I have an aunt who at 89 still drives. Not only does she laugh at her own silly jokes, but dismisses her ailments as life's inevitable tricks. She can't resist telling you how young she looks, how old men think she's beautiful. Then she laughs saying, "Who the hell wants to be bothered with an ugly old man?" My aunt embodies an artful joy. She lives her own type of poetry.
But for poets who WRITE their lives, joy is not the only venue in which they live. They also write their love, their grief, their pain, its healing, what they see and don't, what humans can do but won't. A poet's words, like magic, magnify the ordinary to extraordinary, weaving observations of this world's beauty or ugliness, making it more real. A poet writes what must be written the way a heart must pulse to be alive.
Everyone's life recites a poem. My aunt's is mostly about laughter, a poet's is about writing with sparkles of light expressed in words. Not all poems are jewels, but all are precious twinkles born from the poet's little or big bangs of truth partnering with creation, expanding the universe.
A poet writes about Spring
Words like flowers sprout
"Everyone's life recites a poem." And creates a universe. How this poem opens and goes further and comes back around--wonderful poetry.
ReplyDelete"A poet writes what must be written the way a heart must pulse to be alive." This is true, said better than I have heard it said. I love the sound of your aunt and her contagious joy. If she and I were to get together, the cackles would raise the roof. LOL.
ReplyDeleteSomeone (Rumi?) said that poetry is the language of the heart. Which makes a heap of sense to me.
ReplyDeleteLove your musings in this post. And hooray for your aunt.
This is such a heartfelt write, Myrna!❤️ I especially love; "A poet's words, like magic, magnify the ordinary to extraordinary, weaving observations of this world's beauty or ugliness, making it more real." Oh yes! Sigh.. Your aunt sounds like a wonderful lady!❤️
ReplyDeleteAll poems are jewels indeed Myrna, as is this and I love the Haiku at the end. Your Aunt sounds like the life of the party for sure.
ReplyDelete"Everyone's life recites a poem." This is wonderful. And true, which makes it even better. Life is poetry, like your poem suggests, with many different themes.
ReplyDeleteThis grandma sounds like a delight. I think we'd get along so well, that if we go anywhere together they'd probably throw us out (because of all the wild laughter).
Having read this I want to get to know your aunt! She is like poetry herself, a blossoming flower regarless of her age. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a truth piece and that closing line of the haiku..nature knows itself is so apt! Love your aunt!
ReplyDelete" A poet writes what must be written "
ReplyDeleteYes indeed Myrna
much love...
So poets write! How true, Myrna!
ReplyDelete