the trick of finding what you didn’t lose
(existing’s tricky: but to live is a gift)
the teachable imposture of always
arriving at the place you never left…
- e.e. cummings

When it comes to writing, poetry is my first love. I think it was love-at-first-read when I came across my mother’s old notebook filled with poetrythat she copied from books and magazines. I never thought of my mother as someone who would love poetry and take the trouble of copying poems in notebooks. But then, there are things we don’t always know about our mothers. And other people that we love for that matter.

Yet, when we read someone’s writing, someone’s words, a connection sparks. No wonder many women’s hearts had been won over by a short note, an email, a card, or a poem attempted by an ardent suitor. One of my favorite couples who had exchanged written words and ended up in blissful marriage is Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

So, whether you are simply trying to express your feelings, wishing to woo someone, exploring your own deepest thoughts, or wishing to perfect an art and craft, writing is one that can help you along. And according to Poet- Therapist Dr. John Fox, one good way to do this is through poetry.

He first explored this in his book, FINDING WHAT YOU DIDN’T LOSE: EXPLORING YOUR TRUTH AND CREATIVITY THROUGH POEM-MAKING. In nine exquisite chapters, he shares the wonderful experience of using the language of poetry. Not just through psychological terms, but with the use of formal technique in poetry as well.

- Why do you need poetry in your life?
- How do you reveal yourself in your poems?
- How do you reconnect with your Natural Creativity?
- How do you take delight in Language?

- What are the tools of Poem-Making?
- How can you make poems out of your Journal Entries?
- What is a Poetry Writing Circle and how do you create one?
- How can anyone break through one’s pain with words?
- How do you express what’s sacred through poetry?

These are some of the basic questions that John Fox tries to explore through this book that’s also a workbook. He shares all these with anecdotes of people who went through the same journey of “finding what they didn’t lose” - and gives some sample poetry that inspires and encourages.

This book also guides the reader in the process of “making poems” through various exercises and lead questions. It is peppered with quotes from writers, poets, and other creative individuals.

Indeed with this, I have found an inner voice and longing for words and creativity. And according to Dr. Fox, yes, they’re actually something that I didn’t lose.

——
�2000-2005 Sheila Ann Manuel-Coggins