“You can’t force poetry. The words must be born when they are born. They’re all born together like strings of paper dolls singing Sunday hymns.” Jay Mohr
It seems poets are everywhere. Could it be that you, too, are a poet?
Maybe Valentine’s Day inspires you? Or snow-covered vistas? Poetry seems to hover, just
waiting to happen.
In November, with our first light snowfall, I awoke to big fluffy flakes outside my window.
Lovely! I was smiling.
There was a text on my phone:
“Jesus loves you, this I know,
For today I see the snow,…
More lines followed about snow’s inconveniences for her, putting up with my love of snow.
My smile became chuckles. Such a good start to this day.
A wonderful friend for many decades, she was the one who had mastered Hebrew so she
could read Biblical passages in that language. Now I learn she also dabbles in rhymes.
A few years ago, in a serious conversation with a favorite coach at Thomas More University, I mentioned a relevant poem I’d written. The coach shared one of his also-relevant poems. He calls his poems raps. Each one is insightful, a gem.
Another long-time friend and I manage to meet for an extended lunch every four or five weeks to catch up.
Once, something we were talking about reminded me of a short poem I’d written some time
ago, so I recited it. She was surprised I was a would-be poet because she has written poetry, too. Such kindred spirits.
She shared some of her poetry when we met again. Her poetry is masterful and exquisite.
She has written private poetry for a very long time as part of her journaling. She believes the poems from her “Hippy Years” are among the best.
With poets being everywhere and this being National Haiku Month on some calendars, I
wondered if my friends in Japan were poets.
The Moris, Emiko and Saeko, daughter and mother, have been friends of mine since 1985.
We have enjoyed on-going e-communication over recent years.
Emiko said that Saeko has been writing Haiku for many years. Saeko, now in her nineties, won a local contest thirty years earlier with one of her Haikus.
Yes, yes, yes.
Poets are everywhere!
Write on!
Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.