April’s BirthmomsConnect calls theme celebrates National Poetry Month. Why poetry? Among other reasons, reading and writing poetry can be a form of self-care, stress relief, and encourages self-reflection.
The Healing Power of Poetry
From infancy, poetry is a connection to language and emotion. Nursery rhymes, with their syncopation and cadence, are one of the earliest ways we begin to learn language, and it is no coincidence that so many children’s picture-books are written in rhyming couplets, and it is in those stanzas that we being to understand how our use of language can shape our experience in the world.
When we talk about poets, and poetry, we tend to think about great writers, like Maya Angelou, or Amanda Gorman. It can feel very daunting to imagine creating art in a field of such literary giants. But the cost of entry to writing poetry is just a pen and paper, or opening the Notes app on a phone, and the act of writing poetry can be deeply beneficial, and we've pulled a few of our favorite reasons why to share here.
It Builds Self-Awareness: Poetry fosters emotional expression and healing through self-expression and exploration of one’s feelings. It provides a safe way to vent, examine, and understand our feelings.
It Helps Clarify Your Point of View: Reading and writing poetry makes you think of new ideas, but can also dramatically change the way you perceived old ones. It is a way to process experiences, visual descriptions, and emotions.
If you are a birthmom looking for a safe, supportive group of your peers, join us on Zoom for a BirthmomsConnect support group. Give your creativity a workout and try your hand at writing a little poetry! The Haiku that accompanies this post? Was written by a birthmom at our Birthmother's Day event last year.
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, where we will be sharing some of our favorite poems - the ones that inspire us, provoke us, and make us consider our place in the world. Be sure to share your favorites in the comments, too.
