April is National Poetry month. I love how poetry enhances my life, opening my mind to another, more intimate view of what’s happening, besides my same ole, same ole assumptions, my conditioned mind tends to make.
Years ago I was introduced to David Whyte’s poetry by my dear friend Patricia and I fell instantly in love with it. Especially listening to him reciting. Which is why I’ve begun this blog post, inviting you into this same opening up I have experienced through poetry.
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
About a decade ago, I added regular reading of poetry to my yummy time in the morning. In fact there have been several years that I have chosen a book of a favorite poet like David Whyte, Mary Oliver, Rilke, Rumi or Hafiz and read and contemplated a poem a day each morning, as part of opening my perspective to seeing life from a slightly different vantage point.
And it’s been extremely rewarding in ways I never predicted.
It’s like slowing down the moment before me, to notice all the sights and sounds and textures of my surroundings — or the spontaneous emotional landscape of a single child’s face — or the exchange between an elderly couple sitting together conversing in the park as I go for a walk.
And suddenly life feels completely alive, living inside and along with me.
Lately I’ve had the opportunity to meet some beautiful poets that are continually putting themselves and their poetry out into the world — which in itself, I feel, is a courageous kind of poetry. Check out these Facebook poets, who are part of The Authors Spot Facebook group where you can find a wonderful collection of poetry.
And poets like: Teresa James, C.J.Willis, Bob Strum and Danielle Turner. Or check out Megan Porter, who writes poignant expressions about the immediacy of accepting and loving yourself exactly as you are.
I met Aaron Cance in his independent bookstore, The Painted Garden in Sandy, Utah last week, while I was placing my book, Baptized by Love, in some of the local bookstores. We got to talking and he shared that he, too, was a writer, and shared his book, Almost Home (Selected Poems) with me. In thumbing through it, I felt that familiar beckoning to my heart that poetry brings, and purchased the book.
Later, when I randomly opened the book, it landed on this poem, which was totally apropos to share right here with you.
It’s called, you guessed it, POETRY! I love how life just falls in place…
poetry
is the search,
is the wait
for the hot last to strike,
is a violent shaking
of the imagination,
is the opening of dream-like wounds,
is the agitation of the cage,
of pulling the living coil tight,
and like a song on strings,
deliverance
from mediocrity.
one touch is all it takes
to calm the desolate soul,
one shaft of affectionate light
to remind the heart
that it is
a craving device.
~Aaron Cance
What is your relationship with poetry?
Who are your favorite poets?
Your favorite poems.
How has poetry affected the way you look at the world?
We’d love to hear from you.
Throughout this month of April, let’s share some of our favorite poetry on our Living the Yummy Way Facebook group.
Have you ever written a poem?
Shared it?
Right here, right now, you have a perfect opportunity, with a yummy community to share this part of yourself!
We want to celebrate the poet in you, with you!
In fact, this being National Poetry month, let’s all celebrate the poet in all of us and the beautiful poetry of life happening, just as it is…
