Poems to Push Through the Darkness, a.k.a. Let’s Add More Poetry to Our Lives

Did you know I write poetry?

Probably not because once someone told me it was horribly cliche to be a lesbian who had depression and wrote poetry.

Fuck that person.

Oh wait, that person was me.

Fuck me. Fuck the self-deprecating rabbit hole that tells me it’s ok to be one way, versus another, the one that keeps me from thinking of myself as anything but special, delicate, worthy, strong and empowered.

Fuck emotional fear.

In honor of pushing through all of this entangled imagery in my head of how I should be, I’m going to start sharing some of my poems here.

I’d also like to start sharing other people’s poems, poems that inspire me to be more than just a lump of flesh in the corner, scared to bare myself to the world, in whatever way the day requires. Poems that make my soul sing.

Poems that will hopefully make all of your souls sing as well.

I’m going to start with Shel Silverstein, the first poet that inspired me to make poems myself as a child. Because childhood is the best place to start when you’re trying to heal yourself.

And now mine:

Lines
across a page
begging me to write
Things
across them.
Open
the Book,
release the Pen
And let go.

Got a good poem you love? Write poetry yourself? Email me at info[at]queeriebradshaw[dot]com and we’ll talk about getting it up here, because poetry should be shared.

I have to give a big shout-out to Jenn Givhan, my friend, my Bordista Writing Group partner and my fellow co-instructor over at Creativity Squared, for helping me remember the healing power of poetry, and Alex who lives life like it is one, long, rhythmic, inspiring poem.