Poetry

Besides faith, one of my hungers is for beauty. A thought can be beautiful, put into a poem. That was my motive behind The Hope of Youth, Tales of Heartbreaking Beauty, available at Publish America. I have described poetry as "Food for the Soul" because if written well, with good intentions, it can be beautiful and inspiring. Thoughts of Thoreau come to mind, you can even find philosophy in poetry.

Emerson was a bit of a philosopher, but you could find inspiration for poetry in his thought. The old writers knew the importance of words. Words that could shape a mind and inspire generations to come, speak of their genius. They didn't need shock value, using crass language or vulgar images like so many poets today. I stopped by to listen to a blog talk radio show about poetry and was assaulted by vile words and images. I don't think shock poetry is good for the image of poetry or promoting its importance.

If someone is that untalented that they have to talk so vulgarly of body parts, you have to wonder what they really have to say.

I wrote a whole book of poetry without once mentioning a private part. Sure I took on disappointments in relationships, and heart break but I didn't have to stoop that low. Part of poetry is mystery. Did they say what I thought they said? Leaving people to think and muddle through life. Making them think about the meaning of life.

Mystery, of life and love and your personal pursuit of happiness can all inspire poetry. After all, you know your life. And if you live a noble life. People will want to know more. I know some people die young. But if you reach out, and write, you can live beyond your lifetime if you really touch people. Charles Dickens is still remembered today. The point is. Most people want to matter and if you can inspire people, you will matter.

I choose to try to inspire through poetry. Maybe I am good at it, maybe not. But I have gotten people to read and enjoy my poems and I hope to make the world a little more beautiful with my poems. I recently lost about 64 lbs and I love my new attitude as a result and look forward to sharing more poetry. And hope I can inspire others with it. So here's to poetry, food for the soul. Nurture your soul with a poem. Whether from a master, or a new author like me.