You are a sensual creature and your soul lives in a magical body. You have five senses that serve as a portal into our world. When we allow ourselves to slow down and drop deep into our bodies, true magic is always close at hand. Your eyes have the power to tell stories. Your hands have the capacity to show us how it felt. Your tongue and ears are beautiful instruments, capable of so much pleasure. Your nose can bring memories from years gone by and plant your heart firmly from where you’ve been. It’s extraordinary to think of the gifts we have been given for this human journey and how they allow us to express ourselves. Furthermore, we all feel, taste, touch, see, and hear differently and so each and every one of us has something unique to bring to the table when using our senses to create poetry. 
 

Poetry does not require much. You only need yourself and the attention you keep. Poetry invites us to embody our earthly experiences. It implores us to move deep into the soul and let words form from there. Oftentimes the simplest of things are the most potent. Your hands. Your breath. The sky. Poetry does not need to be complicated. It’s close to the earth. It’s the core of things. Take a walk. Take a bath. Listen to music. Hang out on the porch. Around the dinner table. This is where poetry lives. Get quiet and ask yourself some questions. What does it feel like? What does it feel like to have someone you love wrap you in their arms? Your body after a strenuous and nourishing workout? Your shoulders in the water, dipping your face beneath the cold surface? Lovemaking. Loss. Heartbreak. What do these things feel like? What does it taste like? Your grandmother’s favorite recipe. The salt on the neck of someone you love. The tea on your tongue. An avocado. Water. What does it look like? The curve of a back. Afternoon light on the sidewalk. The eyes of your dog. Disappointment. Grief. Joy. What do these things look like? What does it smell like? Jasmine, freshly cut grass, coffee in the morning, perfume, autumn. What do you hear? Birds in the morning. Sudden laughter. What is your favorite music and how does it move your hips? What does the voice of someone you love sound like? What sounds turn your neck and raise your beautiful head? You have so much available to you right here and right now by just being alive. Plunge deep into your own experience.

 

Show us what you know.