It is said that a feature that distinguishes humans from the rest of the animal kingdom is creativity, which dates more or less to 250.000 years ago, dates of the first cave paintings, that together with an ability for a complex language which developed our brains’ capacity of storing memory and to hand it over to one another and generations to come.
When we think of poetry perhaps the image is that of a romantic person putting in verse and prose feelings, experiences and life, as well as more than life situations, that is true and not only, it goes beyond the quilt on the parchment and candlelight sighs becoming wondrous words.
Poetry is memory, is affirmation of identity and acknowledging the existence of feelings and thoughts and their expression into our own internal language, that of the mind, the heart and the soul, and expressed as communication with ourselves and with others.
Poetry is more than written word, prosaic structure and language regulation, above that poetry is that quality of beauty which makes emotions intense, regardless how it is expressed, written, orally, visually, and very likely the most ancient form of art we as humans have developed.
Are only humans capable of creating poetry? No, it can be found in the colourful patterns of a sunset, witnessing a sunrise in the woodlands, watching swirling sands in the desert, or in animals nurturing their cubs, as a matter of fact poetry is everywhere, what is uniquely human is the recognition of poetry, the sensemaking of poetry and meaning-making as what we experience is transformed into a personal internal meaning, and transforming it into emotions and feelings. Be that an ancient poem written by someone in love, be it a saga of legends and heroes, be it a tree blooming in spring, a mountain stream or watching a child sleep. Poetry is more than the act of creating poems, is the ability to feel and have emotions on how we as individuals and communities experience life and this world and communicate it, nothing more, nothing less.
Happy World Poetry Day