Haiku is Healing

Not lonely; alone.

Keeping me for company.

Inward safety; first.

I believe in the power of poetry. Like God, poetry lives in every crevice of this world. And like water, we need it to live. We need to hear it. We need to speak it. We need to write it. We need to love it. We need to honor it. Because it is us. We are poetry and poetry is us.

I began writing haiku poems as a way to release. Because they are short and structured, they are right up my alley. I have often denied myself the time and space to sit down and write. A really bad habit that is seeded far too deep to get into at this moment. But I do know the importance of writing. Releasing. Getting things out. And as a way to not only know that, but prove to myself that I understand it, I write haikus. I have a gift worthy of being honored. It is dismissive to source energy to not honor it.

Not lonely; alone.

So, I wrote this short poem as a reminder to myself. A declaration of sorts. It’s been a long time since I’ve been okay with being alone. Okay with not having to occupy myself with the needs and desires of someone else. I’ve been consumed with other people my whole life. Today, at nearly 33 years of age, I’ve decided to take that power back. And it’s hard. There is no real manuscript for how it will go. How your relationships will change, and what the outcome will be. But it is in this very moment that I am trusting my intuition. Honoring my tears. Trusting that they are washing away rancid ideas that my mind held hostage. Ideas that have only crippled my ability to love and cherish myself and others properly.

This is a process that begins with:

keeping me for company.

This mean so much to me. Mostly because I’m just learning what it really means. It’s not just me going into hermit mode. Excluding myself from the world and loved ones around me. I’ve done that I’m the past out of fear. Fear of being seen. Fear of having my vulnerability on display and what that would then mean for me moving forward. NO!

Keeping me for company, i know and understand now. Means: I’ll be okay with who and what i am. In the light and dark. That i can and will honor all parts of me. For me. First and foremost. Not because i want to perform for the likes and approval of likes others. That i am safe and grounded. That i am worthy. That i am a purposeful human. That I’m pretty damn cool. And there’s plenty to do when I’m alone. Plenty to take up my time and energy. And those things will show me who and what i am. I don’t need to depend on those answers to come from others.

Inward safety; first.

I can’t make other feel safe. Feel cared for. Feel cherished. Feel honored. If I am unsure how to provide this for myself. Sure—walking in front of cars when they have the right of way is dangerous. Or masturbating without washing your hands after Mexican take out can be gnarly. Sure!! I can manage that just fine. But what about emotional safety. Whew. Chile. I’m learning. And I’ll probably always learn this in different ways on different days. If so I’m committed. Always. In all ways.

More haikus can be found on Instagram @haiku.is.bae ❤️