I’m A Poet and Don’t Know it?

Here we are again two weeks since a post, sometimes the brain fails and no matter what I start to jot down is either A..boring or B..even more boring. Continually finding content in the grey matter that resides in my skull is at sometimes, a chore. I pride myself on trying to be a good and informative storyteller, for a self taught writer anyway this is the approach I take. So last week when the opportunity to try something new and in a group setting I had to say “yes”. I’ve now been going to the Well Spring cancer resource centre for just over a month for some alternative therapies and was asked if I’d like to attend a poetry class, a new way to express oneself. The only way to improve writing skills is once again move out of my comfort zone and try something new. The class was run by local award winning poet Heidi Sander and the first class was introduction to the joy of poetry. Now I haven’t ever really written any type of poems in my life, even in English class back in high school I probably skipped those days. Now much older and wiser??? I use that term loosely… the first work sheet is titled Write to Heal. Right away that struck me as another outlet to convey my feelings on paper and help with feelings of grief, anxiety and sadness that one feels when your mortality is challenged i.e. Cancer.

So, besides roses are red and violets are blue, thoughts on poetry, I gave my first go at a new way of writing and expression. While I start to write simple poems, there’s a big sense of venerability that makes it way to the surface and leaves me exposed, even with all the raw data I’ve given my readers in the blog, this feels different. I struggle at first to find the words I want to put down and pray it’s not one of those days when the fog rolls in and my thought process just isn’t there…it happens. With the help of the work sheet I get through my first exercise and in front of me is a poem?? I only use the question mark because I feel I can do much better. Here is my first attempt, I know it’s easy to be critical of yourself, but some of the poems the others did absolutely blew mine out of the water.

When I feel anxious it is like panic racing
My check-ups a reminder of my disease
Writing is like therapy, a helping hand, a treatment I'd say.

Pretty simple to start with, but a start nonetheless and now the blog will be nothing but, poems. lol. No, but it felt pretty cool to read mine and listen to other express their thoughts through the simple act of stringing words together. After the first lesson was over, we had a brief meditation with Heidi guiding us and we open our eyes and start to write, this one comes much easier

The sun awakens my face
A cool breeze comes from the East
It's that time of year
My gear has been packed and re-packed again
The vessel slips into the cold, deep water
A stern push from shore and I'm off
First stroke of the year is Exhilarating 
Water droplets fall from the blade of the paddle
Small little ripples, like ripples in time
Yes, I'm here at home in my canoe
A smile crosses my face, worries instantly disappear 
It's so quiet, peaceful the way life should be
Nature all around as far as the eye can see
This truly the right Therapy
Paddle in the water, rhythm in place
I'm careful to drink in all that I see
Mental pictures that no one can ever take from me.

There we go this bloggers first attempt at poetry and I’ll tell ya, it’s great way to write and express yourself. This isn’t the same old boring type of poetry that I remember pushed on me in school, otherwise I may have chosen a different path earlier in life. As I continue on here I will be sure to include more of this in upcoming posts, with a few more classes to go I look forward to more improvements in my writing, helping me become a better story teller. As I inch closer to one hundred posts its important to keep you wanting more.

Much more to come as always please consider subscribing, like and / or comment.

Cheers, Steve