11, April 11th, Lists

Inspiration: Writing poems can be intimidating. One exercise that spoken word artist Sarah Kay suggests to make poem-ing more accessible is making lists. The list itself can be the poem or the list can be a springboard for creating other poems. There are many list possibilities, but here are several options you might consider for today’s poem:

list of 10 things you know to be true
list of 10 things you should have learned by now
list of 10 things you love
list of 10 things I’d change in the world
list of 10…. (Why ten? Not sure, choose a number that fits you.)

Three things I know to be true

Rejection
bounces you back
to the day you were picked
last
for kickball in second grade
(or this week past)
on the playground.

Love
is a verb
not a grand gesture of words
but every action big and small to serve,
a way of being in the world
(that doesn’t involve
someone standing
alone
on the playground).

Breath
may sneak up on you when you least expect
(because you are focused on rejection,
not love).
Let it come–
chest expanding,
air passing
through your nose
into the accordion
gently
pushing
a
calmer
rhythm
into
your
way
of
being
with love
on the playground.