I Hated, Then I Loved

Road Trip Wednesday #176: Sister I'm a Poet

I never liked poetry. Ever. I thought it boring and aloof. Poetry was something that just took too much work to understand. I hated writing poetry too. I thought I had to become some stuffy-analogy-hungry writer (I’m sure I’m offending so many people right now). This was until I took a 20^th century literature class my third year of college. I felt inspired, and even moved by how these 20^th century poets, defied the “norms” in poetry, and forever changed the way we write and read poetry. Even more exciting, was discovering twentieth century poets and authors from South America. I know that I’m going on and on, when all I REALLY want to do is share my favorite poem. But I just have to tell the story and the boring details leading up to it (so be patient, I’ll get there!). We had to pick a poem, by any author and write a paper about a poem. I had never written a paper with a source containing so little content! And this was when, I discovered (or my professor revealed to me) Pablo Neruda. Saying his name (even if it’s in my head) stills my heart and causes me to take a deep breath. And this was the poem I chose, my first favorite poem:

Sonnet XVII: I do not love you as if you were brine-rose, topaz

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,


or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.


I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,


in secret, between the shadow and the soul.





I love you as the plant that never blooms


but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;


thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,


risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.



I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.


I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;


so I love you because I know no other way



than this: where I does not exist, nor you,


so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,


so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda

I love the darkness of his love, the inmost feeling that cannot be seen with bright colors or flowers or even described but only felt. I have nothing more to say so I will leave you with my favorite stanza, the one I keep reading over and over

 

The Best Book I Am Always Reading

YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday: 
What's the best book you read in February? 

When I was a child, I was stubborn, rebellious and very willful. Out of all my brothers and myself, I was the most difficult child my parents had to deal with (they have said this to me many times). Even though I am grown and mostly mature, my rebellious, stubborn, willful self still rises to the surface and explodes out of me. Harry Potter was so loved and praised by everyone that my stubborn, willful, rebellious alter-ego self (or whatever that's called) took control. I refused to read any Harry Potter for about ten years. Many people pleaded with me, for the sake of my literary soul, to read Harry Potter. But I stood my ground and refused. I stood strong, that is, until my job required it of me (that darn pay check!). I had to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to my first 5th grade class, as requested (but really forced!) by my mentor teacher. That was the first time I truly met Harry Potter and I just can't seem to put him down. I can't say it's been the perfect love story (I really can't stand the 3rd book) but even the parts I hate, I still want to curl up in bed every night before I go to sleep, slip into the world of Hogwarts, magic, friendship, bravery, family, and of course Harry. So to answer the actual question, the best book I read this month would have to be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. And as I have moved on to the dreaded third book, I'm quite sure that when I actually finish, it too will be the "best book" I read that month. As it is, Harry Potter is the best book I am always reading.

A Simple Love

RTW: What do you love most about reading and writing? 

When I was younger I loved to write and I thought, usually those who love to write, write in journals or diaries. Well, I tried many times to keep a diary, and although having my four brothers snooping around my stuff was definitely a deterant, I also, just, couldn't get into it. I would "peeter" out after a few days. I then discovered that my kind of writing, was just writing my thoughts. I would write sayings or poems or quotes, or mini-essays (yes, I know I'm really qualifying myself as an official nerd). I remember writing this one mini essay about how what I wanted most in life was to be able to write my story one day and have it change one person's life. Believe it or not, that was my sixth grade self. But that was something that has stayed with me ever since. I believe the "written word" has such power to change lives, to touch even one person's soul, and as cliche as it sounds, to change the world. Here is a quote from someone much better at saying what I'm trying to say,

People read in order to feel and people write in order to express and I absolutely love the entire process.