I make a choice
To use my voice
For good
To share my truth
My inner pain
And joy
My words might cloy
Or congeal
But hopefully
They'll make you feel
Something
An inner stirring
Of emotion
As my honesty
Sparks life deeply
In your soul
You might not like
How my truth sounds
Perhaps it will be too close
To your bones
Might resonate too fiercely
Too intensely
Or perhaps you're not ready
To hear
My fear
My longing
For belonging
And that's OK
Because I write each day
For me
It gives me clarity
To order words
In poetry
Even if no one reads
These words I share
I don't care
I lay my soul bare
For me
In poetry
It's truly who I am
A poet
Though I didn't know it
For so many years
I thought others
Had to label me
To affirm me
But now I see
It's stamped
On my humanity
..
Today is national poetry day so I've penned this about poetry.