I have really taken the time to reflect on where I bloom and come from both personally and as a poet. I have to say that I have come far. I think for both they have changed for the better. When I look up bloom on the dictionary one of the definitions is the following: “to flourish or thrive” (from dictionary.com). Or it could mean the following as well. “Bloom (noun): A beautiful process of becoming.” Either one of those definitions is correct in my mind. However, blooming is not always a beautiful process I feel like because sometimes it can be downright messy, but still you are becoming someone or something. That is what blooming is all about and at the same time you do not forget where you come from. I think this next quote by Jacqueline Woodson sums up my writing and poetry perfectly. She says, “My writing is inspired by where I come from, where I am today, and where I hope to go some day.” So in other words, my writing is an essential part of who I am and where I want to go some day in the future.
We all bloom for a reason, even if there is rough patches along the way. That brings me to my next quote. “Flowers do not bloom without a little rain. Everything has its purpose, even pain.” It is like what I was saying before about everything having a purpose and reason. A lot of time there is purpose to rain and something that is painful. Some of my work and poetry blooms or comes from a place of hurt and pain. There are a lot of incidences in which I came from a place of being broken or torn or angry or sad or upset or whatever emotion I am feeling, but my poetry has saved me time and time again. I tend to bloom I feel like from everywhere including places other people tend to overlook like the pain and something that might feel uncomfortable. That brings me to my next quote. “When you’re in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you’ve been buried. Perhaps you’ve been planted. Bloom.” In other words, bloom from where you have been planted.
It is the best feeling in the world when you can look back and see how far you have come. I feel like blooming is a sign of growth. You bloom to grow and literally blossom. It takes strength and courage to grow, blossom and bloom. A lot of the time we tend to grow or bloom in unknown places. That brings me to my next quote by E.V., which says, “Like wildflowers; you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people never though you would.” So in other words, grow in places people would never expect from you. Yes, they will be surprised, but it is okay for things to be different. If we were all the same as we were before then we would not be growing or blooming very much at all. I know that this is a super long post, but thank you for hanging in with me. I hope that my readers take the time to really reflect on where they bloom or come from because that is something VERY important. I hope that you enjoy the following poem about my own blooming process. Cheers!!!!
Where I Bloom From
I bloom from all the cracks in the sidewalk
And where people step all over me, but do
Not take the time to admire the little things.
I bloom from the imperfections people balk
At and are too scared to see. I bloom into
Words flowers are jealous of. One springs
And blooms from all the light, but I bloom
From the darkness too. I bloom from the ash
As it led me to have new skin, hope, and life.
I bloom from a sacred and protective womb.
I bloom from the choices that left me to crash
And burn, but allowed me to learn in strife.
I bloom from the words, torn and tattered,
But yet it is poetry that becomes my savior
When I still would have been too broken or
Hurt to move on. I bloom from the splattered
Messes. I bloom from my success and failures.
Lastly, I bloom from everything people ignore.