My junior year of high school, my English teacher introduced the November Poetry Challenge where you write a poem a day for the whole month. This reignited my love for poetry. Parts of the process have not been easy or even all enjoyable. There have been many days and hours of editing, rewriting and revision. There has been stress and late nights. But it has been worth it.
I have always loved poetry, but embarking on this challenge deepened my love for it. After successfully completing the November Poetry Challenge, I did not want to stop. So, I kept going! I began a large creative project that captivated every action and attitude to see the world in a fresh, poetic light. I have now been writing a poem a day for almost two years. It has been a difficult, but delightful, journey of growing and becoming stronger in my writing.
It is not as challenging as it once was because I find myself blessed with a new dose of inspiration daily. When people ask me if I think in words or images, I tell them that I don’t just think in words, I think in poems. Weaved into the very tapestry of the universe is poetry. Sewn into the earth is the poetic beauty of God’s promises. His love is stunningly painted across the canvas of the sky from the moment the bud of day opens at dawn to the time the blossom closes at dusk. Our lives would be largely lacking an essential, miraculous gift if words were absent. The presence of words in the world is potent, poignant and healing to human souls, and this we must never forget.
My writing of poetry is a delightful daily habit. I take inspiration from the day, like rain or trees or a feeling and put it into a poem. I have written early morning poems, staring out the window in awe at the striking pink sunrise, heart beaming with gratitude for a new day—an opportunity to spread His light in the world. I have also written late night poems, taking emotions and moments that have marinated in my mind and putting them on paper. What I love about poetry is that there are no specific requirements for it and it is not limited. It is, however, infinite in the choices the poet makes, intricately choosing each word.
I published my first poetry book this past summer and titled it “Awaken.” This title best represents the overarching theme of all my poems: to open the reader’s eyes and awaken their senses to the beauties of God, others and the world around them in the mundane and the miraculous. My sister created an image for the cover which fit perfectly. There are three sections: “Awake to Beauty,” “Awake to Joy,” and “Awake to Wonder.” Each is meant to inspire the reader on the gifts that are daily presented to them and encourage them not to become blind or fall asleep but to stay awake to them.
My biggest hope in sharing my words with the world is that they would inspire the hearts, souls and minds of my readers. There is heavy pain and sorrow that humans experience living in the fallen reality of this world, but I believe that beauty is omnipresent if we open our eyes to it and no part of this world is untouched by it. Even though brokenness obscures the lens in which we view others and the world, it can never break the power of beauty. We must just have open eyes and hearts to see it.
Poetry is one way I express my adoration and passion for this painful and precious, terrifying and beautiful gift that is life. I put the wonders I gather as I travel life’s path into words. A lifestyle of poetic prolificity can be challenging, but it is always rewarding.
We are passionate beings, pulsing with unique longings and loves that I believe no other art form can express in such profound ways as words. Poetry can be simple, yet striking, complex and enlivening, deeply melancholy, yet also healing. Words are gifts God gave to humanity to express our passions and praises to Him. Poetry will always be precious in my heart, and I am forever grateful to Him who gave the gift of words.