I write so I can
discover what is
mysterious about the world
to me.
I write so I can
bring my clouded thoughts
into a clarity of purpose
and mind.
I write so I can
figure out the past
and turn it into something
more beautiful.
I write so I can
think and feel and
understand what is
not understandable
to me.
I write to preserve
a moment in time,
snap a picture
with words.
I write to
meander through
the maze of
my mind.
I write to gather
my dreams close
and give them
wings.
I write to fight off
depression, anxiety,
anger, fear,
hopelessness,
suicide,
death.
I write to
find peace,
love,
hope.
I write
to discover
who I am,
to love myself.
I write to uncover
memories, sorrows,
hurts, joys, dreams,
plans, feelings.
I write to forgive the people
who have hurt me, embarrassed me,
discounted me, protected me, stripped me,
celebrated me, misunderstood me,
hated me, loved me.
I write to embrace
every experience as a shaping,
a rounding off of my hard edges,
a softening of the points.
I write to
dust off the
diamond of
truth.
I write to breathe,
to grip order
in chaos,
to love.
I write to
change the world
and me with it.
This is an excerpt from Textbook of an Ordinary Life: poems. For more of Rachel’s poems, visit her Reader Library page, where you can get a few volumes for free.
