OctPoWriMo: How did poetry become a part of your life?

Tiny view shaken

Wondering how it all works

Pen guides my journey

It all started when I was 12 years old. I met a boy. It was a week-long romance, probably the longest week in history. I have no science to back that up, just the remembered feeling of summer’s heavy humidity and the intensity of burgeoning feelings. I didn’t know what to do with them all. I’d had crushes before, but hadn’t ever liked a boy like this.

So I wrote a poem.

One poem turned into two poems.

This started me on the path of writing poetry all the time. A pen and paper became a permanent fixture in my life. Whether I was down, confused, happy, curious, or just wanting to explore my imagination, I felt a need to scribble it all down. I'd written short stories before, but this was different. More personal. 

Mom bought me a journal with its rose covered hard cover. The pages were in different colored sections pink, light blue and lilac. They were soft to the touch and smelled almost like roses. I wrote in that thing constantly. I counted on its flimsy lock to keep my secrets at bay. It was so well-used, month's into owning it, the cover fell off. I was so sad when that happened. 

The next year, my English teacher asked us to keep journals in steno pads. I could flip the cover to the back of the book and not damage it. I was sold. That's where my poetry lived. 

Here I am still writing poetry in steno pads trying to understand the world around me, and my role in it.

Do you remember why you started writing poetry? How old were you? Do you write your poetry in a special place? 

Tamara Woods was raised (fairly happily) in West Virginia, where she began writing poetry at the age of 12. She shares poetry and short stories on her blog PenPaperPad, is a contributing writer for the online ‘zine Lefty Pop and writes articles as a full-time freelance writer. She is editor for an upcoming poetry journal collaboration, and hosts #writestuff TweetChat where writers talk about writing. She is a hillbilly hermit in Honolulu living with her Mathmagician.