"we are already always changing, but when we focus on healing, we can change in the direction of our choosing; these are moments when we intentionally reclaim our power. every moment we take to know ourselves, we return as someone new."

- yung pueblo (inward)

I don't understand 80% of the poems I read. Sometimes I don't fully comprehend a single word. And the nuance of the literary vehicle the poet uses, is often lost on me.

I don't read poetry to understand though. I read it to feel.

When I read poetry for 15 minutes, I am only hoping to encounter a single poem that strikes directly at my core, triggering an intense emotion (whatever that is). Most often, I can't explain that emotion. It is just all the feels. It feels like a safe release though; like putting a leaf on a river stream and seeing it flow away into the distance.

On the spectrum of "all the feels", there are many nodes that I don't naturally encounter on a regular day. Poetry creates that opportunity and somewhere in my sub-conscious, I know I benefit from experiencing a fuller spectrum of emotions (even though my rational mind makes no sense of this).

A single, emotive poem can sometimes unlock a door within myself, allowing more of my consciousness to flow freely through my body and connect me with the universe.

A reminder that I am not perfect; I don't have everything figured out. And there are things in me - past and present - with which I still need to deal.

And also, as more of me consciously connects with everything beyond my body, I know that I am not alone in this.