Here’s my guest blog post from my friend and writer, J.D. Estrada, out of Puerto Rico. He’s a poet and fiction writer who has a few books published. He’s inspiring with his words and sometimes he can be quite the comedian as well too. To my understanding, this writing is being shared for the first time in this blog post. Enjoy and share with other lovers of words.
Well versed
Poetry has been in my life for a long time though I’ll admit it’s made a big resurgence in the last 3 years of my life. For the longest time, poetry was merely a vehicle to cope, to express without feeling shame at what I felt, and a way of making something beautiful out of something painful.
As time has passed poetry has become an integral part of who I am as a person and as a writer. It has allowed me to see the beauty in life all around me and to embrace as much beauty as I can through metaphors. As a writer, it is also a wonderful exercise to hone my craft because it allows me new ways to describe something that we see every day. It’s a lesson in seeing beyond the obvious, finding the nuances of reality, and accepting that in this dance, there are many options to take to get from point A to point B.
And the topics can be as varied as the words you use to craft those emotions. For this post, let’s explore three topics and doing some micro poems and look at the process behind each.
TOPIC: LOVE
Clean dishes
Love is not always a huge
scene
scene
Violins don’t always play
in the background.
in the background.
Love can be a good
morning,
morning,
They can be folding
clothes,
clothes,
It can be hitting the
snooze button on a Tuesday
snooze button on a Tuesday
It can be squeezing the
toothpaste out the way they like it.
toothpaste out the way they like it.
Love can be grandiose
Or miniscule.
Love need not be verbose
Because three words can
make a day better
make a day better
And that’s the power of
the holy trinity
the holy trinity
That is a simple post it
Scribbled with crayon,
A magic marker,
Or that damn pencil you
can never sharpen
can never sharpen
Just to say
What you feel
What you live
What you share
And whom you love.
In this poem, the message focuses on the smaller things in love, the trivial things some people take for granted. That’s because in love, nothing should ever be taken for granted. In my life, I’ve been known to scribble little notes for my wife and an “I love you” post it has made its presence felt. The funny part is the challenges we can face, mainly finding something with which to write. Also, the end punch line is held back because just writing I love you is the easy route. A
beautiful one, yes, but when you want to write something different, you have to think different.
beautiful one, yes, but when you want to write something different, you have to think different.
Another topic: LIFE STRUGGLES
One more round
At the end of the longest
days,
days,
A round can make or break
you.
you.
Running around in a
circle may be typical
circle may be typical
But a round is much
healthier.
healthier.
Some people will opt for
whiskey
whiskey
Maybe some other spirit,
But when it has to do
with your spirit,
with your spirit,
Sometimes one more round
is all you need.
is all you need.
Think of those times you
want to walk off your anger
want to walk off your anger
And if that doesn’t work
Think of a boxer who is
about to have the fight stopped.
about to have the fight stopped.
He wants one more round
For redemption
For life
For the opportunity
To show that whatever
happened up to that moment doesn’t matter.
happened up to that moment doesn’t matter.
What matters is the now and
the “in a minute” they need.
the “in a minute” they need.
Just one more round.
I know it’s been a hell
of a beating.
of a beating.
But please.
Just one more round.
Trust me.
In this write, life struggles are discussed in how we face them. Some people may choose to drink their problems away, but other people choose to fight. I’ve seen many fights where one boxer is heartily and heavily losing. They are warned that they may stop the fight. The fighter asks for one more round. Sometimes they get a knock out, sometimes they get knocked out. But they want to give it their best shot. And in life, sometimes that’s all we want.
But it’s not all seriousness and love. Sometimes we need to laugh, and poetry is an often ignored vehicle to make us smile.
TOPIC: SOMETHING SILLY
What’s up Yoe
As I wait in line for coffee
I am appalled by all the names written wrong
Anjulina
Klistofer
Qeneth
It is a grammar wasteland
I get to the cashier
Some white kid that talks like a wannabe rapper
He is to gangsta speak
What Lynn is to karaoke
Especially when she insists she can do Whitney
I place my order
I say my name
Confident in a simple, friendly, average name.
I pay
Move to the side
Check my phone
I hear my name pronounced correctly
My simple name
My strong name
Proud in its averageness
And then I read my cup
Yoe
I look at the cashier
I point at the cup
and say the only thing I can
What’s up wit dat!
In this poem, I took an every day situation and took it to the extreme. Face it, if you go to a Starbucks, your name will be butchered. Something as basic as Joe is not exempt. And this is an exploration of that. Did I generalize in regards to the person who took the order? Of course, but sometimes stereotypes and generalizations are funny precisely because of that.
Anyways, I hope this was an interesting journey into poetry for all of you. I’d like to thank Maria Rochelle for the lovely invitation and by all means, if you’re curious as to my work, check me out at:
Blog: jdestradawriter.blogspot.com
Twitter/Instagram/Google+ @jdestradawriter