I am not a poet. If I sit down with the purpose of writing poetry, nothing comes out. Or, if it does, it’s forced and doesn’t flow, though usually the rhymes are great.
That said, there are times when I sit down to write and a poem is what comes out.
Sometimes, in order to get out my thoughts and feelings, a poem is what is called for.
These are often times when the thoughts are such that the longer form of prose just simply doesn’t cut it. The words that need to come out simply need a different form.
There is something about the rhythm of the words in a poem, the way there can be longer and short lines, and the way the thoughts can flow, not to mention that, occasionally, the thoughts are so disjoined that they won’t fit in a story.
Some of the poems I write in those times are still so awful that they will never be shared. Some are okay, they need some work, and there’s a chance they will be shared one day. Some come out fully formed and may need some polishing but are essentially done. Some are just silly. Some are so close to my heart that I’m not sure if they will be shared.
When it comes down to it, sharing is not the point.
The point is to get these thoughts and feelings out of my head. Putting them on paper helps to clarify those thoughts and feelings. Putting them on paper also helps to decompress those thoughts. Almost as if getting them out means I don’t have to think about them any more.
By putting them down, they have served their purpose.
There are some that I’ve shared with professionals as these poems were able to express what I needed to say in a way that I couldn’t in the moment. This has helped them to understand my thoughts and feelings so much more clearly than I can express them otherwise.
I have learned not to say no to a particular style of writing. You never know when an idea will call for it, whether it is poetry or something else.
So, when you’re wanting to express something and prose just doesn’t seem to cut it, try some poetry. It may not be the best thing you’ve ever written, but that doesn’t matter. It may be the format your thoughts require.
Have fun and enjoy the process.
And write your poem like no one will ever read it.
