OctPoWriMo day 3--Back in the Day

The OctPoWriMo prompt for Day 3 asked us to go back and look at our earliest poems and at the things that prompted us to write. I always loved poetry as a child, and memorized lots of it. ("Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" was the first.) One day I just decided to try it myself.  I still have those earliest poems, in an old ledger book, repeatedly taped together.

The first poem that I ever remember writing was a war protest lyric (what can i say, i was born in the 60's)  I was 12 and no, I wont reprint that or any of the other early efforts. (Not today anyway.) What  bothers me now, looking at most of them,was the lack of personal experience behind them. I was writing protest songs and love songs because that's what was expected
But poetry comes from the heart, and it took me awhile to learn that.

Back In the Day

In the beginning I wrote a protest song
'Cause it was 1971 and wasn't everyone writing protest songs?

I wrote rebellion songs,
though I was too chicken to rebel.

I wrote love songs,
though I hadn't a clue about love.

Somewhere along the way
the words got better.

Then I found love
and life in the real world,
and the Muse took a little holiday
till I was ready again.

Now I want it all.
Love and Poetry.


This post is part of day 3 of  the October Poetry Writing Month Challenge. To see what other poets wrote, click on the link.