This week's Poem of the Week is 'Poetry Understands' by Vautaw, a deceptively simple rhyming piece that praises poetry for its ability to understand our 'broken hearts', our 'rainy days' and 'lonely nights'. Here we have poetry as a constant, something to look for when we feel low, when we need it most. We see how poetry can be used as a mirror, to look at ourselves, or to help answer life's great questions.

 

Below, Vautaw answers our Q&A;

 

How long have you been writing?
A lifetime... 40 years!  

 

Do you go to any open-mic nights?
Rarely, but I love to listen to others recite poetry and I enjoy reciting poetry, which is another reason I love WOL - the option to upload audio with your poem! 

 
What’s your favourite poet/poem?
I find it nearly impossible to give a singular answer to this question. It's like asking which family member I like best. I'm a big Bronte fan, so I have to include Emily. I enjoy reading poems about love and relationships as it has been the most baffling experience of this life. 

I love poems that empower and enlighten us such as Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, If by Rudyard Kipling, and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. I also favor current poets that keep poetry alive and inspire the next generation like Atticus, Michael Reid, Rupi Kaur, and many of the poets on WOL (check out my WOL Favourite Profiles). 

If I had to choose only one poem to share with the world, I think it would be, Success by Berton Braley. That masterpiece has motivated me many times to keep writing and pursuing my dreams when I would rather stay in bed with the covers over my head.     

 
You're cast away on a desert island. What's your luxury?
Reading and writing without interruptions sounds like heaven to me! 

 

 

Poetry Understands

by Vautaw

 

Poetry understands
walking dead,
monsters under the bed,
voices in your head.

Poetry understands
wounded souls,
storms, walls, 
severed rainbows.

Poetry understands
broken hearts,
rainy days, lonely nights,
moon light.

Poetry understands
star-crossed love,
hopeless romances,
second chances.

Poetry understands
twin flames
guilt, shame,
the blame game.

Poetry understands
weathered faces,
sad songs,
dark places.

Poetry understands
the mirror,
unanswered calls,
stumbles, falls.

Poetry understands 
it all.