Ever since I started reading seriously, in the last ten years or so, I’ve been interested in poetry. I love the way every word has to be perfect. I love that it has so many different uses. But, I often found it to be mostly inaccessible.
Fast forward to a few months ago, I found myself Googling, “modern accessible poetry,” and the first thing I found was the collection Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins. I picked it up shortly after and devoured it.
It changed the way I think about poetry.
It changed the way I think about writing.
I read one of Collins poems to my wife and she said, “He’s just telling a story,” and I replied, “Yes!”
Poetry will help you write better stories, write better prose, and think about the world in a different way. The best poetry will stop you, sit you down, make you put all distractions away, and say, “Look at this thing. Really look at it.”
It’s been wonderful. And, that was just one collection. I’m looking forward to reading Mary Oliver and Seamus Heaney and many others.
If you’re looking for a place to start, go to your library and pick up Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins, or Google poets that write on things you’re interested in, but, whatever you do, please, read poetry.
Jump. Build, Fly.
F.C. Shultz