17 Comments

because without them

I could not fully express

darkness in my heart

🗿

Expand full comment

Snap.

Expand full comment

The push for precision. The need to say it better, with fewer words. The chiseling away at excess to reach the essence. And the challenge to convey sentiment without sentimentality.

Expand full comment

Oh now hang on… you are achieving all of this within this comment 👌

Expand full comment

Ha ha! Well spotted! Maybe the secret to writing poetry is to do it in a hurry with only your thumbs!

Expand full comment

You are such a talent Nelly. Loved your poem & every one of your thoughtful, affirming replies to comments.

Expand full comment

Thank you so much my dear x

Expand full comment

My initial reaction is because I’m not good enough to write a novel… but that’s just bluster. I do what the words tell me.

Expand full comment

I do feel this sometimes too 😅

Expand full comment

And in answer to your question… poetry has a hold over me in so many ways. I love that it’s (generally) relatively short but packs such a powerful punch. Poetry can talk about such huge things in our lives so completely and succinctly. I love the notion that poetry is not a luxury but a necessity, we need it in our lives. I also love its playful nature, its rhythm, rhyme, alliteration etc. It is such a joy to hear spoken word poetry aloud. I wrote a poem once with the opening lines ‘You don’t choose poetry, it chooses you/ leaks from fingertips/ trickles out of closed eyelids,’ and went on to describe how once you love it you can’t help creating it. Still true now. Looking forward to creating another poem about it for this week xxx

Expand full comment

Ooooh those lines. Oooooh. I feel the same. It does pack such a punch. And please never feel guilty for popping in and out on here. I really hope it is somewhere that welcomes just that. Although obvs I love it when your name pops up x

Expand full comment

You’ve made this space so welcoming Nelly and I’m so grateful for that. Life is a bit tough for various reasons right now and even though poetry and creativity is the one thing I need to help me through and out of it, it seems to be the thing that goes on the back burner. So thank you, Nelly, for creating and holding space. Such a beautiful gift x

Expand full comment

I’m so sorry things are tough right now. It can be so hard, for a multitude of reasons, to have the time and energy for creativity during these times. Go gentle with yourself won’t you, even about this fact. In a society that insists we all keep up, I’m all about refusing to comply. We’ll do things slowly on here ❤️

Expand full comment

Thanks Nelly ❤️

Expand full comment

Ooh Nelly. Loving this. Feeling terribly guilty for being such an inconsistent presence here but I’m back on it and determined to clear a space for it in my life/ head/ heart. Poetry IS life!! Much love xxxx

Expand full comment

Nelly, your poem about your ‘why’s’ is wonderful and vast. I love how you’ve used language that really does make it personal to you! Looking forward to this prompt!

Expand full comment

I have found out more about myself and the world around me through writing and sharing poetry and I wish I did it sooner as it has helped me so much over the last five years in really unexpected ways.

Expand full comment