I'm a poet and I didn't even know it

Well, not really. But I'm trying.

April is, among other things, National Poetry Month. I love poetry, and while I consider myself a decent writer, I’ve never tried to write poetry because it requires a level of skill and creativity I believe that I lack. This month, I’m trying to change that negative self-talk.

My writing coach and friend, Carol Adler of

Navigating New Chapters

, often uses a poem as a prompt in our weekly writing workshops, encouraging students to take imagery or a phrase from the poem to begin a piece of writing. It’s a wonderful exercise, and gives me an opportunity to read at least one new poem every week. I’ve always been a fan of poetry. I remember memorizing the first stanza of a Langston Hughes poem as a child. It still resonates today:

Hold fast to dreams

for if dreams die

life is a broken-winged bird

that cannot fly.

My favorite poet is

Maggie Smith

(the one from Ohio - not to be confused with the late, great British actress). Earlier this month, I had the honor of seeing her at Symphony Space here in New York City as she welcomed other poets, singers, and writers to help launch her new book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. It was a soul-nourishing night of inspiration, a brief pause from the global dumpster fire. The speakers all reminded us that creativity matters, that every person has the capacity to be an artist, and that, most importantly, we should create as often as possible, if only for ourselves, without judgement or pressure for publication. Living a creative life is its own reward. We would all do well to pay attention to the beauty around us, and let it inspire us. As Mary Oliver wrote in her poem, Instructions for Living a Life:

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.

I devoured Dear Writer and recommend it to EVERYONE - whether you consider yourself a writer (or artist/“maker” of any kind) or not. When we were kids we were encouraged to finger paint, draw with crayons, write stories, dig in the dirt for treasures, look up at the clouds and identify shapes. We used our imaginations. We experienced wonder and awe on a daily basis. Sadly, somewhere along the way to adulthood, we were told that we weren’t artists anymore. We weren’t any good at it and we shouldn’t “waste our time.” Well, Maggie Smith is here to tell you that the creative life is never a waste of time. We all have stories to tell, beauty to share and poetry to write. I think we could all use a healthy dose of paying attention and being astonished right now. I believe we all have the ability (and the need) to tell about it.

So, having learned about many of the actual tools of writing poetry from Dear Writer, I decided to take a stab at my own poem, in honor of National Poetry Month. I wanted to reawaken the creative soul inside of me, inviting the little pig-tailed girl I used to be, the one who sang and danced, painted and crafted, to come out and play more often.

I hope you enjoy my poem. I hope it inspires you to write one, too

My 17 year old Is Having a Beauty Emergency

I love that you notice the cherry blossoms starting to open.

I love how you point out every golden retriever we pass on the street,

noting how their tails look like long feathers. I love how you run

to the window to snap the pink and orange sunset hanging over the Hudson.

The poet Maggie Smith calls these beauty emergencies.

Stop, she says, look (or look up from your phone) and see. Really see

the world and its’ beauty, its’ quirky people and cute dogs.

We play a game where we name a dog, based on its physical traits.

The black and white dog is always Oreo because Oreos were my Mom’s

favorite cookie. If that was my dog, you say, mimicking, I would name it Oreo.

That one looks like a Patches, because he has black spots on his eyes.

I love that when the elevator opens and there is a neighbor with a leash

asking if we mind the dog joining us, you say No! We don't mind.

Please come in. We love dogs. What's his name?