Through Poetry

In my previous entry I asked how do we get free? Taking from Phillis Wheatley, my answer was imagination. Mona Lisa Saloy delves deeper into this answer in her writing about the manner in which poetry has aided her strength and fullness. Poetry gives us power to create the world we want out of the world that we have been given. We cannot change our history, but through poetry, courage and beauty we can make something new out what we have ended up with.

Throughout my life I have had periods of being uprooted and challenged. I have faced instability and obstacles that have made me very, maybe overly, sensitive to my surroundings. My sensitivity can often make it hard for me to stand strong and hold onto what I know. I can get caught up in "shoulds" rather than remembering what is. I find that poetry helps me retain what I know, to remember what I have forgotten and return to where I am from. Through poetry I don't have to let go of what I love and who I am, even if I cannot be right next to the people I love and who have made me. By reflecting upon all that has made me, and honoring them through my writing, I feel as if I can become a whole person. Poetry helps me remember that I am not alone, that if I stay true to my values, the values that I have gained from my people, I will be able to take the next step in life without losing my balance. Too many times have I felt that I need to learn to walk again, but poetry reminds me of what I know, and gives me confidence in knowing it. As I travel, get older and find my self in settings that I don't understand, I return to poetry to assist me in confronting the confusion.