Do not act as if the poem itself has an answer- that it is a question to be solved. Poetry doesn’t have clean answers. It doesn’t have a clean narrative. It’s about the mess. It’s about the emotional impact. It’s about making space for complex ideas all in one place. It’s not an invitation to solve a math problem. It’s about instead an invitation to feel. Ada Limon
We are becoming more and more fixated on solutions and certainties, in such context, poetry stands as a beacon inviting us to delve into the unanswerable questions that define the human experience. Poetry is not a puzzle to be solved but rather a tapestry of emotions, complexities, and messiness.
Rilke's timeless wisdom echoes this sentiment, urging us not to seek tidy resolutions but instead to embrace the uncertainties that shape our lives. For it is in living the questions, in navigating the murky waters of uncertainty, that we truly come alive.
It is not merely about expressing feelings but about diving deep into the depths of our souls to unearth truths that defy easy explanation.
Poetry is a journey, a quest to navigate the complexities of human existence and create meaning in the midst of chaos.
Poetry challenges us to resist the urge to seek neat resolutions and instead invites us to revel in the emotional impact of the human experience.
Growing up in Italy, I was immersed in a culture that revered moments of beauty and harmony, encapsulated in the phrase "che poesia." This expression, reserved for experiences that defy description and stir the soul, speaks to the innate poetic sensibility within each of us. We are all poets, capable of creating beauty by reconnecting with the rhythm of our hearts and the pulse of life itself.
However, embracing this notion of poetry demands a level of responsibility that extends beyond the realm of mere words on a page. Poetry becomes the language that binds us together as humans, echoing the primal rhythms of our shared history around the campfire, where songs served as a means of making sense of our collective experiences.
Poems, regardless of their outcomes, traverse the battlefields of life, offering solace and healing to the wounded souls they encounter.Yet, in an age dominated by the cult of convenience, the true essence of poetry is often overlooked. We have become a society obsessed with streamlining every aspect of our lives, reducing human experience to the click of a button. But is convenience truly the essence of life? Are we here merely to extract ease from our existence? Poetry, rooted in the concept of poiesis, is the act of bringing forth something new into the world. It is the warm blood flowing through our veins, the river of life that sustains us.
To be a poet is to resist the allure of convenience and instead choose to create nourishment where none existed before.
Being a poet means confronting the world as it is, rather than as we wish it to be. It means paying attention to the small, overlooked details that give life its richness and depth. It means rewriting the convenient narratives that divide us, and instead, forging connections that transcend boundaries. To be a poet is to give voice to the invisible, to breathe life into the forgotten corners of existence. It is a commitment to authenticity, to standing up and speaking out against the fragmentation and haste that characterize modern life. In a world yearning for leadership, true leadership lies not in the pursuit of convenience, but in the embrace of poetry. It requires courage, compassion, and a willingness to stand up for what truly matters. It is an invitation to lead with humanity, to recognize the inherent value of our collective artistry, our shared heartbeat. So, why do we choose convenience over poetry? Perhaps it is because poetry demands more of us—a willingness to slow down, to listen, to truly see. But in embracing the inconvenience of poetry, we rediscover what it means to be truly alive, to honor the heartbeat that sustains us all.
Poetry, thrives in the messiness of human experience, offering no tidy resolutions but rather a canvas upon which to explore the full spectrum of feeling.
This is a little poem to celebrate the messiness and mysteries of life:
Where uncertainty reigns and inquiries guide,
Poetry whispers.
A journey of feeling, not a quest for control.
Messy, tangled threads,
Emotions collide and complexity spreads,
Poetry's canvas is not clean or neat,
Not a manicured lawn
But a wild landscape.
In the depths of the night,
Live the questions,
For answers elude us,
Take a chance.
Navigate the chaos,
To make art
In the space between,
Where uncertainty blooms and beauty is seen.
Poems to cultivate a more poetic life and In Defiance of What Rules Us can be dowloaded here.
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