Local Poet GF Korreck was a judge of our Write Michigan Teen Poetry Contest. He shared this wise message with the participants and all of us.
No matter which generation you represent, chances are you've been in an English class where more than one person, perhaps even you, asked why do we have to read poetry?
My response is, why not?
While poetry is often taken apart and studied for its various elements, there is a single important piece that comes first—our humanity. As humans we are in the unique position of being the only ones who can articulate our ideas, our dreams, our questions, our loves, our fears—all manner of emotion and thought—through art.
This gives us great power and great responsibility. We can make our voices heard, but we can also speak for others and to others. Our ability to connect with each other is what gives life its meaning. Being able to hear, see and feel someone other than ourselves shows that we are growing, that we are coming to a better understanding of life's complexities, that we are being human in the best possible way.
Sure, writing can be fun, sometimes even easy. But it can also be scary. We often don't know what's going to come out when we start... or if we like what we have when we stop. But this is also why we do it. We just might end up finding magic... and this is the most fun part of it.
Keep writing. Keep looking. Keep telling your stories. Let people hear you. Let them know that your words matter.
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