A Poetry Meditation

Poetry often helps us make sense of the world and a meditation involving poetry can be very illuminating.  It can humble us while, at the same time, broadening our thinking and perspectives. The same words when written as prose or poetry can stimulate quite different reactions in us.  Poetry may include rhyme, alliteration and rhythm that in some instances can be compared to music.  For this meditation you can read, write or listening to some poetry

Writing poetry as a form of meditation can help us to see things more clearly or at least differently.  It allows you to get lost in your thoughts for a period of time and gives your inner self a chance to talk to you.  Reading or listening takes you to places that you might never otherwise go.  It gives imagination a chance.

Ready, steady, go

Prepare yourself for your poetry meditation by going to a place that is inspirational place for you, sit comfortably, close your eyes and focus on your breathing for a few minutes.  Now think of one of the following:  a special place, a time in your life when you were very happy, your earliest memory, your first kiss, your first day at school, winning a prize, am embarrassing moment, an important event in your family, the saddest day of your life.  Take yourself back to that memory and imagine that you are there in the scene.  Now fill in the scene in detail.  What colours can you see?  Is there light and shade? What objects can you see?  Is there anyone there with you?  Who is there? What can you hear? How do you feel? Is it warm or cool?  Are you indoors or outside?

Once you have captured all the details of the scene, open your eyes and start to write anything and everything that comes into your mind.  Write for about 2-3 minutes without stopping to think – just write.

Now start to give structure and form to your writing.  This will come automatically to some extent as you go.  Lose yourself in the writing process for as long as you want to and then when you have finished, read it through with reverence.  You have created something really special and it deserves special care.  Have you expressed any thoughts or emotions that you have been reluctant to bring into the light?

Let others inspire you to continue

If you like this way of being in a meditative state and plan to practice it regularly, you will probably want to look at poetry that others have written.  A good place to start is “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams who writes:

“This is just to say I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast.  Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold.”

One can imagine that this might be a note left on the refrigerator door. The poem gives us no clue as to how the poet is feeling.  Only he knows.  In the same way we can transform our everyday thoughts and activities into something poetic and release feelings and emotions that we find difficult to express in other ways.