Stir the Poet Within You

When you begin to stir the words inside your heart, then write them down, those words become powerful and descriptive and poetic.

Too many so-called poets create for the sake of shock value...or to see how they can squeeze words and fantasize words to make junk, just to hear something unusual.

Poetry can be descriptive of the dark side of life, but must retain a form of beauty, and what is the point of creating anything if it refuses to bring a message of hope? Any fool can make someone hurt. Poetry should ease pain, not stir it.

There is beauty deep inside each of us. When you begin to focus on the passages of portrayal, of narrative, of depiction deep inside you, then you can begin to sketch with words, to use the literary form of picture-words. You can explain every aspect of life with poetry. This is inside each of us. Some only think these descriptions. Some bring out the negative or ugly side of it. I encourage you to bring out the beauty, the truth, the finer side of interpretation. With practice, with the actual doing of it, you sharpen your skills and begin to render a portrait of rhythmical, lyrical, even emotional literary form.

You can use spiritual, mystical, legendary, romantic subjects that no other form of storytelling can offer. Nestled in each poem is a personal conjecture, a part of the uniqueness of your own persona. This brings individuality to each poet, each poem. Therefore, no matter how many poets describe a tree, you can write a beautiful, original, new poem about a tree!

I urge you to sit quietly. Begin to focus on a subject. Put away all distractions. Think on this subject. Ask questions of it. Describe it from a child's point of view, from an older person's point of view. Describe it as though it is the only one that exists in the entire world. Think on it as precious - or as abominable - and "paint" that description. It will remind you of something else. Describe that, too. Then, take a new sheet of paper and start again. You may have to repeat this step. Finally, take all your pages and compose the final draft of your poem.

This method will encourage the poet inside your heart. However, one thing remains consistent. If you don't begin to do it, it will never get done! You must begin!