Why Poetry & A Poem

To me, poetry has been and continues to be a fluid expression of emotions and experiences that can not be properly portrayed with a direct notation. Poetry offers a platform to access the power of words to create the moment(s) and the idea(s) to be felt as honestly as possible. Sometimes, one can not express the experience without creating another vehicle, an alternate canvas, to do so. It doesn't always make 100% sense to the reader, but there's beauty in that too. There is an intent of the poet and often a personal story and process. The reader can read for that and learn about the poet. The reader can also read for themselves, interpret for themselves, and move forward from it as they need to read and understand it. It can feel daunting to share poetry, I think, because there is something very personal about it. For me, it's similar to how I feel about dance. I offer myself and step into a vulnerable space to express the entirety of the moment, its meaning, purpose and emotion, so that I can express myself, either through words or movement. Yet in doing so, I am offered a universal liberation and a joy of being uninhibited and honest with myself and the world. And more often than not, it connects two, three, a community of people. Because what binds us all is our space of humanity. To invite others into that space is a reminder that we live in a community and need community; it is honoring of my humanity and yours. To see and be seen. Here's a recent one. 

Lines

smwang

10.3.19

Every moment has the potential for our faith to grow. 

He’s present to me even in the darkness. 

So I refuse to be in a partnership where I maintain silence and wonder what I’m worth. 

I’ve learned that the four pillars can be achieved. I am able to love someone unconditionally. Hard conversations are good. And necessary. 

When you model vulnerability and trust, it reaps more of it. 

Active love is a reflection of God’s love, taught by God, kept by God.  

So maybe I needed the week of re-schedules to arrive here. 

It’s what I needed to know so that I can figure out how to move forward. 

...and I knew I had a choice. 

I pressed. 

I pushed.

For the conversation that probably could’ve been avoided. 

I’ve thought of how much this can hurt & feel like a loss. 

I also see it as a gain.

But the depth of wound caused...

“Why does it still hurt if I’m healing? ‘I don’t feel pain anymore’ is not the goal or end result of healing. ‘This pain has no effect on my self-worth’ is more like it.’” (Mari Andrew)

And as long as it does not steal my joy. 

Remind me how broken the world is, how much He truly loves and is similarly broken by the world. 

Seek stillness. 

Don’t pursue martyrdom. 

Recognize that no guidance makes things really difficult.

And if there is none, I have to prioritize.

Importance of disrupting standard, traditional [education and school] systems. 

Honoring their stories. Seeing them for who they are and remembering their humanness. 

Trusting our humanness.

That is a beautiful reality that just might counter our fucked up world.

I think their silence has to do with their overwhelmed paralysis.

I’m going to choose my silence to be power. 

Change is hard.

Process of transformation means there is some notion of alteration, 

Requires deliberate removal of 

Or adding on of

Either approach, 

There will be discomfort before there is comfort. 

There comes a point when they’re going to be in better hands.

And “you’ll find a point when..you will exhale…” (Whitney Houston)

We are all lost, all we can do is stay lost, wait and be faithful that we will be found…

My greatest darkness is my own mind.

I don’t want my light not to shine. 

If it dims my light, that’s not good. 

“Choosing to be fearless for the other awakens in us a courageous heart and fosters a selflessness where true joy is born.” (Father Greg Boyle)

Liberated struggle.

Painful joy. 

So much bigger than our limited scope of who He is, can be, and always reminds us to be.

Often we miss it because of our lack of imagination. 

We should exist in that creativity.

Go (back) to what I am most passionate about… 

Seek life-giving structures.

BE-ing. 

Shit. I think I really like him.