(almost) weekly letters from my heart to you

Poem It Out: It's a way of living. My way of living. The way I move through the world, through my grief, through my fears, through my joy. I poem. I read poetry. I write it. I put pen to the page and find my way.

My life changed forever when I read Derek Walcott’s poem “Love After Love” in 2005. It was like looking into a mirror and upon seeing my reflection knowing I would never truly be able to believe my self-talk the next time I felt so damn lonely.

Because there would always be poetry.

Poets somehow just get it, this life thing. They get it with their words and their truths and their let’s just get to the point and tell the story.

And I think you might love poetry.

Because this is what I know: You are a poet. 

Yes.

You. 

(Seriously.)

You have a poet's soul inside you.

If you don't believe me, I dare you to read this poem, then this one, and then this one. Then read this one out loud:

Yes, Just One
by Liz Lamoreux 

Just one? she asked.
I nodded.
But as I sat alone,
glancing at the menu,
I wanted to stand up and say:

Yes, just one.

Just one woman who has been broken open by love and sewn together by living.

Just one woman who has unearthed the stories she had tucked away inside the corners of herself.

Just one woman who holds grief in one hand and joy in the other.

Just one woman who hears the wind whisper the stories of those who came before her.

Just one woman who believes she must choose rest over expectations.

Just one woman who sees truth and beauty in her reflection.

Just one woman who swims with the whales while she sleeps.

Just one woman who cries when she hears Paul Simon play his guitar.

Just one woman who never thought she would be a mother.

Just one woman who feels cocooned by the push and pull of the sea.

Just one woman who listens for reminders to trust.

Just one woman who holds onto the hope of spring’s first crocus.

Yes, just one woman who opens her heart to love each day,
Even when it rains,
Even when the missing sets in,
Even when fear nips at her toes,
Even when it seems impossible.

Are you feeling it yet? 

I believe poeming out our stories, our secrets, our hopes, our fears pushes us to live deeper and wider as we walk this crazy beautiful path that is life.

If you want to dip your toes into the world of poetry with me, come along to my online community Hand to Heart. Along with exploring self-care practices each month, we also dive into the world of poetry. We have Poem It Out Thursdays and monthly poetry prompts that help us use poetry as a form of self-care. 

In the summer of 2012, my first collection of poetry, Five Days in April, was published (Jen Lee Productions). You can buy it here.

If you are new to poetry and want to read more but aren’t sure where to begin, here are my recommendations and favorites all together in my Amazon store: Curled up with a Good Book.

I'm not currently teaching my Poem It Out e-courses, but you can read more about poetry, a few of my poems, and other poet-y things in these blog posts.