Whether you enjoy reading or writing poetry, it can be a healthy outlet to express your emotions, even the difficult ones. After all, tapping into those emotions often makes the best kind of poetry.
I usually write poetry when I’m undergoing a struggle or challenge. I’ll find a comfortable place where I’m alone and scribble all the overwhelming thoughts in my head onto a page. Doing this has helped me put how I’m feeling into words, instead of internalizing it all. I release some of that frustration and pain into art. Writing my thoughts as poetry also helps me visualize what I’m going through. Putting my experience into words helps me feel like I’m gaining my power back. These words are mine and no one else’s. In addition, I use poetry as a timeline and a sort of diary entry. I like to look back on how much I’ve grown and learned and how much happier I’ve gotten since the situation(s) I was in that sparked the poem.
Don’t worry about making every poem perfect. I know I’ve gotten discouraged from writing because I compared my art to others. There’s no such thing as not being creative enough. Everyone can express themselves through poetry. It’s not a “gift” you’re born with. Also, there are many styles of poetry that might work for you. I would recommend a free verse to start off with because it requires no rhyming or rules. If you’re looking to improve your skills, start writing creatively, or collaborate with other writers, you could take an intro to creative writing class. I’m in English 227, which has given me the opportunity to practice writing poetry and other creative writing forms. In that class, you’ll have the ability to workshop your poems and hear from other poets your age and at your skill level.
If writing poetry doesn’t interest you, here are some poetry book recommendations that touch on the healing process:
- You’ll Come Back to Yourself by Michaela Angemeer
- Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
- Healing Is a Gift by Alexandra Vasiliu
- The Things I Didn’t Say in Therapy by Logan Duane
The books listed above inspired a lot of my work. I wanted to provide some examples of what I’ve been working on. Hopefully, it will encourage you to start making poetry of your own. Or, you might read a piece that connects with you.
Strangers Again
Words cannot express how betrayed I feel.
You invited that stranger into our home;
into your heart.
The stranger we made an oath to forget.
The stranger that had me bawling my eyes out
and curled up like a baby in your arms.
You wiped my tears.
You promised to shield me from the pain.
Now, the only pain I feel comes from you.
Goodbye,
Stranger.
Water
Like water,
I morph into my surroundings.
I have no final form.
I’ll be whatever you want me to be.
Whatever you put me in,
I’ll become.
Homebody
I lie in this bed that supported me for the last 19 years.
I’ve grown in it,
cried in it,
and hid my deepest secrets within its many layers.
I dreamt both awake and unconscious in this safe space.
Within a blink of an eye,
l became a woman.
My blanket was the cocoon that released me into a beautiful butterfly.
This Body
This body doesn’t belong to me.
This body is the shell that holds my infinite soul.
This body is picked apart by wandering eyes.
This body is for your judgment and criticism.
This body never asked for your opinion.
This body has scratches and burns from the past.
This body has grown and changed in its size.
This body has been both bruised and beloved.
This body is mine but,
this body doesn’t belong to me.
As you could tell from the content of my pieces, I use poetry to let go of anger and heartache. Reading and writing poetry is therapeutic for me, and it’s become an outlet I turn to when I need a release. I recommend giving this art form a shot because you might discover more about yourself or pick up an interesting new hobby. If you want to read some more poetry from your peers, Illinois State University has its own creative arts journal, Euphemism! You might even consider putting one of your future pieces up for publication.