It used to be all the time. Writing poetry was a standard part of my writing diet. It was honestly a big impact on how I styled my prose, such as with my novels. I tried writing in a more poetic tone wherever I could. Eventually I grew away from it, instead focusing elsewhere. But that’s changing again.
As everyone has seen, I’ve been posting a poem every Thursday on this site. In a way it started as a way to fill the space, something to add to the content here. However, it has spurned a desire to explore writing it more once again.
The funny thing about poetry is that it seldom is considered an adult thing to do. I’ve heard numerous times where people would say, “Yeah, I used to write poetry… when I was a teenager.” Murmurs of agreement followed. Few believe it anymore than that. It’s become foolish to pursue. And not long ago I nearly agreed. As a 30-something guy, it would have felt almost a sleight to myself to say that I am a poet. Yet here we are.
Honestly, as I think of it, it is quite the opposite that should be the case. Sure, it might be more common to see kids and teens try their hand at poetry, but it doesn’t mean that it is solely an endeavor for them. In fact, being that adults often appear to have greater troubles exploring their emotions, be it through the influences of social norms, or whatever, exploring poetry is a good therapy for that in my view. Writing in general is, yes, but the abstract way that poetry can approach imagery is the challenge.
It’s not that poetry is a child’s endeavor, it’s that I believe that we’ve stopped exploring our emotions as adults. And that’s the real shame.
Jeremy C Kester 
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