Write what you know

Write what you know they say.
Your words will only come alive if you yourself
have actually lived them.
In my 28 trips around the sun,
I have experienced a plethora of emotions,
a multitude of experiences
that many may never be cursed or
blessed enough to know.
Where do I begin?

Perhaps I can share my insight on
an awfully happy summer’s day
spent on the beach with my new family,
creating sandcastles and salty memories.
Or perhaps I can describe the immense horror
of betrayal and defilement
by the hands of someone I was supposed to trust.
Not to mention that strange beast,
Addiction,
and its horrible scratch marks painfully inflicted
on my could be perfect life.

Perhaps the scars of my past
will provide some level playing field
of shared emotion and experiences.
Or maybe my escape can lend some
more relatable words of life:

My search for my higher power that led me
from the vestibules of the Roman Catholic church
where I served the Lord in my robes off-white,
to the most decorated temples in Thailand,
all colors of the sunset,
where I found immense comfort
in the simple acts of alms-giving and barefooted worship
of not just a teacher but a beautiful way of life.
My pilgrimage to independence,
aboard the Amtrac train of the blues,
from NOLA to the delta city
where the ghost of Elvis haunts
budding musicians and low-key hipster wanna-bes.
Or my relentless quest for self-discovery
through service to others,
building homes and blazing trails,
planting seeds of inspiration and
growing leaders of tomorrow.

Write what you know they say…

Reviews

[Ted Kniffen]

Excellent job T.S. A good poem about 'what you know'. What you experience comes through in the writing.
Good write.

[T. S.]

Thank you, Ted, for your kind review!