Why I Write Poetry
sometimes i wonder why i write. when i get to the end of poems, i usually just feel more emotional. i wonder why i have such a strong desire to share my poems with other people. what’s the point? it can’t be beauty, because these poems are storms, rarely sun showers. this art isn’t about wrapping my experiences and emotions in pretty metaphors and hoping someone gets impressed with the result. i carry a flashlight in the dark, praying that if i am not scared by my own shadows, someone else might join me here, and i won’t be alone anymore. maybe that’s all anyone wants. to find someone unafraid of the darkest shadows.
sometimes i think poetry is hiding, using metaphors to give the illusion of vulnerability. perhaps the truth is that poetry is that flashlight. i start with my own shadows, letting the light find me. and when the light shines, you know that you’re not alone.
there are a lot of reasons i write poetry, but the reason i share it is so that you know you’re not alone. vulnerability leads to connection. that’s more powerful than any metaphor or spoken word delivery or publishing house.
i used to want to get in front of people and say “look at how far i’ve come.” now i want to say “look at how far i have to go.” so that you know you’re not alone, that your story is powerful, that you have a voice. use it. you never know who needs to hear it.
i know i want to hear it. please.
use your voice. even in the shadows.
sometimes i think poetry is hiding, using metaphors to give the illusion of vulnerability. perhaps the truth is that poetry is that flashlight. i start with my own shadows, letting the light find me. and when the light shines, you know that you’re not alone.
there are a lot of reasons i write poetry, but the reason i share it is so that you know you’re not alone. vulnerability leads to connection. that’s more powerful than any metaphor or spoken word delivery or publishing house.
i used to want to get in front of people and say “look at how far i’ve come.” now i want to say “look at how far i have to go.” so that you know you’re not alone, that your story is powerful, that you have a voice. use it. you never know who needs to hear it.
i know i want to hear it. please.
use your voice. even in the shadows.
wow. i said that word so many times reading this. your writing gifting leaves me in awe. never stop writing. keep turning on your flashlight in the dark cause without so many people would be blind. your poems give us hope that carries us through til tomorrow.
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