I spy a book of poetry on my bedside table.
Have you ever just stared at your bedroom ceiling for minutes to hours pondering over your life?
“What am I doing?”
“Why am I here.”
“Should I do something productive right now?”
These questions skim through my mind from time to time. Occasionally I feel lost and helpless, just waiting for a hand to catch me before I fall into this never-ending black hole of emotions. And then, in eighth grade, I felt that hand finally catch me while reading a piece of literature in class.
It might not be a shocker, but the piece of literature was a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, “We Wear the Mask.” Once I read the first few verses, I felt a rush of emotions flow through me like I was reborn again. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but it was truly a transformative moment in my life, especially as a teenager. I read the poem again and again until I finally realized there might be other poems out there that I could explore and satiate my hunger. I smiled, wondering who my next prey should be while browsing the bookshelves of my school’s library.
I struggled heavily with negative emotions all my life, and with my introverted personality, it was difficult for me to reach out for support. Nevertheless, my hero who said it was going to be okay was poetry. A few lines of literature allowed me to escape from this painful reality we call life and gave me encouraging words to keep going, that it was going to be okay; that was all I needed.
A noteworthy book I read at leisure is “Flowers on the Moon” by Billy Chapata. If I could, I would marry this book. A book has never understood me so much before as this one. The poems are short reads, but the few lines of words are enough to make you smile.
I read the book last year while grappling with the topic of my career and future. The book gave me a hug when I needed it, but also words of affirmation. It was almost like a significant other to cheer me up whenever I needed them, but that was not enough to describe what “Flowers on the Moon” meant to me. Literature, specifically poetry, is my escape and will always be an outlet to relieve my irregular emotions.
So why not give poetry a try? Hey, you may find an unexpected friend on the bookshelf waiting for you.