocate for the environment and reconnect people with nature. My poetic values center around the power of language to convey emotions that often go unspoken. As I value the vulnerability of poetry and the powerful influence of craft, I aim to expose the intricacies of human experiences in a way that resonates universally. Drawing inspiration from my studies in both Creative Writing and Environmental Studies, I aspire to infuse my work with authenticity, depth, and a sense of interconnectedness.
Lilymaephotography
Samples
ENGL 402 - Advanced Poetry Workshop
Unspoken Obligations
Free verse
Behind Closed Doors
A decisive slam of the car door is
all it took, the sweeping surge of unease
seizes my body. Frozen, I wait for
a clue—to stay hidden or show myself
now. The weight of the front door, reluctant
to break it’s long-held stillness, gives in. A
labored grunt, followed by the crinkling,
of clanging, carried groceries. I give
in too, fleeing the comfort of brief
isolation, rather than waiting for
it to be stripped away from me. Now,
put on a smile, don’t give her a reason.
The presence of a saint, an angel, they
say. How could I be so lucky?
Little Lily
The girl looks at the young version of herself,
taped to her bathroom mirror,
to ground her each morning
when the silence is too loud or when she’s pulled
into a memory where she questioned her own worth—
the girl finds herself wondering how
such a small being can project so much light in a single shot
eyes and smile wider than
each dainty fingertip stretching out to the sky—
glowing brighter than the sun beaming off
the surface of the ocean behind her
sitting in her favorite suit,
wearing a Lily with pride,
each pastel petal coils out and around her
soft, sandy skin—
It is in the mornings when the girl feels most lost,
lost in spiraling thoughts
but today, she is reminded who she must keep stretching for—
Each tooth now thoroughly and excessively brushed,
she spits out any self-pity
Once A Day
I tell myself I’m lucky and today is
brand new—
I hold back tears.
Thoughts, doubts, worries
an internal alarm waking
me before the clock’s cry
clean face,
new fit,
headphones in
the bed’s unmade but I made
it out the door
I find the Moon,
beautifully and peacefully placed
hovering
above
visible but detached—
I do that well from
down
here
seen softly,
not in direct gaze
silent companion,
I marvel at your grace
Split-Second Decision
I have to admit, on the days you find
it in you to pick up the phone and call,
I almost always notice on the first
ring. Emotionless and still, I freeze—
what have I done wrong now? Only aware
of the tightening in my chest as each
vibration moves through me, awakening
every possible reason—what is
the reason? There is not enough time to
make sense of what I feel between the first
and final muted pulse. I watch it go
to voicemail—why do you never leave
a message? That would help determine my
decision if you tried again. Please try again.
Unspoken Obligations
I observe the birds outside my window and wonder
if they notice the way the clouds move or
how the morning light differs from the day before
a true privilege it is to merely exist in a moment,
to acknowledge the unsolicited beauty
that has the power to move us deeply
to be still and experience the raw emotions
emanating from our seven senses brings me both
gratitude and great anxiety
constantly weighed down by a feeling that I must
make something
something of this
to properly express my appreciation—
surely, the birds would think this way too
if they could think like us at all—
what a lovely thought!
ENVT 352 - Mission Statement Paper
My mission is to live a life where I can travel the world to admire, document, and protect the planet we live on, while continually doing my part in an attempt to leave the planet better than where we started. My life goals are to volunteer and actively educate people around the world about the importance of taking care of our only planet. I want to document these experiences through writing and photography, in hopes that others will see the beauty I see. I know that everyone and everything has meaning—we all have a purpose for being here. Too often people don’t find theirs because they lose sight of what is truly important. I am guilty of forgetting my own self-worth at times, but I am reminded when I see beauty in the smallest things and moments in my life. Despite this, I often struggle. There are moments when I am at war with myself and I get overwhelmed by my own thoughts. It is in these moments when I look to nature and ground myself. I remind myself that everyone struggles with something. From my personal experiences, you never know what someone is going through. I’ve noticed that when I feel my lowest, I see what is most important in my life. I've learned that finding something that fills you with a sense of purpose and meaning will act as a moral compass throughout life. Although I am still discovering myself, I know that my life purpose right now is to spread love through the smallest acts and to do my part in protecting the environment. I know that there will always be bumps and setbacks, but that is where my resilience will come into play. If I want to be successful, I’m going to have to work on how I respond to mistakes and failure. I have a long way to go, but I am sure that making small impacts everyday, and not losing sight of what is most important, will help me navigate where I want to be.
ENVT 395 - The M.A.R.S.H. Project Podcast
For my Stewardship Project, I decided to do a podcast with my close friend Lily Porter, who has been working with The M.A.R.S.H. Project for the last two years. The M.A.R.S.H. Project is a local, non-profit organization that works to rebuild and restore Charleston’s saltmarsh ecosystem by cleaning up debris, planting native plant species, and hosting events that educate the community about why the work they do is so important. The Charleston salt marsh ecosystem is supposed to be extremely productive—they mitigate storm surges and sea level rise, are home to many animals, and cleanse upstream water before it enters the ocean.
The purpose of the podcast was to encourage listeners to reflect on their own role as citizens in Charleston and show how easy it can be to contribute to making an impact in our community by working with local organizations like The M.A.R.S.H. Project. I chose to do a podcast because it is a space for Lily, a former CofC student, to talk openly about the ins and outs of the experiences she’s had with The M.A.R.S.H. Project. The intention was to inform and motivate listeners (people in the community of all ages) that care and want to get involved, but don’t know where to start. Lily makes it clear that The M.A.R.S.H. Project is a perfect example of how starting with small efforts can lead to larger-scale impacts. (Started as a personal project among three friends who decided to host a cleanup in their neighborhood, realizing quickly how many people cared enough to get involved because over 50 people volunteered to help).
