Yes, I know, we all have our share of problems. But the thing that sets us apart is the way we choose to cope with life's inevitable trials.
The way I cope? I pen poetry.
Some describe poetry's verses as the piquancy of one's soul, the illustrious construction of thoughts with words. Then there are those who describe poetry as that amorous ditty stuff - the "roses are red, violets are blue"-type ballads.
I define poetry as an open door to a poet's soul - an invitation for the reader to glimpse into another's world of reflection. When one dissects a poem with true discernment, one is likely to unveil an aspect of the poet's deeper, sometimes cloaked self.
But there is more to poetry than this. Poetry has allowed me to express buried feelings that society often doesn't want to hear.
Through my school years, I studied the works of such masters as Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson and Robert Frost, familiarizing myself with style and cadence. The review of poetry also made me aware that through verse, a poet could transform a low moment into one of grandeur. For some of these poets, their work was an antidote for their troubled lives and times.
I, too, needed an antidote for life's inescapable problems, so I found myself taking on the challenge of scrawling words on paper. Boy, did I put my psyche to work!
After long periods of intense mental probing, and after my brow had been tickled by the furrows of pure concentration, I had an English teacher become my listener. She didn't have to tell her feelings, for her grin told me how pleased she was with the piece.
Finally, when she spoke, she said, "The poem's heading to the mainland for a poetry contest." I nodded, although I was clueless as to what this meant.
Well, to make a long story short, my poem, "This Scenario" became a finalist in the League of California Poets Contest. Although I did not place first, my effort had its rewards: the poem was published, and the experience of having been a finalist served as a motivating force for me to continue jotting down stanzas.
Since my first poem, I have written enough poetry to fill two volumes of verse. I had my work professionally bound in hard cover, with their titles embossed in gold: "Wit's Chronicle: Thoughts of the Mind" and "Wit's Chronicle II: While the Blazing Sphere Sets."
Also, with the aid of "Poet's Market" - a book guiding poets on where and how to publish their works - my work has appeared in four other publications outside of Hawaii in university and literary magazines such as McFill Street and Pembroke magazines. I am also an honorary member of the International Society of Poets and the Society of American Poets.
POETRY is an art that is not for everyone, yet it is available for all to pore over.
Sure, poetry may seem perplexing at first, but interpreting them may be the first step in developing a more imaginative mind. At any rate, there's nothing to lose when you pick up a book of poetry.
So define poetry as you please. I say that along with poetry being an open door to one's soul and an antidote for troubled times, it has given me an opportunity to listen to the inner self that often goes unheard. That poetry is no less than extraordinary and sacred.