Sheer poetry

"Bees fly 
 high in the sky,
 and so do other things
 with wings"

By me, aged 6.

It was my first poem.  My Mum wrote it down.  I know I'm being hard on my childish self, but it's not my best - and the facts aren't strictly correct on the bee front either.  I checked and bees have been found very high in the atmosphere.  But by then they are frozen and not really "flying"........... cool fact though - when they drop down and get warmer, they thaw out and carry on their way! 

But then, hey,  I was only 6.....  and there is always the get-out-clause of poetic license.

I do love writing poetry.  I've always used it to convey my feelings, especially in awkward situations.  For example, back in my corporate job I had to give speeches when someone in my team was leaving.  I would always write them a funny poem instead.  Hopefully it showed them how much I cared about the person and it was more entertaining for the spectators than listening to a few dry words. 

My most memorable poem was for someone who was leaving because his cancer had returned and this time for good.  Boy, that was a tough one to write.  And to read out.  But then it made his leaving a strangely happy time, and I was so, so glad I'd made the effort.  

A few months later, at his funeral, the vicar read out the poem.  It was so unexpected and I was very moved.  To think that a few words, put carefully in a certain order, had made an impact on someone and brought some brightness to a very sad day.  A most humbling moment.

And here's someone who's reached many more people and changed lives with his poetry -  Twice U.S. Poet Laureate, Billy Collins writes beautiful, funny, moving, memorable poems about everyday stuff that most people don't normally even stop to think about.

The TED talk here shows wonderful animations to his poems - so please stop by and listen - especially to the last two.  It's time invested, because it'll stay with you.  It made me want to read more of his stuff. 

I loved the mouse one.  So cute! 

Also made me wonder about how we should store our matches, even though Ron assures me that a mouse could never really do that!

If we'd been taught poetry this way in school, maybe we all would've been inspired to be Poet Laureate too. 

Billy Collins made it at age 60. 

It's never too late for any of us to give it a go ....