Lessons of an Instagram Poet

Reflections after three years of writing

I have attempted to build You out of clay, 

if I forget about the Sun’s rays, 

You dry out and I 

cannot break through to You. 

If I make You out of sand, 

You crumble at the pressure of salt and water, 

breaking You down in an instant.

I make You with glass, 

You slice with the hopes to cut, 

not to make a point. 

I make You with steel, 

You are cold to the touch. 

I make You out of flame, 

untamable with your heat and 

forked tongues,

lashing out at the hands that just want to stop your hurting -

I make You with a seed. 

You sprout, 

I trim away the dying fronds of interests, 

fuel your desires in growth, 

You tangle your vines around Me in hopes to heal too,

the burns and cuts on my skin haunting You.

When I pull away – You stay rooted to You,

shifting under the weight of your conscience,

threatening your roots,

“Grow past this,” I say, “Grow so you can become, a better You.”

*

This poem reminds me of my journey of being a writer. I have been writing professionally for about three years, and over that time, I had to grow in different ways. I tailored to my strengths, and let myself let go of what didn’t work for me, and I had to learn the hard lesson that I wasn’t at my peak yet. (I am still not)

I remember in the beginning and thinking, “I will make my mark -now.”

How naïve I was.

How even more naïve that I thought I was failing when I wasn’t “succeeding.” I wasn’t getting works published, I wasn’t getting noticed - and what good is that? It just adds pressure to your roots, your foundation, your psyche. That way of thinking is very damaging, and it stunts growth, as well as any betterment.

So, what do you do?

You grow, and healthily.

Over these three years, I have trimmed back or weeded out what I wasn’t really strong at, not that this is a weakness, but I just need more practice, more time before I before I post a poem, publish a voice over reel, I need to give myself the chance to be better.

You are your own worst enemy. You know your weak spots, and you know how to aggravate/reawaken that hurt. Train yourself to teach that enemy to hesitate - make them regret that they even did such a thing as believe that you were less than, and pass on the lesson of growing to become a better self.

Thank you so much for your support throughout my journey. I appreciate it all!