Finding Rhythm in Words
Honoring National Poetry Day 10/3/24
The first poem I ever wrote had 8 lines; a short quatrain with rhyming lines that flowed out of me as an expression of my desire for others to see me. The real me. I wished for the world to hear my true voice, the voice hidden behind the scratchy sounds of my speech impediment. The voice that I felt the world disregarded once my mouth opened and white noise came out covering up the words.
My desire to be seen, heard, and accepted evolved into these words…
Untitled 4/17/94
Each person has a layer of true beauty
Deep inside, if given a real chance
It may be hard for some to find it
For it's far deeper than first glance.
You have to look at others until you see them
Stare them down until you see inside
Look through their skins and into their soul
Through their eyes and into their mind.
Once I discovered poetry, with its rhythm and rhymes, I was hooked. The melodies moved me and I couldn’t get enough. I danced with the words on my own, creating music in my mind. All my emotions and ideas turned into poetry, scribbled in my notebook, and reread countless times until it flowed like water off my tongue.
I spent hours reading and writing poetry alone in my room. It became my favorite hobby; I spent all my free time perfecting sentence structures and making words into works of art.
While YouTube didn’t exist when I was growing up, I found this video of Maya Angelou when I was in college and was (and still am) in awe of her voice and confidence.
If you haven’t seen her in this spoken word of Phenomenal Women, take a few minutes to watch her speak with elegance, pride, and spectacular talent:
I recall wanting to be like Maya when I was in college and repeatedly speaking her poems out loud, practicing. But I wasn’t trying to master her poem, I was trying to master being her. I tried to mimic her voice and tone, hoping to recreate her proud persona but it just didn’t fit.
Like a beautiful dress that didn’t hug my hips the right way, I felt frumpy. Uncool. I was discouraged and felt lacking. Over time, I realized what Maya was saying ...
Phenomenal women are phenomenal because of their genuine authenticity.
Being ourselves is the best way to show up in the world. It can take us lifetimes to learn this lesson as we all strive to be like those we admire rather than discover that worth in ourselves.
As the Bhagavad Gita reminds us: it is better to perform one's natural duty or dharma, even with faults, than to perform another's duty perfectly.
Loving ourselves is the only way to find love in the world. How we see and treat ourselves is how we allow others to see and treat us.
When I discovered I could bring my personality to the poem and be myself, I felt more confident in performing the spoken word. When I shared Phenomenal Woman during an open mic at Take Back the Night in college, I did it in my own voice, with my own persona, and my own rhythm in the words - and I nailed it. I nailed it because I was myself - not pretending to be anyone else.
Over time, I developed my own words to express my sense of being a Phenomenal Woman. Below is a poem I wrote that evolved out of this idea that we must be true to ourselves and proud of who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming.
It’s all about evolution.
The Phoenix 1/22/11
I am a hurricane
of history and doubt whirling in pain
scared of feeling insane
and unsure of my own fragile thoughts floating around in this brain.
I can't even look into another's eyes when I speak my mind.
My truths are kept hidden inside
in the hopes that others will believe my guise
and allow me to stay the same.
But it's time for a change.
I should be strong, confident, sure of myself
These are my thoughts, they can't be wrong
yet my heart races and tenses when I open my mouth.
My insecurities continually keep me in a chokehold
forcing my voice to surrender to my weakness.
Why would I assume it's safe in this space?
At first glance, I am an utter disgrace
to the game of witty words and heartfelt speeches
but it turns out
your harsh rejection, and my bitter reaction, is not a waste.
It is grace.
A double take of my faith
proves
I have more strength than anticipated -
more fire than I thought.
This penetrating attempt
to share my words
have given birth
to new visions of what I could be -
a stronger, more visible me.
This new shock of sharing
then burning in shame
yet rising again
proves
I can shout and scream and share my dreams
and understand that my previous logic was idiotic -
my passion can be free.
Oh, the absurdity
of a hurricane
named Phoenix.
For my first attempt at adding audio to an article, listen to my spoken word of Phoenix ~
We all have a unique take on the world. We all have a special way of seeing things. Write it down. Speak it out loud. Share your insights with others. Our world needs you to show up as you - because you are a human, phenomenally. Phenomenal human, that’s you.
If you’d like to read more of my poetry, I wrote an article back in June about spirituality and shared two lengthy poems about my spiritual journey.
Check it out here:
Journal Prompts:
What did you think or feel when watching Maya Angelou’s spoken word of her poem Phenomenal Women? Who are some of the phenomenal women in your life? Write about what makes them so special and unique.
BONUS: Tell them directly how much you admire them.
Is there a book/writer or poet/poem (or even a line or two) that stands out in your memory as profound and even revolutionary when you first discovered them? Write about the people and words that had the biggest impact on you and why.
In honor of National Poetry Day, spend some time writing poetry! You can use a simple four-stanza rhyming pattern like Untitled above, or write with no specific pattern at all in any rhythm you want like Phoenix. Just try and see what comes out ~ I’d love to see what you create! Please share in the comments or chat.
The October Learning Circle Starts on October 8!
We’ll be gleaning insights from The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz.
There is still time to join but you have to act fast!
We’ll meet virtually on Tuesdays October 8 and 22 from 745pm-9pm to discuss the book and the lessons it offers. I’ll prepare thoughtful discussion prompts and journal prompts for homework between our two sessions.
We have a great group formed and ready to read. Join us by signing up on my website. You can also sign up for future Learning Circles too:
November - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
December - Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
Thank you for reading Write to Heal. Please hit that heart button❤️if you made it this far. I’d love to read your poetry and learn about your favorite poets/poems! Join me in the comments or the chat!
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Fragile Thoughts: A Healing Memoir is available anywhere books are sold.
Maya Angelou was a force, definitely a phenomenal woman. I quote her all the time.
I love your poetry, Katie. Own it!
Maybe Angelous voice is so warm