Why Do I Write Poetry?

This post is not entirely new. It was written on 2011. However, I there was no website of my own at the time, and I find appropriate to share it here so you can know me better.

When I was very young, being a kid perhaps, had the inclination and /or admiration for concepts that were a bit different from the common. That is something I cannot explain. Could be habits created as a result of a lot of lecture and teachings from my grandmother, the constant listening of my parents reading the news and verses of The Bible out loud.

My parents also nurtured my taste for cinema, which at that time, really created long

lasting impressions, and could it be my restless fascination with mythology, history and religion, especially when accompanied by the iconic visual imagery. It is also possible, that the combination of all aspects sculpted the consciousness that leads one to write poetry.

During my instruction process, Literature was one of the strongest subjects that had been taught to me. I remember the big assignments of reading comprehension, the essays, the novels to analyze, etc. Thanks to all those great human beings called teachers, for dressing me up with; that gentle armor called: the written word. I have still a lot to learn, of course. I believe learning is an ongoing process, eternal, yes...eternal. As a subconscious act, I started to write short stories, due to being inspired by science fiction comics, Ray Harryhausen, Twilight Zone and Star Wars. Of course it is Pop culture, however, it made

me search for more,..."there's nothing new under the sun"... I have heard the phrase over and over, coming out from my parents, my instructors, and The Bible, that was the set of instructions to always keep going, to search, to find where things come from.

I knew deep in my heart, (and there was a time when I was too obnoxiously confident

about it) that I could write stories, that my narrative was very visual (still is) and the ones

who were delighted by it, including college Professors, really vouched. During a Spanish Literature Course, the Professor assured that I was a poet, as she handed the essay test result that contained my name. "I could never do that"-I said-"I don't know how to deal

with the metrics and rhyme". -"There is free verse"-she replied- "You will see, you will write

poetry one day" she was positive and added a smile to her words. That same year

I decided to play a game with myself, by signing up for the Literature Contest and to

my surprise, obtained the first place on the category of: Poetry...Now what?

What is Poetry? By definition, is a literary work in which the expression of feelings is being emphasized, by the use of distinctive style and rhythm. Poetry really is something hard to define, but is with us always. Is part of our quality as humans, is a vital element that molds our soul. Edgar Allan Poe defined it as "the rhythmical creation of beauty", while Shelley referred to it as "the expression of imagination". The fact is that each of us has a different way to describe it and define it. Why we write poetry? Each of us will come up with our

own reasons. To write poetry is, in my case, a way to complement visual thoughts and

ideas that will not fit in a canvas, because they break the barrier of materials; although

words are as pliable as paint and paper. Writing poetry also gives me the true feeling of freedom. It does not matter if censorship takes over later. It really doesn't. "THE SPOKEN WORD IS TRANSIENT, THE WRITTEN WORD, PREVAILS". Heard the expression exponentially during my development, and is a fact. Our Systems are based on documents from the past, aren't they? Isn't that called history? Who says poetry has to be a separate aspect in regards to humanity documentation; which, as matter of fact, counts from oral tradition? We just have to go back and examine what we know, from concepts to religion,

for example. Traveling back in time, we know about The Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu

Scripture dating from 3000 BC, which is written in verse, and it proves that

The Gilgamesh is not the first or oldest poem on Earth.

We have The Bible, starting from oral tradition, as much of the antique documents and started to be written by 1445 BC. The Bible is the foundation of OUR FAITH, and the foundation of our System of Laws and order; true...is also beautiful and written in a very "poetical way", chapters are small anthologies of verse. Verses are the units of poetry.

In addition, their arrangement is full of Symbols, which help us to internalize and

understand, concepts, ideas, commands.

As I stated before, Poetry brings me a sense of freedom, awareness, control and power to say, what I cannot in any other way. It is my other brush. The style I use is oneiric and there's a reason for that: dreams are our subconscious way to understand and unveil certain

details of our daily life, through symbols and imagery. The same tool is employed in my

way of painting. Always need to say something, through the semi-figurative, or surrealistic

style (not too much abstract). This doesn't mean I disguise in order to say things, but my Latin American background, provides for it. To explain, in our countries the poets had

change the course of History, in such a way, that they are considered dangerous.

I recommend text from Federico García Lorca (Spanish Poet and Playwright),

Juan Francisco Manzano and Reinaldo Arenas (both Cuban poets) who suffered extreme censorship, even physical. In America, one of the strongest examples comes from

Allen Ginsberg with HOWL on 1956: "The poem gave voice to an undercurrent of

dissatisfaction and alienation in Eisenhower's America. "Howl" became an anthem for the nascent counterculture." Tom Vitale for NPR news -May 20 2006. This last one changed History in America. Going back to the past, we can learn about Rumi, a Persian poet who believed in the use of music, poetry and dance to reach God. From there, the Sufism; which is a religion and as a result, brought cultural changes. In China, we can find Lu Xun, one of the leading figures in Chinese Literature who spoke for his people during war times.

It is not important for me if poems are lyrical or free verse, what matters is that our consciousness and soul are integrated in a thought that flies through the Universe somehow. Free verse helps me to bring a message beyond the measurements. In some cases, poems could be confessional like the ones from Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), whose most known verse is: "Dying is an Art, like everything else..." She is credited with the genre of confessional poetry and was the first poet to win the Pulitzer prize posthumously. There is a large quantity of examples to bring, poetry related. Even some songs, from nowadays including RAP, have poetry within it. I prefer the use of "magic" or to "concoct" with the words. It comes from my formation, from the Magical Realism omnipresent in my culture, in the Literature of my native land, where superstition and legend amalgamates with reality and vice versa. As Plato said: "Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history".

The one who writes and the reader will always have a different mindset, that's what makes poetry unique (it could pierce on the right spot as a needle to the reader) and of course, every poet is going to write employing his/her perspective and experience in life. Life nurtures Art and Art nurtures Life. We need to look to our own lives: whatever we see, feel, learn, conceive, believe or dismiss, our goals, our fears, our challenges, our mistakes, serve as fuel for creation, and if its going to bring a message to someone; why not write Poetry if you have or discover the tools? As I have heard before: "The first light is the one that illuminates"- If you carry the flashlight, switch it on.

Next post, ¿Por qué escribo poesía? It is the Spanish version of this post.