Tag: perspective

My Start In Poetry

As we kick off the new year (happy 2021 everyone), I want to take this time and look back on when I first started writing poetry. I first started writing poetry in middle school and I believe it was 6th grade, but by the time I was in 8th grade I really got into it. I always credit Mr. Rose, my 8th grade English teacher for my start in poetry. I began connecting to it a lot more and I have carried it with me since then. It has become my whole world. Poetry is all about perspective and experience. That brings me to my first and only quote in this post. Muriel Rukeyser says, “Breathe in experience, breathe out poetry.” I really do breathe poetry. I do not want to make this post too long, but I would love to share some of my earliest works with you and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do! FYI, I wrote this poem from my grandma’s perspective who at a young age moved from Arkansas to California. I thank her for being one of my earliest inspirations and for continuing to cheer me on. I love you grandma Nan!!!!

Grandma Nan Moves From Arkansas

When I was ‘bout 13 years old
Younger than you are now
I was leaving our only family home.

I said goodbye to our ratty,
Yet warm and welcoming house.
I also said goodbye to
The faded and chipped red painted barn,
Occupied with the clucking of the rooster
And the loud noises of the other animals.
I was longing and aching to touch them
One last time,
Before I said goodbye
To them for the very last time
I grew up with them
I have loved and cherished them
As if they were a part of my family.

I am leaving the old country side
And all of the roads that
Isolated us from our neighbors
Down the long bend
And those kicking up dirt
As we drive on by in our car.

I was going to miss my Arkansas
But we were leaving
For something better,
A life in the city,
In San Francisco, California
A place known as
“The land of sunshine and opportunity.”

It’s a place where my poppa could get a real job
Making enough money to support us.
He doesn’t have to live on the minimum wage,
Barely making a dollar an hour.

The Great Depression
Swept through the country
And took everything that was in it’s path.

I wonder what ever happened to that house
For I have never gone back to Arkansas
And I still haven’t to this very day.

Self-Reflection

I just recently posted a poem I wrote for a competition called “6 Years Ago Today…” on DUP. I ended up winning, but that is besides the point. One of the first people I met and connected with from the very beginning of my time on DUP was Ahavati. She is someone I have looked up to and is in a sense someone I would consider as a mentor. She commented on my piece and she said the following. ” This is classic Elena laced with open honesty. Good to see you posting again!  Despite our future obstacles, it’s amazing how much we see we’ve grown when we look back.  It really provides perspective.” Her comment led me to think about how far I came and this poem/competition gave me a chance to self-reflect. And it is true, I have come a far way despite the challenges and obstacles. That comment led me to think about this topic of self-reflection.

As I thought about 6 years ago, which was 2013 for me, it was a time when I was in my last year of college and it was a time when I was still trying to find myself in this crazy world. I did not know what the hell I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to do theatre since that is one of the things I really love. Although I am not doing much theatre now, a part of me still loves it and misses it. That is besides the point too. I feel like self-reflection is a must or an essential tool to use to get through life. I love this quote that I found about that very idea. “Self-reflection is necessary to dig beneath our own layers and visit the inner crevices of our heart and mind to develop an understanding of life.” What I must add to that quote is that self-reflection is also a way to develop an understanding of ourselves. It ties it to our past and how to create a better future for ourselves.

I feel like self-reflection is a way to tie our pasts to our now and future. Self-reflection is used in any parts of our lives, but is most definitely used after a relationship’s breakup and/or after a job’s end. That reminds me of a quote I found by Robert L. Rosen who says, “Self-reflection entails asking yourself questions about your values, assessing your strengths and failures, thinking about your perceptions and interactions with others, and imagining where you want to take your life in the future.” I feel like that is why we learn so much after relationships and jobs end. We take what we like and leave behind what we do not like. Everything in life is a learning experience and we learn more about ourselves, as well as where that takes us in the future. Those are the two pivotal moments in which self-reflection is used most.

I thought I would talk about self-reflection since we are now more than half way through the year and it is a great time to see how far we come. I will leave you all with one more quote by Paul TP Wong who says, “Time spent in self-reflection is never wasted – it is an intimate date with yourself.” Like I said before, it is a way to get to know yourself and it never is a waste of time. Anyways, I encourage my readers to self-reflect and really see how far we have all come. We learn so much and gain so much perspective when we look back. Here is my poem I was talking about earlier. I hope everyone enjoys it!!

6 Years Ago

Six years ago, I was just someone
Who was trying to find her place
In this world filled with chaos and
Uncertainty everywhere she went.

Back then I was trying to outrun
My old demons and tried to face
That I might not be able to stand
On my feet. Everything was bent,

Twisted and all out of shape back
Then. My friendships were tested
And we all made memories along
The way. There were some days in

Which I thought I would be off track
Or lost forever. My lungs, congested
With yelling, laughter and my song
Made me comfortable in my skin.

Different Perspective and Point of View

I know that I have talked about things from a woman’s point of view (because I am a woman), but I want to talk about something a little different here. Firstly, I wanted to share this quote by Oprah Winfrey (I found this quote in Demi’s book in her entry on July 13th). “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.” I know that we have all fallen down and I know that I am included in that as well. What we have to do is to either see things from the ground up when we fall or to pick ourselves up. I know that we are more than capable of picking ourselves up, but I know that it be sometimes hard to do so. Sometimes it is harder to see things from the ground up.

One thing I have learned (especially writing this blog and my poetry) is to see things from a different perspective. I know I see things from being a white, single female, but maybe it is time to see things from a guy’s point of view or an older or a younger person’s point of view (and I have written from all of those points of view or at least I have tried to). There is nothing wrong with the women in this world, but I just feel like men get ignored and dissed (not always on purpose by the way). I thought it would be interesting to write things from a guy’s point of view because sometimes their point of view can be way different or they may not be so different after all. They may or may not want the same things as us. Point of views can be unusual and unique in a way.

So I want my readers to think about things from a different perspective because you never know what the other person might be thinking or feeling. What I am saying to be open and willing to interpretation. There is a book I read when I was in middle school, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee and there is this quote in there that we can all relate to (said by Scout’s dad, Atticus Finch). What he says is “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” If you have not read this book, I would highly recommend it. In the end, I hope that you all enjoy these poems written from a different point of view and to never judge someone because you may not really know them (ties hand in hand with my post about no judgements). There is so much we can learn from other people. Happy reading!! P.S. I thought I would showcase at least two different points of view.

Staying Away

It hurts to see that she still chooses

Me every time, no matter if I try to

Steer her in another direction

Towards someone who is more

Stable and can provide for her

More than I can. Someone who

Cannot hurt her like I can.

Someone who is more deserving

Of her than I am. She does not seem

To care or even notice any of it.

She is so stubborn. Does she

Not realize that I already have a

Reputation? I am already a

Heartbreaker. I am too bad for her

Maybe even too bad for someone

Who is too good like her. She is

Determined to save and change

Me for the better. I do not need any

Of that. What I want is for her

To steer clear away from me.

But she cannot stay away from me.

She is drawn to me like a magnet.

I know how fragile girls like her

Can be. They say that they are

Strong and that they can

Handle anything when I know that

They can break just like that

Into thousands of tiny pieces.

That is easier to deal with.

It is less complicated

And is not so messy. I do not want

Her to see just how messed

Up that I am. I do not want her

To realize how much time I am

A waste for her to deal with.

She could be out, having fun

For once yet she wants to

Draw out all of my pent up emotions

That I try to hide from her. It does not

Work. She can see right through

The façade, the tough exterior

To see the torment and anger

That I have. I want to deal with it

Without her around. I do not want

Her to try to make it all better.

She does not deserve someone

So broken, so damaged like me.

That is why I try to push her away.

All of that closeness is too

Much to deal with.

 

Burnt to the Ground

My eyes flash in terror

To only think that my home,

My town, so beloved and

So sacred. Growing up

And staying with my friends

As kids normally do. Only to

Get destroyed and burnt

Down. I only wish that I

Could call out to my momma,

My everything since poppa

Left us. I want her to take me

Up in her arms, to tell me how

To get rid of the monsters.

If only she, my savior of

Another could protect me now,

To tell me more of her stories

That help me sleep at night.

More of those monsters

Are coming, killing every

Last one of us, not caring

That we were children.

They come, running towards

Me. Their guns and other

Weapons, reflecting in the

Flames, already threatening

To burn down my home, my

Sense of protection. As they

Closer, they remind me of the

Monsters that used to scare me.

My heart starts to beat faster.

My legs want to move as far

Away as I can. But suddenly,

I hear the words of my momma

Telling me to not be afraid.

It’s time to stop fighting and to

Just let go. That’s what I did.

I let go because I know

Anywhere else would be better

Than this place. Better than

Going on living with pain,

With suffering, knowing that

I lost everything. I know that

I will be reunited with

My momma and the rest of

Those who died, watching

Those who survived, knowing

That those horrid people

Killing and taking away

Innocent lives will never be

Able to live a peaceful life.

They will forever be haunted

By the ghosts of the children,

Of the men and women who

Didn’t deserve to die.

Another P.S. In case if my readers cannot figure it out, the first poem (“Staying Away”) is from a guy’s point of view and the second one (“Burnt to the Ground”) was inspired when I went to a small town in France (it’s mostly ruins now) where a lot of kids were killed. Unfortunately many kids died in what is called the “Oradour-sur-Glane massacre” (I believe that’s the one I am talking about).  That is from the point of view of one of the kids (imaginary in my head) who died in that massacre.