By: Sheila Henry

I see you beyond
your humanness,
your one of a kind-ness.
When you recite your work, it
pricks the ears of nightingales,
they stand still and listen,
their heads tilt to one side,
they are captivated by the rich tone of your voice.
Same—when you write a couplet,
a rhyme, a haiku, a free verse,
sharing your innermost thoughts,
your words remind us of good times and sad times,
and of special occasions we’ve lived.
They make us laugh or shed a tear
cos we can relate and we are moved.
We trip on nostalgia.
The aura bringing your words alive
makes them shine bright for all to read;
enriching hearts, reaching deep under the skin,
arousing goosebumps, while motivating and healing.
Thoughtfulness lodged between each word—
not ordinary words—but words bearing intentions
to display truth, to heal and connect souls.
Our lives are enriched by your metaphors and rhymes.
Dear poets, you are a freaking, exceptional breed!