Poets and artists constantly process what they lost and what they long for. This is why most of them turn to their preferred art form. It is hard to appreciate the people and things you have in the moment when you have a constant fear of losing them at any given point. Relationships come and go while others stay and grow. Halsey shares her experiences with the readers from a place of grief as well as optimism for the future. She speaks about wanting to celebrate what she has and who is in her life instead of reverting back to her old habits, inspirations, and way of doing things.
We as humans stick with what works for us. We fear change and do what we can to steady the status quo. Once we encounter the change, we embrace it, try to forget it, or fight to revert to the familiarity and the safety. We do not want to be rendered useless. Nobody asks a flower how it feels before it is picked. Nobody asks a flower how it feels after it is picked either.
When I embarked on my poetry journey, I wrote about a variety of somber topics and emotions from melancholy to resentment to anger. Love was never one of them. Throughout my college career, my classmates from creative writing workshops would anticipate what dark poem I concocted for the week. As much fun as it was to find my niche and excel, I didn’t want it to limit my poetic voice.
When I began to foster my poetic voice, I wanted to share it with whomever would listen. I remember my mother asking me to write about happier things. Spinning my feelings in a darker way naturally materialized. Although it was not her preferred reading material, she always supported my love for the written word.
Poets are constantly establishing new voices and personas. It is a never-ending process. It is crucial for poets to let their voices evolve and not diminish them. They nurture their craft and never apologize for what they produce when it authentically forms an extension of themselves.
As a writer and a poet, every poem I write asks a lot of me creatively. I would never have it any other way.
