The Power of Poetry
When I was younger, I thought being able to write poetry
would make me cooler. Once I got over that, I stopped trying to write poetry
altogether. I found that just being myself was cool enough for me, yet even
then, I knew it wasn’t enough for the world.
In adulthood, I rekindled my love of reading and writing and
began to explore fiction. The process was not only fun, but therapeutic. I did
not return to writing poetry, but I did return to reading it from time to time.
I always felt that poetry had a special place in my heart reserved for those
tough moments that can’t be simply described or explained. Poetry, when done
well, helps you feel and empathize- at least I hope it does.
I didn’t begin to explore writing poetry again until I was
well into my 30’s. It was simply an experiment I conducted from time to time when I
didn’t know how else to express myself. Whether what I produced was good or bad
in terms of style, technique, and quality was irrelevant. I was dabbling in
poetry as an exercise in self-expression.
At the age of 40 (in the midst of a pandemic and the
resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement), I made a big step, and perhaps
an even bigger mistake. I began to write poetry and actually share it with the
public. The problem with sharing anything self-expressive with the public is
that once it’s out there, it’s not about you anymore. Your words, your
thoughts, and your intentions become subject to someone else’s perception.
Whether my poetry is perceived in a positive or negative
way, I have accepted that it doesn’t change what it means to me. What I have
learned, though, is that other people’s perception of my poetry can tell me
more about them than years of conversation and passing comments.
That’s the power of poetry- what it reveals about the
reader. When someone reads poetry and feels something, they react based on what
they feel. That reaction is impactful- sometimes heated and passionate. A
person’s reaction to a poem may reveal suicidal thoughts they never previously
acknowledged; it may reveal that despite societal expectations they really
don’t want to be a father or mother; it may reveal an opinion of racial and or
cultural superiority over others never before explicitly stated ... and so much
more.
The power of poetry is how people react to it.
When I write poetry, I’m often expressing sadness, hurt,
pain, and yes, even anger. As a human being, I have a right to express all
those things. My poetry is very personal and often speaks to greater matters beyond
me. Whether I like it or not, I expect people’s reaction to my poetry to be
aimed at me; however, I’ve recently seen that people will take my words, and
other people’s words, and try to use them to attack an entire group, culture,
religion, or race. But, as previously
stated, this reveals more about the reader than it does about me.
And that’s the power of poetry.
-
I would like to take a moment just to say thank you to the
W.E.P. + IWSG community for helping me hone my skills over the years. I will be
taking a hiatus from participation in future challenges. I wish everyone good
health and good writing.
-
My latest release: Why Are You Afraid?
There’s no easy way to explain racism, especially to young
kids, but the sooner kids learn the truth, the better they can combat it and
work to help make changes.
This is a light, yet serious, story about perceptions. This
book was written to help parents start the race conversation with their
children, whatever their race or skin color may be.
Toi Thomas is a geek-girl, vinyl collector, chocoholic, movie buff, animal lover, avid reader and reviewer, blogger, vlogger, and an indie author of children's books, fiction, and nonfiction. Find Toi online at the following links.
Website- The ToiBox of Words
YouTube- Toi
Thomas
Facebook- Toi Thomas
Author
Twitter- @ToiThomas
Instagram- @CarnieTheBookworm
