Know Me Today on World Poetry Day

Know me today
If you not know me no other
Know me on this World Poetry Day
For I am a poetry lover

I was 8 standing on a stage trying to figure out
if the mean kids were laughing at my boring tone,
ugly dress or my holey shoes
as I recited "I Too Sing America" by Langston Hughes

Too embarrassed, too terrified I choked
I looked around for a teacher to invoke
Because the giggles convinced me I was a poetic joke
though I did indeed felt no passion in the poetry I spoke

My Lack of passion, guts and ambition
Fueled a poetic mission
to get my desired recognition
By firing back with words as my a ammunition
and with my fearless rhythmic transition... I had no competition

Those mean kids would not compete with me, they did not dare
for they knew a poetic war I would declare
The newly acquired motivation they forced upon me, no one could compare
And the mental torture they inflicted on me unleashed the potential I had hidden somewhere

If they not knew me then, they should know me today
If they knew me no other
Know me on this World Poetry Day
For they made me a poet and a poetry lover

As an confused adolescent , My love for poetry showed in my rhythmic expressions
For it was the only way I knew how to express my hurt from life's lessons
It was my therapeutic way to free myself from deep depressions
And a sick rhyme was my sick way to unleash my darkest, most shocking confessions

Today as a woman, I see poetry as something deeper than just me
I lose myself not just in my own, but in other poet's poetry
I embrace all poetry passionately
Because one who gives you their heart, soul and poetic thoughts freely
deserves your attention and your respect for the art of poetry

Know me today
if you know me no other
I want to know you today
If I not heard your poetry no other
We must know one another on this World Poetry Day
For we are poets and poetry lovers