Summary

The Poetry Portal is a Medium publication curated by Lewis Harrison, featuring a variety of poems, many published anonymously, with the aim of providing readers with a diverse range of poetic works to enjoy and be inspired by.

Abstract

The Poetry Portal on Medium is a collection of poems that have been shared with the curator, Lewis Harrison, often anonymously by the poets. Harrison, an award-winning poet and conceptual stage performer, has created this platform to publish these works, which range from short haikus to longer pieces. The portal is designed to offer a wide array of poetry to readers, emphasizing the joy and potential mental health benefits of reading poems. Harrison also provides insights into the nature of poetry, defining it as a form of written or spoken expression that can take various forms, including rhythmic verse, speech, or song, often employing metaphor and formal elements like rhythm, meter, and rhyme. Additionally, Harrison offers mentoring and life strategy resources through his Game Theory-based method, inviting readers to engage with his broader work beyond poetry.

Opinions

The art of reading poetry is distinct from the art of writing it, a distinction that was enlightening to the curator.
Poems are considered gifts that can uplift the mind, with some suggesting they can even "keep the doctor away," indicating a belief in the therapeutic power of poetry.
The decision to publish poems anonymously respects the poets' wishes while allowing their work to reach a wider audience.
The curator values the formal elements of poetry, such as rhythm, meter, and rhyme, and believes they contribute to a poem's elegance.
Lewis Harrison views his role as a facilitator of personal growth, offering his Life Strategies Playbook and Mentoring Method to help individuals and organizations achieve greater effectiveness and self-awareness.
Harrison is open to reader engagement and invites ideas for new stories, demonstrating a collaborative approach to his work.

The Poetry Portal

A poem about poems

I love poetry. Years ago, I spoke with an award-winning poet, who pointed out that the art of reading poetry is quite different from writing poetry.

I found this data point quite interesting, especially since I never considered the distinction before.

Over the years, many friends, and acquaintances, have sent me poems to read (often sent to me as part of mass e-mails to their personal list of friends and acquaintances.

Many of these poems are quite wonderful, and as such I have asked the poets to allow me to publish them on Medium.

Many have said yes, but with the stipulation that they be published anonymously.

The Creation of the Poem Portal

When I heard this I went to wiki

to do some research that was tricky,

concerning thousand-page tomes,

as well as haiku-type poems

So, I don’t need to make a fuss,

About poems that are now anonymous,

They were given to me,

And now they are yours for free,

So pull up a chair,

And read them if you dare,

Some are easy roller

And others feel bi-polar

Remember that a poem is a gift,

To give your mind a lift,

A poem some say

will keep the doctor away,

But a poem whether wise or sappy,

Can still make you happy,

So whatever your need,

Just sit and read,

For in little time

Your every thought will rhyme

The next thing I did was look up exactly what a poem is. Let me define it for you as a poem.

A poem can be written,

Short or long,

Presented in rhythmic verse, speech, or song

Often as a metaphor type of thing,

and hopefully not as a bore, flip, or ping,

Finally, a poem has some formal elements,

That now and then seem hopefully elegant,

With rhythm, meter, and rhyme,

and stanzaic structure most of the time.

Now that you’ve been shown,

The definition of a poem

Pull out a pencil or pen,

And start with Haiku from Zen

Here is a wonderful poem…@franco730

small quiet study room

…

medium.com

Author: Lewis Harrison is a poet and conceptual stage performer. He is the Executive Director of the International Association of Healing Professionals, a philanthropic and educational organization that distributes free life lesson classes, mental health awareness vlogs, prepper guides, and self-improvement programs around the world.

Lewis is also a best-selling author, and former host of a radio show on an NPR affiliated station.

Here is a humorous promo for that show

Lewis created a game theory based Life Strategies Playbook and Mentoring Method which he offers at no charge. He has used this system to move individuals and organizations to the next level. His work in Applied Gamer-Thinking is revolutionary. (Game Theory, the source of his work has won numerous Nobel Prizes).

“Please reach out to me. I want to help you transcend your challenges by helping you to get clear on your intention, and your desired outcome by increasing effectiveness efficiency, precision, productivity, accuracy, and self-awareness”.

Lewis

You can read all of his Poems, and Medium stories at [email protected].

“I am always exploring trends, areas of interest, and solutions to build new stories upon. Again, if you have any ideas you would like me to write about, just email me at [email protected] or check out all of my books, blogs, and videos through my portal www.asklewis.com