Rediscovery
I know I have written about poetry and writing in verse. But I think I needed to talk some more about the benefits of it and how I have really rediscovered it. It isn’t like it went away behind a curtain for no one to see. Rather it was something I had shelved like I was done with it.
In high school poetry was my go-to, to express emotions that I was unable to fully articulate. I could have acted out, done bad things, or even turned to worse things. Words were my weapons. I used them in every form. I had a paper due, so I used quotes, and symbolism and my conclusions usually had a little dig at how trivial it all was. I have a few journals filled with just poems. I have a binder full of all the loose-leaf paper I used to tear into.
After school, I utilized poetry at times my life seemed too much. When death visited me, I wrote a poem. When my family abandoned me, I wrote a poem. Then like a light switched off, I stopped. I am not even sure why it just ended. Life wasn’t peaches and cream. I could have easily used poems to document the continual struggle. So, that brings us up to now.
The recent class I took was for readings in poetry. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be just reading and discussing or also writing your own work. Either way, I was excited to take it. During the time I was in the course I started to rediscover that passion and subsequent release when writing a poem. The class had us read, share our favorites, and write our own. In that time, I have written eight poems and started up the poetry page here on my site.
Most of my poems are full of imagery and are in free form. But we did have to write a sonnet which I was rather proud of since it needed to rhyme. Many people look at poetry as either boring or too much reading into the underlying message. But as an author and reader of poetry, it is a lot more. It is a means of getting emotions out and a source of therapy to figure out deeper-rooted issues. By no means, however, am I saying it replaces it with actual therapy. It is good to use in tandem.
Try it out. Writing some thoughts, emotions, or images. Even if it doesn’t make sense, you can go over it again after. You will be surprised by what you can create. Check out my favorite poems here. They have been an excellent source of inspiration for me. You can also check out the poems I wrote in class here.
I am happy I switched that light back on. I needed to say a lot with my emotions that I hadn’t in a while. Give it a try! I highly recommend it! I will do my best to keep the poetry page up to date with my writing. I will be adding the ones I did in class. Our lives are full of highs and lows. We each have a plethora of content to write about. Why not make it a beautiful image to bring that facet of you to life?
