Poetry has the power to uplift, flood your mind with nostalgia, and provide a new perspective. Poetry can bring about change, and that’s why we’ve chosen to give the second annual Poetry Contest this April the “Poetry For Change” theme.
Submissions will be accepted throughout March, so get your pen ready, creative juices flowing, and utilize your First Amendment’s right to speak your mind. I myself began writing poetry when I was in elementary school. I wrote about simple things like how I enjoyed spending time with my grandfather, the hope I had that my grandmother was smiling down from heaven, and the fun I had playing outdoors. Back then, I’d have to shut myself in a room and scribble notes on the cool carpeted floor to feel “creative” but today, a steaming cup of coffee in silence will do the job right.
If you find yourself having a bit of trouble, take some advice from the famous Welch poet Dylan Thomas, “Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are not alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own.” I don’t know if poetry has ever made my toenails twinkle, but I’ve heard some pretty good ones that have made me cry. In fact, we have a wealth of great poetry books to check out here at the library if you need a bit of inspiration.
Other ways to find your creative spark:
- Find a scenic window to gaze through in the morning as the sun rises or in the evening as the sun sets.
- Look through old family photographs and choose some to write poems about.
- Listen to music that really sings to your soul and write about the images that come to mind.
- Take an afternoon drive to somewhere new and take in the view.
Now I’ll leave you with a little Haiku of my own:
Children play and sing,
Books speak volumes in silence,
Friendly smiles abound.
Happy writing!