How do poems come to us? Do they arrive through hard work or magic? Diligence and craftsmanship certainly. But the first glimpse often manifests ‘out of the blue.’ Can we make this happen? I have found ten channels which help me ascend into my higher consciousness where truth and beauty appear through words as images. Here are my poetry portals:
- Nature. Taking a walk through the world around me inspires me every time. Sometimes the general landscape calls. Frequently it is an individual thing inviting me deeply into its energy: a stone, a shell, a bug, a leaf, the weather!
- Memory. My own life can be a portal. I look back at people and events throughout my lifetime, recently and into childhood. I explore how I emotionally responded to them.
- Dreams. What sleep brings can be an awakening! Dreams are ephemeral and strange and must be jotted down right away before they fade so they can be retrieved and pondered later.
- Fascinating facts. History or science can inspire us as we investigate and learn. Research and data grounds poems, yet opens us to new aspects of the universe.
- Connections to other Beings: friends, relatives, lovers, heroes, angels, animals, pets. I love to write pieces honoring others either objectively or through my associations with them.
- Emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, joy, uncertainty, feelings of unease. These need to find a corollary but the heart’s response can be the channel.
- Meditation. Simply breathing and letting whatever comes arrive on the paper. Some call this automatic writing.
- The Tarot, both its ancient meanings and artistry is a powerful channel for me. Each deck was created from an essential concept. It is rewarding to plug into these ‘fortunes.’
- Art in all its forms from paintings to jewelry. From pottery to fashion. Art galleries and museums are pathways into vision through the vision of another. After visiting, I never see things the same way again.
- Best of all other poems! I try to read a new poem each day. It is like learning to think in a foreign language. One I know instinctively but learn more essentially every time I encounter poetry, my chosen form of expression.