Motivation

Live like someone old, who has been given back a young body for one day
Imagine you had to skip tomorrow, what would you achieve today?
Motivation is most fickle you must seize it when you can
Give the gift of encouragement and show someone you're a fan

You know that weird feeling, when someone complements you out of the blue?
Here's an open secret - you have that power too!
I know you're going to spend a while thinking "Am I just going to sound weird?"
Well, maybe. Honestly, maybe. Anxietal awkwardness is something we've all feared.

Do it anyway. Let someone know exactly how dope you think they are.
That you're a fan of what they do, don't be scared to sound bizarre
At worst, they'll brush it off. Or miss it. Or something else inconsequential.
And at best you'll make their day, motivate them, ignite their potential

You have the power to be the person that introduces someone to life outside their shell
Just don't forget, occasionally, that you can motivate yourself as well

Go to war

No matter what you think of war, do not forget the cost
Do not forget the sacrifice, the souls that will be lost
And though the rich and powerful dictate the terms of war
Remember that the price is often paid for by the young and poor

There are times when you might think of war as the action we must take
When our principles are pushed and we must stand up for them or break
If you're worried a foreign power will come and strike you in your home
I see then why you would ask for yet one more war to add to history's tome

Now, here's he thing. I do not know what goes on within the halls of power
I am not privy to the finer details of the words that echo in the ivory tower
I have not known firsthand the impasse of the leader of a nation
I do not know the stress of the country critiquing every hesitation

And yet, and yet. From my soapbox on the ground it sometimes seems to me.
That the final option of war is not always as final as it should be.
That those in the game for profit or for ego or for pride
Will gladly wage a war with a conflict on the side

It can be hard from way down here to find the truth between the news
And it's all to easy to imagine a dystopia where war is waged for votes and views
Maybe I'm an optimist. But I can't believe that's true
That a payment of lives is such an easy thing to do

But maybe they don't remember. It can be easy to forget.
When leaders go to war they don't yet know their debt.
So it's up to the people to remind them, before the souls are lost.
That if you choose to go to war do not forget the cost.

Change the world

I don't know if I'm going to change the world
But I know I want to try

This world gets more complex as I live in it
And will until I die

And I don't know how I want the world to change
Which wrong I want to right

And I want my life to be more than just one cause
There are so many things to fight

I don't know if I'll make a difference
With what I do

But I know there is virtue in the battle
In seeing something through

I don't know if I'm going to change the world
But I want to in my heart

I don't know how to change the world
But I know I have to start


Inspiration music is Full Circle by Five Finger Death Punch

A letter

Take a sheet of paper
Even a small one

Take a pen that fits your hand
Where the ink flows well

Think of a person you know
One who needs a message

Write

Words will come
Or maybe pictures

Fill the canvas with yourself
Whatever that might mean

Then seal that piece of you away
Inside a crisp envelope

Some of you may spill over
As you write the address

That's fine

Seal it with a kiss
Send it on its way

Never underestimate a letter
For someone having a bad day

Top 10 of 2019

It is tough, after writing so much, not to let creativity become routine. I've tried to let the time I've set aside for poetry be a focus for creating something new, rather than an urge to meet a deadline. It's been a tough year, but I still think I've found some time to let the spark fly :)

Weirdly, the ones I'm proudest of this year all sort of all in pairs. There were many others I loved -Caterpillar was a special poem for a friend, Identity made me delve into how I think of myself, Fantasy reminded me why it's important to create, Wordweaver captured an Alan Moore idea of the power of ideas, Told was inspired by the climate protesters, and Our Challenges Are As Unique As Our Gifts took two ideas I knew well (everyone is unique, everyone has challenges) and connected them in a way I hadn't managed before.

Motivation

Aesop Inspired
I am a huge huge fan of the artist Aesop Rock, he has this incredibly interesting way of rhyming - filled with analogies and never shying away from describing things in interesting ways. This is probably the poem I've written that has come closest to capturing that style for myself. On top of that, it has a lot of lines and imagery that I just adore. One I was rewriting for a long time, because it seems like this might be one of those poems I love but other can't connect to (potentially because Aesop's style is eclectic and I'm struggling to match it). I don't care. One of those I've memorised because I adore the rhythm so much.

Poem Catcher
Sometimes simplicity is the solution. It can be tough to keep writing poetry, especially after all this time - and I really want to keep changing up how and what I write. This was one of those times when I was struggling and just took a shot at a much simpler style of poem. It ended up being very fun - exploring a slightly surreal idea, but being very visual and not exploring it too long. I really liked it, and if any of my arty friends want to have a go at drawing it let me know ;)

Religious Poems

Faith
Inspired my a mental health in Christianity day my church ran. A friend of mine used the line "my faith is not my depression", and it got me inspired to think about all the things faith isn't (and is). I'm always really scared when writing something like this that I'll make some big theological faux pas, but I was very happy with how this turned out. I loved embracing the "CS Lewis letter" style of writing, and I think I helped capture something unique on the way.

Good Friday
One of those poems that changed the way I think about things. I remember, very clearly, getting the idea of "what if humanity could be represented as kids on a playground?". I remember being kind of sad that I didn't have the skill to write such a thing - in my head the idea worked best as a children's book format, and I don't have the best prose. As it is, I had a go anyway (I think with the encouragement of a friend), and I am so, so happy with how it turned out. A bit of a theme, but it really helped me visualise a lot of the actions of humanity - I feel like a lot of history can be interpreted in this way without losing much nuance.

Empathy

Where Passion is Sewn

I have a lot of odd tastes. I know this, and embrace it a little bit. This does mean that, in public, I'll rarely hear music I love - and also that I don't want to subject others to something that I know is unlikely to suit their palette. What is tough though, is to make sure I'm always encouraging of people with different tastes (I can't be the only one who inadvertently finds themselves making fun of odd habits, no matter how hypocritical that is). This is a little poem to remind myself of that - to adore the passion in others and encourage it where I can.

Take on the World

Outside of poetry, I also do some sports journalism. This year, I took a bit of a step back from quantity and tournament reports, and focussed instead on a few high quality pieces. One of them was an interview with a friend about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She described her symptoms as "a battery that couldn't fully charge". Shortly after, I myself got ill and had similar (though far, far less severe) symptoms of fatigue. I tried to use what I had learned from her to express that irritation of fatigue in a poem, and I hope I did it justice.

Big Ideas

Give Love a Try
Inspired by a spirited discussion with a friend about Christianity. My friend raised the (very legitimate) point about the harm Christianity has caused over the years. Fairly off the cuff (i.e. I sat at the screen a while pondering a response) I responded that many big ideas - regardless of how benevolent they may seem - have also been used for harmful ends. I gave science and love as two examples, and pondering over it, I realised how interesting it would be to write a poem from the perspective of two evangelists for the idea of love and a skeptic. I saw a little of myself on both sides of the argument, but the line "love is perfect, those who practice it are not" came from the evangelist, though it mirrored my thoughts in a way I hadn't expressed before. I do love writing from characters, I need to try it more.

Here is a Truth
I know I was discussing truth and lies, but I cannot remember how this idea came into my head. What I do remember though, is once the idea was there, finding it very fun to follow through. Listing all the types of lies/liars/truths and then finding a common uniting theme for each was a very fun idea, and made me do a few mental gymnastics I hadn't had to do before. I'd love more ideas like this, as tough as they are to write.

Communication

The Girl Who Dreams in Books
Written for a friend, and I loved how this one turned out (although I feel I have a lot of friends this could apply to). Again, I love the slightly surreal imagery. Dreams is an issue I've tackled a fair amount before, so when I say I think this is my best take on it I'm acknowledging how tough that task is. Maybe there's also a longing here myself - my reading has had to take a big back step in recent years, so hopefully I can inspire myself back into the pages again.

Another Tongue
I am very lucky to live in an anglo-centric world where I can travel to many different countries and meet people who know my native tongue. It's not the first time I've tackled the topic of how amazing I find people who can speak more than one language, but I think this one shows my progression as a writer. It was also very fun to perform this in front of the German society!


Many thanks to you for reading this too! I can't believe how long I've been writing now. If you every read one and want to chat about it, I would love to. It's hard work writing, but the conversations I've had inspired by the poems have been one of the things which ahve helped keep me going :)

Dear Harry in ten years

Dear Harry in ten years,

How are you doing? I hope you didn't change your name

Or, if you did, that a forwarding address means this will find you all the same

I wanted to check in with you, after all, it's been a while

Is your motto still to try to be someone you could talk to with a smile?

Or has another song lyric taken its place?

Have you found a lyricist more talented than Aes?

Are you still writing poetry? I've been going seven straight years.

Did you finally build up courage to send it to someone and ignore your fears?

What about work? If you're like me know, you'll hate being asked

But right now I'm on the precipice, being forced to leap at last

I've been static I know, while still moving hard.

I could identify every part of Oxford you'd find on a postcard

I've spent many years here, it feels like a home

I don't know if I want to settle or just want to roam

Right now, between frisbee and work, I've been delayed in seeing friends

I hope that you got around to meeting them again in the end

Everyone around me seems to be getting married and becoming mums or dads

It seems like something nice, but from a distance most things seem rad

Right now I feel under a lot of stress, fairly unable to take risks

I've had to stay at home a lot and give up on the disc

Though I feel I wouldn't trade the time I spent playing with the best

I wont lie that it still felt good at times to be having a little rest

Now, I want to return, but I've been going to the gym properly

After a long time promising myself I finally made it a priority

Did it work? Or did I just get injured yet again

If I did I bet it was the hamstring strain

I feel like I'm stronger in faith than when the decade began

Maybe I'll fall away or maybe I'll be baptised a second man

I know I'll learn a lot and change my philosophy

Promise me though you'll think through it properly?

Look, that future is uncertain, and I'll have to stay right here

A person in the past writing a future poem for the new year

I don't know if you need it, but I want to wish you luck

You're smarter than you think, even when you think you're stuck

I've no idea who you are, but I hope you're someone I'd enjoy meeting

That even if your life is hectic you have time for a friendly greeting

I've no idea if you'll read this, or even if the internet will still exist

Maybe you'll start drinking alcohol and enjoy getting pissed

Maybe the planet will call humanity on its hubris in climate change

Maybe politics will become less tribal and become less strange

Maybe, maybe. I could worry about the future forever.

The other option is to go live it, and try to change things for the better

Hey Harry? Remember you don't have to do things on your own

Remember how great your friends are. Remember you aren't alone.

Trust in Him. Trust in the relationships you've sewn.

I hope you're happy. I hope you've grown.

Dear Harry in ten years, or even in more

Don't be a stranger. Give the future what for.

Love, Harry (2019)