Why Poetry?

   Poetry is most often an underappreciated art form. Its usefulness and relevancy frequently pulled into question. Sure the rhyming words might sound pretty, but what good is it in reality?

   Reading poetry won’t put food on the table, keep a roof over your head, or take away the stress of modern day living.

   Self-help books are all the rage these days, everyone thinking the next bestseller by the newest renowned expert is going to be just what they need to get their life on track. While I believe self-help books have their place, I myself, would prefer a good old book of poetry to help me through life’s turmoil any day.

   When is the last time you sat down to read a poem and really paid attention to what the words were actually saying? For that matter, when’s the last time you sat down to read a poem book period?

   Think of a poem as a picture. Each rhyming line as another colorful stroke of the brush, until at the end you see before you a masterpiece that soothes your soul. But don’t stop there, for hidden beneath the surface of this beautiful painting are words of wisdom and advice intermingled with feelings ranging from sadness, loss, and loneliness, to peace, joy, and humor.

   Whether a poem is silly and pointless yet brings a smile to your face despite its nonsense, or brings tears to your eyes from its heart wrenching sadness, or leaves you somewhere in between, a little poetry can go a long way in brightening your day.

   Which brings us to the point of this blog. It is my hope that in some small way I’ll be able to increase the awareness and appreciation for the world of rhyme. Whether its only one person who reads this blog, or one thousand.

   Poetry can lift your spirits one minute and put you in your place the next, it can make you laugh, cry, or simply scratch your head in confusion. But sometimes a single line or stanza can give you a new perspective on a subject or situation that a dozen pages of text couldn’t have articulated any better.

   Poetry has been around since Ancient times when people used the rhyming words to help them memorize information, long before paper and computers were handy everyday tools.

   So, from time to time, I’ll be posting poems (both old and new) along with a few comments about the work and/or the author. Another wonderful thing about poetry is that everyone interprets a poem a little differently, so form your own opinions about what you thought of the poem.