Poetry

Poetry ....

Sometimes its mind-altering magic
can make you stop and think.
It may pull you out of darkness
or lead you to daylight's brink.
Maybe it brings new understanding —
you're not alone, your voice is heard,
even if the listener's a stranger
with whom you've not shared a word.

© 2024 HSE

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I am far from being formally trained in the art of poetry. The early decades of writing resulted in pieces that simply told of my aches, challenges, triumphs, and flashes of personal growth. I knew nothing of iambic pentameters, quatrains, any of the many poetry forms or dozens of glossary terms. I just wrote what I felt in an effort to purge whatever darkness might be keeping me from seeing and understanding the science of the heart. Sometimes my poems naturally conformed to rhyming patterns. Other times, I was drawn to a more freeform artistry of words, reflective of my unschooled approach.

Returning to writing after many years of falling silent, I've now come to realize there can be greater power in a more practiced, eloquent poetic voice. While my bookshelves once contained only a few books of poetry written by familiar names, in recent months, my personal library on the elements and writing processes of poetry is exponentially growing.

I may never understand the purpose of a poem that’s written in everyday conversational language and simply broken up into short lines. As I alluded to in my spontaneous opening poem on this page, I always hope to bring others to a place of understanding, or at least help them feel understood.

Below you'll find my poetry, written over the years. The topics vary, shifting with time and reflecting the natural evolution of thoughts as we age. I hope you find something that resonates, offering a deeper connection with your own poetic journey through life.