i journal almost every day.
always have.
and especially when i’m going through a stressful time.
writing helps me sort out what i’m feeling and thinking.
and gets “all that stuff” out of my head.
i often encourage my coaching clients to do the same.
as a way for them to release strong emotions.
an escape that won’t harm them, like binge eating tends to do.
recently i participated in a freewrite experiment.
and i challenged myself to compose poetry within this loose context.
to just sit and write.
without editing.
without going back.
without picking up the pen or pausing.
while still achieving cadence and flow.
of course, i didn’t like all of the poems i produced.
in fact, i only liked a few.
but the results were the same.
regardless.
less. stress.
here are three of my attempts.
uncensored.
unpolished.
raw.
Every time you cry
Seek out the cause
Savor the fullness of the
Emotion
Never judge your reaction
Create a welcoming space
Experience delivers
[E.S.S.E.N.C.E.]
dissatisfaction
it oozes from her pores
it threatens her very existence
from what origin?
why so deep, so embedded?
building up a resistance to the bad
spills over into the good
blocks the negative
but can’t tear down the wall for the positive
starting over
new town, new job, new home, new life
no one knows her here
no one senses her story
be brave
go forward
no more reverse for her
breathing again
different projections now
another chance at a legacy
he loved that crooked smile she’d toss him,
when they shared that “i know” moment.
her arms were thin but powerful.
he watched her write her tomes of existence,
and marveled at the strength of her words.
“come here” he said as she sighed and tucked her hair behind one ear.
“it’s late” he said when her eyes turned their weary gaze his way.
“it’s early for me” she answered, as she always did, with that wry short laugh.
she allowed herself to be enveloped in his embrace,
but just for a moment.
before the words were spilling out once again,
words that needed to find their release on that white white paper.
i call it poetry untethered.
rhythmic writing designed to unleash what haunts you.
good or bad.
expressive therapy.
powerful.
try it.
share with me.
