A few years ago, in the midst of overwhelming stress, feelings of hopelessness and isolation, poetry became an important outlet for expressing myself authentically, and creating positive change in my life. The act of writing and then reciting what I'd written helped me build confidence and even come to love myself more.
Sharing my first couple poems for the first time terrified me. It was a necessary step that encouraged me to take meaningful action in my life. A positive feedback loop began, which enabled me to progressively let more of my true self out, and re-discover who I was after years of bottling everything up.
Here are many of the poems I've written, all over the past 3.5 years. The first three are the ones that helped me become more comfortable being ME and taking the necessary leaps toward a happy, self-expressive life.
A lot of this started out with an effort to use easy, simple language, pleasing rhymes, and alliteration - a heavy inspiration from Dr. Seuss. I enjoyed the kid's book feel, with an underlying message or theme. As they go on, I explored and found inspiration in current troubles/joys, but kept much of the original vibe.
A Smile’s a Smile
When you don’t know what to do, and don’t know the way
Just think to yourself what a smile would say
Would it grin a small grin, encourage another
And flirt with a laugh while trying to cover
A mouthful of teeth bursting to break free
To show off their glistening, glimmering glee
It doesn’t quite matter how a smile is presented
For a smile’s a smile, it does what’s intended
It will bring joy to those already happy
And lift up the spirits of those feeling crappy
It says what you wanted to say without words
It speaks to the heart and does so with courage
Your smile is your own and no one can take it
So share it and show it, and always embrace it
If you smile your smile with joy and with care
Yet each time you are met with simply a stare
Don’t be discouraged and don’t stop your grinning
For a smile’s a smile, and our hearts you are winning
Jump
Just a small jump can bring joy to your day
Make your heart skip and scurry away
So let yourself go, and bend at the knees,
Then extend and expand, and set yourself free
The best part about jumping isn’t the landing
Or the fact that you started off simply from standing
It’s the feeling you get when you’re up in the air
The freedom from any old worry or care
You float for a moment before coming down
When you’ve landed at last, you can’t find your frown
Replaced by a smile and calmness of heart,
As if everything wrong had been great from the start,
So let yourself go, and lift off the ground
And feel free to bellow out any old sound
Like a hoot or a holler, or even a yell
Because you should be you, this much I can tell
Express what is real, be true and be loud
Jump as high as you feel, and make yourself proud
There’s nothing so nice as a jump just for you
The sort that seems silly and makes you feel new
So let yourself go if you feel so inspired
And jump in the air until you’re quite tired
Your legs will recover, your lungs will expand
Next time you’ll go higher, you might never land
When you jump in the air and leave baggage behind
You’ll soar to new heights, and new dreams you might find
If somehow you don’t feel like jumping at all
Perhaps you’re afraid of a terrible fall
A spill is no fun, but a scrape on the knee
Is hardly a reason not to fly free
Just remember the joy your jumping can bring
And take the big leap that makes your heart sing
What Do You See When You Look In the Mirror?
If the person you see in the mirror’s reflection
Doesn’t quite meet your ideal of perfection
Then perhaps your perspective’s not perfectly placed
And just maybe your inner-most thoughts have erased
The power that lies way down deep in your heart
And tells you each day you’ve been great from the start
You are perfectly you, in this moment in time
So meet your own gaze, allow eyes to align
And smile a smile to yourself in the mirror
You’re just right as you are, not a thing could be clearer
Feet
Take good care of your feet, for they take care of you
They lend their support in most all that you do
Each step is an effort, but your feet they don’t mind
They’re happier the more that you use them, you’ll find
They keep you upright and allow you to run
So wiggle them now and again just for fun
Your feet work so hard, and yet hardly complain
Collect mud in the yard, as they romp through the rain
Feet rarely require much love or affection
So stand till you tire, that’s their predilection,
But don’t you forget, they have needs just like you,
So when you get home, let them free of those shoes,
And make sure to massage them now and again,
Take good care of your feet and you’ll be best of friends
Be What You Are
Be what you are, embrace what is you
Do what you love, and love what is true
When you choose with your heart, you choose to be giving
So be what you love, and love how you’re living
Be Grateful, Be Patient, Be Kind
If you’re grateful and patient and kind
More often than not you might find
Those little life stressors
Which once piled on pressure
Are now hardly a weight on your mind
Trapped in Glass