Makayla Wamboldt lives and writes in San Diego, California where she is endlessly at work paying attention to the world. She is interested in using poetry as a vehicle of praise and a place to hold life’s unanswerable questions. Her poetry has been shortlisted for the 2026 Central Avenue Poetry Prize, nominated for Best New Poets and Orison Books’ award for Best Spiritual Literature, and has appeared in numerous publications. She can often be found watching birds and starting first drafts on her back patio. You can find more of her writing at makaylawamboldt.substack.com