It seems to me that writing’s most important function is to help us pay attention to what would otherwise go unseen. This could mean reflecting on the ideas that undergird our historical moment, but it can also mean noticing the little details that we often overlook or take for granted in our busy lives.

Poetry forces us to slow down and realize that even as we read we are in an intimate relationship with the author and his or her creations. Too often in the modern world we do not want to show our true colors for fear that we will not fit the mold of what is acceptable or allowed. Poetry, written from the heart and read with intention, can mitigate against this and bring to light the realization that we as human beings are still on a journey of discovery and have much to learn. Science and empiricism can only take us so far. To fully understand our natures, we need room to explore the unnoticed and inexplicable; we need space for understanding the sublime, and poetry can give us that.

Thank you for going on this journey with me and sharing in this creative endeavor.