I Used To Write Poetry..

Hi Spawn 1984, thanks for your response. When life has a number of downs and one doesn't feel well, and I mean in all ways, physically as well as emotionally, it sometimes just doesn't feel right to write. The doldrums just take over and writing a poem seems so far away. I have one friend who moved and I haven't seen her in ten years but she said to me, the writer is still there inside of you, you're taking a break because your focus is on other pressing issues, but she will return. I found her comment very helpful but I didn't really believe her. I thought my inner poet was gone for good. I mean Spawn, almost 10 years!! Surely, that desire is gone for good.



Then the other day one of my cousins in New York; I'm in Texas, asked me on the phone to write a poem for her for a man she's crazy about. I asked her for all the details I could think of to put together something. I told her it may be awhile and that I don't write like I once did. I wrote a rough synopsis of all she told me and it didn't even sound like a poem to me. the whole project felt futile. Then when I woke up in the middle of the night from physical pain which I endure most of the time, sometimes worse than others, the first couple of lines of a poem for her came into my mind. I grabbed my pen at 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. and I started to write. the whole poem came out in such a lovely way, I was shocked?! I still need to re-write it and make spelling corrections and some other things, but, for me, sharing it with other writers or one other writer helps me enormously with an edit. As I said I used to take poetry classes and memoir classes and I had a teacher who would always look for the good in every piece that every one of her students wrote and then she'd put a comment on how to improve it in such a way, that it came out so well afterwards. I took her class many times and so did others. She was a loved and cherished teacher. So, in essence I'm saying, would you be interested in hearing the poem I wrote for my cousin for her new boyfriend? And would you mind giving me any editing ideas you want? Now, this feels scary and risky for me and I'm wondering, Do I really want to do this? It's so new for me to actually write a poem I like and I feel vulnerable sharing it with anyone. And i don't even know you at all, If you want to first let me know if you'd be interested and then let me think further about it. And I welcome hearing anything you wrote in the past and maybe if you get some good feed back about a previous poem you wrote, your confidence may build to even want to write again. Let me know what you think and no pressure for either of us since it seems we've both got wounds which prevent this from happening. I can be patient. Thanks for your honesty in sharing. Velvetflow

Hi spawn 1984. I enjoyed hearing your poetry background and where you are now with this . I have had the same experience. When I was in school 9 years ago and taking numerous writing classes and also feeling well physically and emotionally with so many goals in mind and achievements happening, I was writing poetry non-stop.



Once I became ill with many physical problems and had to drop out of school and went through a tumultuous 9 year relationship which affected me so adversely, I lost the ability to write and the desire. This surprised and amazed me. When I went to a grief group I wrote a few poems about my love for this guy and my loss and they came out like I was two years old or three. I wrote in short little sentences, like I became regressed emotionally. When I was in school writing consistently my poetry became more and more sophisticated. Like you, I always wrote about life experiences, events and feelings which moved me deeply. I wondered and still wonder if I can ever write in that same polished way as I once did.



I've won awards for my poetry and was voted number one poet in my college. Needless to say this thrilled me to no end. I haven't written in a number of years except those poems about that guy since I had to journal in a grief group about him.



I understand what you say about your tank being empty and nothing inside to give. I would love for you to try to write again and let me know which group your poetry is in and what the names of your poems are. Perhaps we can encourage each other. Best Wishes! Velvetflow