Passion in Poetry

I’ve been writing poetry since I was seven or eight years old. That may seem really young, but I didn’t know it was poetry at the time. I only knew that when I had a pencil in my hand, it felt effortless.

There was a period of time I would convince myself that what I was doing was writing songs. I’d put a tune to some words and tried to make it flow, but in retrospect, I think I was doing that so it would be less weird than admitting I was simply writing from my heart.

I used to envy lyrics in songs because once they are performed with music, they become widely accepted and used as a unifying force. Think of concerts, car rides, pregames, any social gathering, really. Music is played to set a mood or add to the ambiance.

Poetry, although practically the same concept as lyrics minus the musical aspect, is reserved for more intimate settings. It’s something that if you don’t actively do or seek, you can be so far removed from.

I have always been fascinated by words, though. I used to have a poem hanging in my room when I was little, and I read it so many times I memorized it and could recite it verbatim.

From a very young age I’ve had a lyrical mind but not as much of an eloquent voice, which is why I’ve turned to writing throughout my life. I’ve seen arguments break out, words be misconstrued, and ideas get lost in translation all because of an underdeveloped verbal delivery. In those moments, it’s frustrating to be on either end of the conversation. They can be tough situations because regardless what the topic is, we as people want to be understood. We want to connect to others and feel valued. Those are basic human desires, and when those necessities are not met, we feel that void.

What I love about poetry is that you can equate a complex feeling or event to something that’s commonly understood, and suddenly, you relate to someone just because you two understand that comparison. There is obviously a lot of range within poetry, though. Some poems are dowsed in imagery and figurative language, and when you finish reading them, you have no idea what they were about. On the other hand, some poems are simple yet so bold. Those are the ones I am infatuated with. There is something so relieving about reading a poem and thinking, “that’s exactly what I’m feeling but didn’t know how to say.”

There are times I have no idea how to write about what I’m feeling. That’s when I love to read. Other times, I know exactly how to articulate myself. That’s when poetry is effortless.

I’ve been posting some of my poetry to an anonymous Instagram account for two years now. I created it so that I could have a central place to keep my pieces, but I did not want my name attached to the account. I liked the freedom of just releasing anything that felt of value to me. My closest friends and family follow the account, but outside of my inner circle, it isn’t advertised. (Also, I have maybe 60 followers, I’m not some undiscovered poet with hundreds of thousands of followers).

Regardless, I don’t care about how many people read my words. I care about doing what I love and being of service to people who benefit from what I love.

I’ve gone back and forth between keeping this account anonymous or announcing it’s mine. Writing feels really vulnerable, so this blog was a big deal when I first started it. Poetry feels even more sacred to me, and I feel like I want to protect it forever. There are pieces I probably won’t ever release, but I’d say the majority of what I’ve been writing for the last two years has been posted.

I decided to announce my poetry Instagram account for a specific reason. There have been so many times I’ve read other people’s poems (on Instagram specifically) and have thought, “I am so happy that I’m not the only one who feels this way”. If those people hadn’t posted their poems to a place where I could see them, I wouldn’t feel as validated within myself.

Recently I’ve realized that I’m a hypocrite to keep my account a “secret”. If I have the ability to make someone feel less alone, more understood, or just at ease, then I am doing a disservice to everyone who needs my words and isn’t receiving them.

I am quite clearly an amateur, but everything I write comes from a place that is beyond me, I truly feel that. The only reason I write is because I feel overwhelming compelled to. So, if I keep to myself what may have never been intended for me from the beginning, I am doing none of us any good.

When I say compelled I don’t mean God himself comes down and asks me to write a poem. I mean there are situations I hear or see that trigger my mind to write. I don’t solely write about what I go through or feel, either. Often times, I’ll put myself in other people’s shoes and write as if I’m in someone else’s story. Those are more challenging pieces because I myself am not experiencing that situation, but if you want to grow in any area of life, you need to step outside of your comfort zone.

With that said, if you are not familiar with poetry at all, start by browsing my Instagram feed. You may not enjoy it at all, or you may really like it, either way, you gave it a shot.

To those who love poetry or end up falling in love with poetry, I hope you find value in what I write.

I’ll share one of my favorites with you here as a preview into my style:

it’s okay to hurt me

i know,

i know,

that qualifies as crazy

insane

depressed

no self-worth

but hurt me.

let me feel broken

let me heal without bandaids

let me weed through the garden

in agony

bloody cuts from stabs of the thorns

and forget the roses

those are predictable

let me inhale the sweet scents of the daffodils’ petals

and when I grow nauseous of sniffing too many flowers

i hope i reach down to the soil

grab the brown earth

let it slip through my fingers

get locked underneath my nails

and decide

“you’ve done nothing but help everything in here grow...

you are the root of all beauty

all the credit goes to you

yet you’re ‘just dirt’

but not to me

so let’s grow.

together.

you and me.

until we get too big for this place

seep into the water stream

and slow river our way out of here.”

Feel free to browse my account @Poetay_ on Instagram, or use this link to navigate there.

I hope my words find you where you need to be found.