Some days, I liken writing poetry to stringing my heart and soul up on the clothesline for everyone to see, but there’s a beauty in sharing our deepest words. I have two particularly honest/intimate poems up at Flora Fiction’s Spring 2022 issue about New Beginnings, “Sunrise” and “Writer, Revisited”. Check out the free download here on their website, or consider supporting the magazine if you can. Poetry carried me through cancer treatment, and it’s with me in these cautious days of early remission.
So much of my poetry continues to be inspired from both the hardships and joys of that time; the picture on the left is me and my two older boys in the midst of my chemotherapy, circa April 2020. My oldest is not always so grumpy; it’s for show mostly. The kids are an inspiration through their unabashed humor, unrestrained love, and unexpected antics, always.
I’ve mentioned before on here that nature is another inspiration of mine when writing poetry, though it does come into my fiction as well, when setting a scene or building a more powerful metaphor for my characters’ stories. Though fiction will always be my first love, I’ve developed quite the soft spot for poetry over the last two years. What are your favorite things to write, and why?
Words and Coffee Writing 
Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you, Olivia!
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I like your analogy, Sarah 💘
I tend to have some primary themes… Family, grief, love, introspection, Jewish identity, Israel, childhood memories…
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Thanks, David! I enjoy reading your poetry! I remember you mentioned the other day about sending some of your poems out to journals– did you decide to give it a try?
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I have not yet but will before the end of the month 🤍
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Loved this! I’m not the biggest poetry fan – although I once loved analyzing it! But I love seeing people explore it 💙
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Thank you! I’ve always loved reading poetry but never thought I could write it well. I’m slowly learning 🙂 It’s incredible how much it helps me with my fiction writing as well, just with the attention to word choice, description, etc.
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Congratulations! It’s awesome how reading and writing can carry us through difficult times. ^^
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Thanks! It really is! I’m sure you sometimes see these things with your patients, too; we all need something to help carry us through.
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For artistic purposes, I think fiction will always be my first love as well. Sure, I do write creative non-fiction, but that just hits different. Anyway, thank you for being an inspiration for putting on such a beautiful smile even in the midst of chemo!
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And also, congrats on having your poetry published!
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Thank you! It’s amazing what we can smile through; there is always hope and joy even in difficult times.
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