Poetry, Online:

Reflections on Writing Poetry for the Internet Public

I have a confession: none of the articles about how to write online have influenced how I write online.

Let me sum them up, all 100,000,000,000 of them, in brief:

• Quality content
• Be yourself
• Publish or post daily
• Market via Social Media
• SEO? Something, something, SEO, something.
• Get into Publications

Did I leave anything out? Maybe throw in a dash of “I made this much in this many months” or repeat over and over again how much made in year and how it is “real writing” and how it is “hard” or something about “blogging is real writing.” Not sure. Like I said, I skim them at best, and move on.

I write a bit about that online writing life. Not a lot. But just enough. Because I was out there struggling before I was told by a friend to hey, give this online writing thing a try. And: it saved me. Spiritually. Creatively. Emotionally. So, I write about writing online as a way of trying to explore, reflect, give thanks and give back. Because what if it saved you too? What if it could save someone else?

I was struggling as a creative person trying to, let’s face it, make it in a not creative world. I had some idea about direction, but it felt like I was settling for something. I wanted to start my own business, so I decided I was going to be at a tutor. But in my heart, my entire life, I knew I was a poet, a writer. I had tutor business cards. I tried to do the thing. I made a web page. And after months, I still had no clients.

And here’s my idea of why: I was not into it, passionately. I was not pushing for it. I was going through the motions of okay, if I have these degrees, and if I have this skill, might as well try to turn it into a job because we have bills, and debts, and life to pay for, right? I love education, I love learning, but it was not connecting with a love for the idea of tutoring.

Poetry is not like that. Poetry is not something that I had to decided reluctantly to try to make into a job or business. Poetry really could never be a business. It is a passion. Pure and simple. Flat out. Poetry is my passion. Writing itself is my passion but poetry is where I go first, to read and to write. Poetry is where my thoughts naturally are and always have been. Poetry is the way my mind talks to itself and gets through the days ups and downs.

Writing online has unlocked this for me, or rather, made it click finally, deeply, and irreversibly. Again, bless you, wonderful community of readers, writers, and poets for being this landing space for my heart every single day.

Poetry is writing but we need to distinguish ourselves a bit in this often “writer eat writer” world that exists online. Don’t get me wrong, many online spaces and communities for writers and poets are great. I adore and chat with and fangirl over poets, and also over people who write fiction, parenting articles, articles about culture and society, and sometimes even, yes, articles about politics and social media. We are all here.

But, the ladder up — and up — and up — seems to be a bit out of reach for the poets. We are sort of used to that though. Poetry does not operate under the same sort of “here is how to get rich quick with writing” mindset that is often pushed in too many online writing spaces all over the internet. Have you ever met a poet who got rich, let alone got rich quick? I think not.

Poetry is a slow rise. Not only to wealth and fame but to a tiny book put out somewhere and then maybe another one and then maybe someone will notice you and ask you to make another bigger tiny book one day. At least that is how it might work? Poetry might be a mystery, really.

There’s no formula. There are no tips and tricks. And gasp, get ready: some of the best poets, dead or alive, past or present, have no fancy degrees from fancy programs, no formal “poetry training.” No official, respectable, documented, fluffy credentials.

Nothing is a sure thing in poetry, but for this: write intentionally, write with craft and passion, and write with the goal of touching hearts, minds, souls, with feeling and emotion in brief, hit or miss, little spurts of connection.

Poetry doesn’t “trend” or have a high SEO, whatever that may mean. And poetry as a blog is …well, hashtag difficult.

So what can I tell you, aspiring poet, aspiring writer about writing poetry, or writing poetry online? Really, probably not much.

Poetry is this thing where we write it and read it intentionally, fully prepared to feel. If someone is not in the mood for that, they won’t seek out poets or poetry. Though they might accidentally stumble onto us. That is the best, though. Really it is. When folks not looking for poetry, find poetry.

Poetry is something people stub their toe on and then cry about a bit. But then, it leaves a glow. It leaves a halo. It makes its mark. They forget about the painful toe, but remember the release of crying and the healing begins.

Poetry is not all sad, not all dramatic. Poetry is also joy and gratitude on the page. So sometimes the toe stub discovery is more like a gentle fall onto a pile of leaves, or pillows, or something soft that provides support and laughter. Poetry is also love and passion, as mentioned, as seen. It is also reflection and voice about issues vital to humanity, to our culture, to our world, to fears and hopes for these things we deal with as a people, a planet. And did I mention it was brief, powerful, intentional, and about getting to the heart and feelings vs. getting to the things people tend to just skim over anyway such as facts, resources, dry sentences and lengthy calls for action?

Poetry is always a call for action. We just never have to say it is or push it to be.

Poetry is something that can be awful — legit awful. I have seen some, I have written some. It happens. But poetry cannot be faked, or produced, or filtered through some sort of “I have a degree so whatever comes out of my mind is official poetry” mentality. Poetry — good poetry — is an immediate transfer of emotion and feeling. If I read your poem and walk away feeling something, bam, you did it. You did poetry. If I read your poem and walk away scratching my head, or confused, ummm …that is not for me. But even in this, poetry is not useless or trivial. Bad poetry is an attempt at good poetry, after all. This attempt is what we should encourage and embrace.

So, in conclusion, poetry is subjective, of course. And it is something that has to flow from hearts and inspirations that resonate with other hearts and inspirations.

You can’t write a “How to…” on this, really. You can’t trust a “How to…” on this, really. Poets are out here poeting all day long. If someone finds us, that is a bonus.

Poeting online, being an online poet, is about this one thing: deeper connection. There’s nothing I can say to anyone, or do for anyone, no manual, no checklist, that will make this happen — for me, for you, or for anyone. Poetry demands authenticity and purpose, online or in any space poetry flows or goes.

Poetry is a shapeshifter and also, the mighty morphin power ranger of writing. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, and maybe can copy and paste, phone it in, come up with an algorithm or listicle about how to do it, poetry changes, transforms, slips from any arrogant grasp or confident attack. Poets know you just have to flow. Flow with what you write, what you hear in your poetic voice, what translates of that voice one you try to put it on a page, and then flow with whatever reactions or non-reactions you might get.

Poetry is zen. Poetry is the ultimate ninja, the ultimate jedi, the hero’s journey in action. Poetry is writing on a mission of the heart.

With this being said, enjoy it. Enjoy writing it. Enjoy reading it. Enjoy feeling it.

Jenny Justice is a mom, Sociology instructor, and writer. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer. She has been recognized as a Top Writer on Medium in Poetry, Parenting, Reading, Education, Books, Racism, Feminism and Climate Change, Social Media, Humor, and Writing, on and off, so far. You can follow her poetry at Justice Poetic.

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