On Poetry

According to Britannica, poetry is defined as "literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm" (Nemerov, 2020).

The above is a formal definition, perhaps for the purpose of academia. It may not be important if at all. 

To me, poetry has been everything that I have wanted it to be. I have defined poetry for myself and that is the beauty of poetry. It lets you define it. It gives you itself wholly and unapologetically. 

Poetry is my life. It has given me so much. It has helped me. 

I am writing this because it is officially National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) but also because this is something I felt like writing about. I feel like I owe poetry this much for all it has done for me. 

Poetry has helped me through dire times. It didn't matter how subjective or objective the time that I was going through was. If it was happening, then poetry was there to get me through the times. It was like a companion who firmly says that it is going through exactly what you are going through, and it has zero regrets. 

Poetry has helped me figure things out. A lot of the times when there was a huge question mark over my head about things that didn't make sense to the wisest of people I know (I don't), poetry has paved a path for me, leading me to the answer. But poetry doesn't just assist me. It transforms into me. Therefore, when it helps me pave the way, poetry makes sure that I find the way myself through it. 

Poetry has made me a lover. A lover of what, you may ask? A lover of everything, I must say. It is the intricacies that makes poetry, poetry; It is the feelings that makes it poetry and; it is the mindfulness that makes it poetry. Without feeling the soft fabric of the pillow, without being mindful about where your head lays at night, there wouldn't be a poem about pillows, and that one particular pillow at that. 

Poetry is a form of expression that I use in my daily life. When words fail and strength gives in, poetry comes to my rescue. It says to me: "Here you go. I am here. Let yourself be free of your feeling in as many words as you want. Of course, the words will speak for themselves, but so will the spaces." (The spaces in poetry have their own story that deserve their own blog post.) 

Poetry says anyone can write it. There is no "good" or "bad". There is only writing and not writing. Poetry doesn't discriminate. So, for the sake of poetry, I don't either. 

Finally (but not entirely), poetry has helped me find myself in and through others' words and I hope that one day, it helps someone find themselves through my words. 

This is my ode? (but it isn't a lyrical poem!), my eulogy? (but poetry never dies!), my toast? (if you may), to poetry because poetry has always made sure to honour me.