There is something exhilarating about books, especially before you open them. A closed book is a mysterious land containing so many words, obscured for now, but soon to be revealed. The magic begins for me not when I open a book but when I simply hold it in my hands. A short while ago, I experienced this all-encompassing sense of anticipation upon holding a book. But this time, it was magnified to an electric, mountain-moving level. Because this time, some of the words printed on its pages are my own.
Z Publishing House published Virginia’s Best Emerging Poets in early December, 2017, and it includes a poem I wrote entitled “Will Your Heart Dance?”. When I first learned of the company’s intention to publish my work, my heart did, indeed, dance. I have to admit, though, I was surprised the editors selected this work in particular for publication.
I started writing poetry when I was in sixth grade. Since then, I have filled dozens of pages with my hopes, woes, triumphs, and musings in the form of poems. Poetry provides a way to connect my soul with my mind and helps organize my thoughts into a cohesive whole. More than a dozen times, I have learned new things about myself through poetry, so I find it to be an invaluable metacognition exercise.
When people read my poetry, they tend to gravitate toward the same two or three poems. I use this reader connection as a way to gauge what themes or syntactical structures I should employ to draw in my readers. Unfortunately, my poetic muse cannot be directed how to write or what to write about.
Amidst one of these periods of uncontrolled creativity, I happened to be feeling frustrated with my high school peers. I was sixteen and couldn’t understand why teenagers around me seemed less introspective and empathetic than I felt. Initially, I sought to change my sensitive nature by trying to seek friendships based on more concrete criteria, such as books, movies, or hobbies, instead of searching for someone who would connect with my soul. It did not take me long, however, to find out that maintaining friendships changes a person. Did I want to forego my quiet, humble interior for a louder, inauthentic exterior? I came to my answer one quiet day in spring: No. Never.
“Will Your Heart Dance?” I ask when approaching a new person. This query encompasses many smaller questions: Can we explore this world together? Do our aspirations come from a shared compassion for people and life? Will we communicate on a level that transcends communication? Will we be able to share our past and future together? And, most importantly, will our friendship last a lifetime?
Although written nearly eight years ago, this poem still resonates with me today. It is not a poem readers have highlighted as being their favorite. It is not a long poem or one that I often dwelt on in the past. This poem is, though, a representation of my mind that day I realized that surface-level friendships never will work for me. I submitted it to Z Publishing with some of my other, more popular works, and it won. Poems about growing up, patriotism, and the writing process were swept aside for some rhymes about a young heart looking for a dance partner throughout the song of life. There’s nothing more poetic than that.
If you are interested in reading my poem, along with the other amazing works published in Virginia’s Best Emerging Poets, please click here: https://www.zpublishinghouse.com/products/virginias-best-emerging-poets?variant=4638839537694&rfsn=868273.11cba
Full disclosure: I make small commissions on any book sold through this specific link. I appreciate your support.
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