The Uncalled Companion

Is this what poetry is? A question I have been asked often.

Several words that are arranged in verses are put into a rhythm and rhyme. That's the basic introduction to poetry. For many, that is the end of the definition as well.

But what I fell in love with was the emotions emanating from those words. The way a single line held multiple meanings. The layers I could peel back from each line, and the depths I could dive into. Poetry could mean different things to different people. For me, it's healing

Poetry isn't just about wordplay or a show of intelligence. Beyond all the technicalities of structure and rules, it is the raw emotion one has towards the world and how they choose to express it. It can be short or long, complete or fragmentary, or even a story trailing off without closure.

It lets you be imperfect in a perfect world. And that's exactly why many people turn to poetry while in pain.

Expressing emotions through words is the easiest way to share them. It can make you feel lighter when feelings are finally poured out onto paper. Poetry understands this. You can break down any feeling without naming it. You can be angry without justifying. You can grieve without naming the loss. Or just jot down your thoughts. Poetry is your permission to be vulnerable and honest with yourself.

As much as it gives you room to breathe within your emotions while you write, reading a poem can be equally healing. It grounds you with the acceptance that someone, somewhere, felt the same as you. That it's human to feel what you feel.

Feeling less alone with your emotions is one of the quiet gifts of poetry. It gives you the validation and courage to proceed. Maybe that's what poetry is to me. My art that doesn't rush to fix, doesn't judge or ask to be anything else than what I am in the moment.

If you're carrying something heavy with you - write.

Write, not to justify your pain, but to place it somewhere it can be held peacefully.

_ Parvathy Ravindranath