Students might consider reading poetry a terrible chore.  Some people might consider poetry a distraction from the fulfilment of watching soap operas.  This column challenges those beliefs and shows that poetry has the power to set you free.  Free, that is, from the limits, borders, restrictions and fears that keep us in a shallow prison with little creativity to keep us alive.

Plan One:  Claim Poetry as your Own

Rather than just accept the poems that your teacher gives you, or the ones you read when you were a student, go select some poetry on your own.  The key is to burst out of the house on a “poetry mission” and find a book of poems.  Go to the weekend market, or visit a bookstore that carries a good selection of poetry.  Scan through the books and choose your favourite one. 

Plan Two:  Nature Poetry

If you still can’t tell the difference between real animals and the animals that you see on television, then it’s time to go to the zoo.  Make arrangements with your family or friends and go to the zoo or a park with many animals.  Bring a pen and paper with you and write down your observations.  No, you may not turn on the National Geographic channel and pretend that you are close to the animals.  You need to see them live, smell their smells, sense their feelings, look into their eyes and communicate with them. 

Plan Three:  Museum of Poetry

Go to the local museum or an art gallery and find a quiet room of paintings.  There are dozens of galleries in Bangkok.  Smaller cities often have museums and galleries featuring local artists and history.  Wander around the museum casually for an hour or two and select the painting or display that you most admire.  Imagine it coming to life.  Enter the work of art and interact with its colours, objects and atmosphere. 

Mentally and emotionally stay in the artwork while describing your experience in a poem.

Plan Four:  Reach Out to a Child

Plan a visit to an orphanage, hospital or home for children.  Contact the organization in advance and confirm that you are welcome to visit.  Plan a half-day visit with the kids or patients and prepare some gifts, activities or games for them.  They’ll love it!  The benefit to you is that you set yourself free from your usual Saturday morning routine.  Poetry is the action of sharing.  Poetry helps us break out of the prison of laziness and give our time to release others from loneliness or pain.

Plan Five:  Visit the Blind

To gain a true appreciation of your senses, visit a home or school for the blind.  If you think your homework or workload is difficult, this experience will put your work in a new perspective.  The key to poetry is to discover new perspectives.  Think of some way to contribute to the school for the blind such as reading stories or poems onto tapes for them.

Plan Six:  Day Trip

Most people are slaves in modern society:  working, studying and trying to earn enough money to be free.  Unfortunately, we rarely exercise our freedom because we’re too tired from work.  Break free from the chains of work, and take a one-day holiday.  Plan your transportation, arrange permission if necessary, and go somewhere new.  It’s amazing how many places are available to the day-tripper.  Even if you don’t write a poem from this experience, your smiling face will be poetic in itself. 

Plan Seven:  A Poet in Disguise

This activity can release you from the prison of self.  Dress yourself up so that nobody will recognize you.  A hat, dark sunglasses, and a radical change in clothing should effectively hide you.  Carry a notebook and find some busy place to sit down and make observations of people passing by.  Poetry takes us beyond self in the search for understanding.

Plan Eight:  The Poetic Life

The first seven activities have been suggested for you.  Now it’s time to take full control of your poetic destiny.  During your travels, trips and adventures, keep a keen eye open for poetic opportunities.  Always notice parks, playgrounds, cultural centres, social foundations, etc. that could be visited on your next outing.

Out of the Prison, into the Poem

All of these activities make life more interesting and poetic.  On each occasion, write down your observations and develop them into complete poems.  Review the poet tree website to get a variety of ideas on how to shape, sound and organize your poem.  Keep track of your adventures in freedom, and continue adding new ideas to the list.