Hi... I'm really nervous about posting this but here goes.
I'm 34 and just went through a divorce. I've never written poetry before, but lately I've been filling notebooks with... something. I don't know if it's poetry exactly. Just feelings that needed somewhere to go.
I have no idea what I'm doing technically. I don't know iambic from... whatever else there is. But I want to learn. I hope that's okay?
Thanks for having me.
EmberWords, welcome! And please don't be nervous - you're exactly who this community is for.
What you described - feelings that needed somewhere to go - that IS poetry. The technical stuff can come later (or not at all, honestly). Some of the most powerful poems break every "rule."
I started writing after my father passed. Poetry found me when I needed it most. Sounds like it found you too.
Those notebooks full of feelings? That's your raw material. That's gold.
Technical knowledge is just a toolbox. You already have the most important thing: something real to say. Welcome, and I hope you'll share when you're ready.
EmberWords, you belong here. Full stop.
Some of history's greatest poems came from moments of heartbreak. You're turning pain into art - that takes courage. We're glad you're here.