I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jean Wise’s reflection The Spiritual Practice of Writing a Poem Each Day.
At the end of my third-grade year, my teacher gave me a book of poetry. “When I saw this book, I thought of you,” she said. “Keep writing, Jeanie.”
This is the first memory I have of someone else recognizing me as a writer. Even though I was young yet and as life unfolded, took different routes, her encouragement and gift of poetry seeded deep roots in my heart.
Later in life I rediscovered my call to write, but it was years later before poetry began to blossom. Reading others’ creative words woke something deep inside of me, stirred my creativity, matched my love to play with words and helped me capture moments of my life I may have missed otherwise. I learned that poems heal. Poems dance and swirl. Their sounds and rhythms soothe my soul.
On my table next to where I sit with God each morning is a collection of poetry books from Mary Oliver, Macrina Wiederkehr, Maya Angelou, Joyce Rupp, and Padraig O’Tuama. I have long been a fan of Robert Lewis Stevenson and Robert Frost. Emails from Abbey of the Arts and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer share poems on a regular basis. I am in awe of new young poets like Amanda Gorman.
A few years ago, I started a new spiritual practice – writing a poem a day. My goal was just to complete one year, but I have continued with this disciple as a form of expressing myself, capturing and acknowledging the present moment, and noticing and naming deep emotions bubbling within my heart.
I begin each entry with the date, then write freely what pours from my spirit. I don’t force the words. I write freely and creatively, usually early in the day describing something I am experiencing or feeling. I rarely edit, but sometimes will change a word or try a new style of poetry. Metaphors appear without effort and offer insights I didn’t see before. My spirit quiets as I gaze out my office window, listening for God’s voice and my own inner yearnings.
In 2023, I didn’t create 365 poems as I missed some holidays and vacation days and plain just forgot a few days, but on a regular basis I have wrestled with words and played with various forms of poems that capture ordinary moments in my life. These poems complemented my journaling and I found more “musical” than my prose. Could writing poems hear melodies within my heart I missed before?
I plan to continue dancing with words in the form of poetry as a spiritual practice. I sense at some point I will revisit past years, edit them, and maybe print them out for myself as a keepsake, but most are not publishable or shareable.
I have collected various ways of writing poetry. For example, I experimented with this style to create a poem that comes from Imaginative Writing by Janet Burroway. You end up with a three-line poem using this template:
- Line 1: abstraction + verb + place
- Line 2: describe attire
- Line 3: summarize an action
This method inspired these words:
My phone sleeps on my desk near my reach,
Dressed in blackened screen, quiet yet screaming for attention.
Luring me to wake it up and play with its distracting apps.
I have used Haikus with five, seven, then five syllables and Dekaaz with ten syllables, two, three, then five. Sometimes the date inspires me, or I remember a loved one’s birthday. Often my mood or what is swirling in my heart leads the words. Some poems have been a list of questions I am considering. Others name emotions erupting within me.
Another type of prompt is a quote or open-ended sentence. I was inspired by Mirabai Starr when she shared this writing prompt: The Medicine of Surrender Is ____. I wrote:
The medicine of surrender sounds like an awful taste.
I recoil.
My nose wrinkles.
I wonder if I could actually swallow.
Surrender creates vulnerability.
But openness too.
Surrender invites partnership,
Working together, not alone.
Surrender and medicine are necessary for good health,
And healing.
And hope.
A spoonful of medicine for future life.
The spiritual practice of writing a poem a day opens my heart to creativity, meaning-finding, connection with the Divine and is a powerful life-giving practice. Not only have I expressed some deep emotions, gathered ordinary moments, and learned more about poetry, writing each day has been fun and life-giving. Try it and see what unfolds for you.
Jean Wise is a writer and speaker at retreats, gatherings, and seminars. She is a spiritual director and Deacon for her local church. Her latest book is: Sacred Surroundings: Finding Grace in Every Place. Find out more at her blog: HealthySpirituality.org and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
