To read poetry is to escape from the depths and doldrums of everyday life and to take a place among words and emotions that make life bearable.
I carry with me in my bag, everyday, a book or volume of poetry; a purposeful exercise that allows me to step away from boredom or the corporate bullshit that all-too-frequently envelopes my day.
Poetry, whether I’m reading or writing, grounds me. 
It allows me to be who I am.
It allows me to see who I am.
It allows me to take some time and make it mine.
Often I don’t get enough time, but a few lines or stanzas of a poem is enough to reflect on where I am, or deflect the attitudes or algorithms that attempt to corrupt my humanity.
Poetry is a reason to be; poetry is a reason to see the world and wonder of where we are.

01/27/2019 j.g.l.