Narate Keys

Narate Judie Keys is a poet, massage therapist, and writer. Keys is a 1.5 generation Cambodian American born in the Thailand refugee camp. Keys is an author of a growing collection: The Good Life (poetry & songs) and The Changes… Immigration Footprints of Our Journey (poetry). As a Khmer American, Keys writes to express her VOICE and help heals others with massage therapy and poetry. Keys has performed in Minnesota’s The Loft Literacy Center, Washington D.C., Saint Cloud State University, Northwestern Health Sciences University, among others. Keys worked as a Massage Therapist for over 10 years. In addition, Keys is a loving mother and student seeking a degree in Human Biology.

AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Founder of Khmer Culture Center of Minnesota (KCCM)
  • Proud member of National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
  • 2013 Northwestern Health & Science University’s Respect & Dignity Champion (NwHSU) recipient.
  • 2012 Board of Director of Valley Athletic Association (VAA)
  • 2009 Cambodian Association of Rochester Minnesota (CARM)
  • Storytelling recipient from Twin Cities media alliance 2018
Poetry is food for our souls. It’s the language of love and appreciation. It’s words of encouragement, words of wisdom, and words of inner rant. It’s the base of lyrics in rap, love songs and chants. Poetry is our oneness and stillness. Poetry is the roots of the trees, the trunk of the extinct white elephants, and the vine of a delicious Moscato. Poetry feeds our souls.My reason for writing is the courage to express the true meaning of my VOICEs that needs to be heard. I also write because being silent will not conquer the beat of my speech and tear the loud inner voice inside. I write to be heard loud and clear because my solo soft-spoken tone is not yet defined. I don’t want to be judged nor have this taken as a weakness, because writing poetry has strengthened me. Writing poetry is riding along with the speed of waves of happiness.I’ve discovered the happiness behind poetry. Each individual poem that I’ve written took many layers of my soul search being opened. I believe that in the moment of the processes of writing, I am instantly a better writer.

I enjoy writing poetry, because it expands many rows of unlimited potential and I am able to write without fear. Thus, the most noticeable voice is my native Cambodian tongue that often comes between my love of writing English poems and Khmer-American refugee native language poems.

As an emergent poet. I’ve self-published a chapbook called The Good Life & The changes… Immigration Footprints of Our Journey. Welcome and thank you for visiting NarateKeys.com