The Journey Inward

Hearing that voice within my mind,
"Look within, you know you can trust,
No one knows you better, you must
Nurture that feeling and remind,
Your answer is here, you will find."
Body and mind begin to slow,
Looking inward to what I know,
Block out the noise, block out the sound,
Peace awaits me, it can be found,
I know exactly where to go.

This one stanza decima poem was my challenge this morning!  I taught this structure in my writing class, and one member, an accountant, took to it immediately, loving the abbaaccddc structure and the 8 syllable lines.  I found it cumbersome, limiting, and prescribed, preventing me from finding the right words to deliver my message.  She showed the class how she worked through it, her strategies and thinking.   I left class promising I would give her method a try and see if I could convey what I wanted to within the parameters.  It's not exactly what I wanted to say, but I enjoyed the struggle this time and felt creative instead of stifled as I did with my first go a few weeks back.  I LOVE the community of writers that inspire and encourage one another, taking us beyond our comfort zones and pushing us to new places.

Photo:  Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.  June 28, 2020 by JMR