January 13 2024

Monday Night Poetry celebrates 2 years of once a week gatherings! I’ve only been participating since May 2023 and am deeply grateful I decided to step out of my comfort zone last May. This is the absolute best group of folks!! ❤️🎉❤️

The Alchemy of Writing

Originally written in 2019, Modified January 2024

Writing = Poetry

Writing
a sanity saving bridge that has led to peace and solutions.
Single parenting two children,
losing nearly everything,
choosing to dig deep within,
led me on a journey for which I had no map.
Through writing
Creating the map as I travel this wild life journey.
Writing led to acceptance
Acceptance of myself
Acceptance of my role as sole parent
to two unique and beautiful children.
Writing brought solid steps to take
Writing has been a shining thread of grace that connected my heart and mind along this life journey.
And still is.
Writing that first poem in January 2013.
It felt wild having these words populate my mind
It was an indescribable feeling,
Being compelled to set these words free.
It was the beginning of the alchemy.
Alchemy which continues to this day.

When I write
the emotions I feel within cannot be contained.
They are as hot as lava and as sweet as honeysuckle,
from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
I write while listening to music,
or while immersed in the sounds of family,
or in silence.
I touch my fingers to the keyboard
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and type a few words.
Once the first few words appear on the screen,
something within takes over.
My heart begins to race with the excitement of anticipation.
I become lost in the flow of words.
My fingers and hands become warm,
the veins in my hands rising like miniature mountains.
The words begin to flow as fast and smooth
as water running from a faucet.
I type as quickly as my fingers and hands will allow.
At times, I notice I have forgotten to take a breath
for fear of missing the words that are streaming forth.
Writing is my witness,
my soul song.
Writing is my therapist,
my medicine,
my best friend,
My lover,
my parent,
and my advisor.
Writing alchemizes what I experience.
My laptop becomes the couch I rest upon;
while writing my experiences becomes the therapist.
Writing becomes an avenue to connect with
and release the avalanche of emotions
and experiences of life.
It is through writing that I find myself.
It is through writing that I allow myself to physically feel emotions.
It is through writing that I connect with the unlovely events of the past
It is through writing that past and present events
are alchemized and released.
This has been my journey to consciousness,
to living from my heart,
to peace.
At times, I skirted the healing that called to be addressed.
At others, I walked directly into the triggers,
with pain from the past that festered like a venomous poison
coursing through my cells and bones.
I walked into the pain with fear,
yet with love to embrace what part of me feared to let myself know
and physically feel.
It has been incredibly difficult at times,
yet deeply freeing.

Happy 2nd Birthday to this amazing, warm venue
Overflowing with talented writers
Each who create their own unique alchemy
Breathing life into their creations
With the power of writing.

January 2024