A poet will never be taken seriously.
They can write poems about the pain that's devouring them from the inside, stealing every bit of zest for the life they have left. They can write about the tears that roll every time the sun rises to send out its last warm rays. They can write how warmth has never been able to surround them with comfort, or love.
They can write poems about not being able to breathe. How all the air in their lungs gets pulled out of them every time they feel fear melting on their tongue. They can write stories about not being able to take it anymore. They can write that they want to die. But no one will take them seriously.
No matter how much a poet may want to be heard, they will never be taken seriously. No one will understand the depths of their pain and the reasons why they write. No one will be able to understand the sorrow that is hidden behind every word they write. No matter how hard a poet may try, they will never be taken seriously.
They will be seen as just a writer of words, not storytellers of broken hearts.
That doesn't mean their words are meaningless. It doesn't mean their stories will never be heard. It just means that a poet will never be taken seriously by the world, but they will always be taken seriously by those who understand them. Those who know the depths of their pain and the beauty in their words. Those who are able to see the pain and strength in the poet's words and the beauty in their stories. And that's all that matters.
A poet writes from the depths of their soul. They share stories of love, of loss, of life, and of death. They have the ability to make their readers feel a wide range of emotions, from anguish to joy. They don’t write to shock or to cause controversy but to evoke a feeling in those who read their words. They bring hope, beauty, and understanding to those who may feel lost and alone. Through their words, they bring light to a world that can seem shrouded in darkness.
Poets don’t need to be praised for their work, because even if no one reads it, the act of writing it down has already saved them. They do it for themselves, and for anyone who has ever felt the same way. Poets are a hope for the broken, a reminder that pain is not always forever, and a lesson in resilience. They take their hurt and turn it into something beautiful. And that is the power of poetry.
A poet creates art with their heartache. A poet paints their gray reality into colors, for others to read and think the words are written for them, and only them. Poets find a way to make the pain poetic, so when they finally find the strength to hint at the help they long for, they are met with a salute. What a beautiful work of art they have managed to create with their death wish.
Do not despair ... the names of Rumi, Longfellow, Burns, Whitman, Hughes, and even Ferlinghetti say that SOMETIMES, a poet can be taken seriously ... do not despair and KEEP WRITING POETRY.