The new Write Out Loud Poem of the Week is ‘Cycle of Life’ by Anya. This is a thoughtful, reflective piece which attracted a lot of comment when it first appeared in our blogs. As she explains in her answers to the questions we sent her, she’s not been writing poetry long, and is writing in her second language. What makes her write? She makes it sound easy: "I am simple not complicated, full of feelings which want to get out. So this is what I am doing."

What got you into writing poetry?

I have loved and read poetry since forever, but I never had the courage to speak up, to express my thoughts on a little piece of paper (or smart phone) with words. And then one evening, in the company of good wine... it was born. I wrote lots of poems that night, it was a flood. I found an outlet, which hasn’t closed since then.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for a month now, it hasn’t been long. I regret I didn’t start earlier but I guess that was a way of growing up to it. Getting ready. I write with feelings, stronger feeling, stronger poem. I find it tricky sometimes to express myself as my vocabulary is limited. English is my second language, I come from Poland.
 
Do you go to any open mic nights?
No, not yet. WOL is my place of growth for now. Someone very smart said to me “read, as much as possible”. I follow that advice. WOL offers diversity, that is inspiring and educational.
 
What is your favourite poet/poem?
My favourite poet is Wisława Szymborska, a wonderful Polish poet, recipient of Nobel Prize in Literature in 1996. Her poetry is characterised by notes of wits, irony and deceptive simplicity.
My favourite poem is “The Three Oddest Words” by Wisława.

“When I pronounce the word Future, the first syllable already belongs to the past
 When I pronounce the word Silence, I destroy it
 When, I pronounce the word Nothing, I make something no non-being can hold”

Outstanding...
 
You are cast away on a desert island, what is your luxury?
Sun cream, sunglasses, a good sunbed and a large supply of pencils and paper. A dream come true!!!

Cycle of Life
by Anya

When we are born
Angels watch us with joy
Curious of what we will become
When we are little
Our happiness
Fills every room at home
Enough to melt hearts
When we are young
The world is beautiful, magical
Full of promises and hopes
Our eyes wide open
When we grow up
A stone is placed in front of us to push
Its weight takes our breath away
But gives us strength
When we grow old
We look down at our life
Cherish memories we’ve got
Share our knowledge
When we die
We go back to where we came from
To our God Father in Heaven
Welcoming us at Home.