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Thu 12/7
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Finding the Poetry in Everyday Life
By: Jacqueline Suskin
Jacqueline, a professional poet, spent a decade earning a living through her project Poem Store, where she set up her typewriter in farmers’ markets and public places to write poems on the spot for anyone who asked. To date, she’s written over 40,000 poems! Everywhere she goes, she sees a hunger for the unique gift that poetry provides.Â
What makes poetry such a powerful, universal language? According to Jacqueline, poetry is a guide and a teacher, reminding readers that life is a miracle, something to be celebrated. Â
Here are some of Jacqueline’s suggestions for cultivating a poetic mindset, gained from a lifetime of writing, teaching and finding her place on this planet: Â
First, be in awe of everything. Â
A poetic mindset begins with the idea that nothing is an accident. Everything is interrelated and deserves notice and celebration. Even on your hardest day, a glance around will reveal something miraculous.Â
Second, make pain your teacher. Â
Poetry can be a repository for everything difficult in life. Jacqueline finds that when she writes about something she’s struggling with, negative feelings begin to ebb. By writing, remembering, she’s forced to admit that not everything is so bad. Â
Third, seek what inspires you. Â
According to Jacqueline, poetry is a form of praise. She builds poems from things she sees, people she meets and thoughts and feelings found deep inside. As she presents those treasures in poetic language, she is celebrating what is good in them. Poetry looks for the bright side of life, whatever is inspiring and beautiful even in the midst of hardship. Â
Paying attention to the feeling of joy as we spot something beautiful in our everyday lives helps us see something deeply true about life.Â
Fourth, open yourself to a new perspective. Â
A poet looks for what is beloved in everything, no matter how ordinary. When you look for what is beautiful, good, true, and holy in everything around you, you are looking for God. Writing down what you see is a deep form of prayer.Â
Your poems don’t have to be perfect. All they need is a new perspective, that of a poetic mindset. Â
Look for what moves you most, and then write it down. Make that a daily habit. Â
Welcome to the poetry of everyday life.
Story
Story Title
Author Name, Organization Name
– Phyllis Pilgrim
“See something beautiful, hear something beautiful, and say something beautiful today.”
"The Hidden Passport"
Reflect
How will you notice and appreciate God’s remarkable world around you?
I will be in awe of everything around me, even the seemingly ordinary.
I will pause and notice the beauty in the present moment.
As I take in what is remarkable around me, how will I be inspired to add to it?
May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!
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