Poems For My People: Community, Volume 5

This is a collection of poetry I wrote primarily in a live setting whilst doing typewriter poetry busking in private parties and events. Every poem is written for a specific individual as requested by the recipient of the poem. Some poems were written as gifts requested for a loved one.Monday 12 May 2025Dear Friend,Something I've realised in writing hundreds of poems for people in multiple countries and settings is that a shared experience creates meaning in a relationship. I chose to call this rainbow collection of poetry "Poems For My People" because once we've shared the experiential process of me writing you a poem, you become "my people." We're connected in some way or another.I used to be scared about calling people "friend."I had a pretty formational experience when I was in fourth grade, about ten years old. I had come back to my classroom from lunch to grab my jacket for recess. During this moment, I witnessed a girl from my class holding an apple whilst saying to another girl, Let's give this apple to the teacher and say it's from everyone except Molly.I have no idea why she did this or what was really going on. What I do know is this moment of experience cemented a lie and subsequent way of being in my unconscious. I don't belong. I'll never have friends. Something is wrong with me. I had many other painful and repeated similar experiences in childhood in my family and amongst so-called "safe adults." It's hard to know what happened, but what I remember is learning and living in response to:Nobody will understand what's going on, so don't tell them about your life (even though I probably needed someone who I could feel safe enough in their company to process my life with).You should just spend time with kids your age (even though they were mean to me).Do you know what that's called? It's called brown-nosing. So you need to stop trying to get the attention of your teachers (even though some of my teachers were the only people who felt safe).I'm sure you can think of times when you began to believe you weren't [fill-in-the-blank-with-your-insecurites].As a result of these mounting experiences, I made the meaning that I wouldn't belong no matter who I approached and that I'd never be a good friend. It was a belief of not belonging and a choice to create emotional and social distance between myself and literally everyone else-even though I longed to have friends and be a good friend.Instead of being afraid that "you" might hurt me or suck the life out of me and then, avoiding "you" until I couldn't anymore, I began living from a perspective shift: a culture of invitation and curiosity. What if "you" were my friend?I examined my hopes and desires for friendship and began to do the things that a good friend would do and I began to declare, believe, and live out my transformative commitment to myself and others: I am a great friend.And so, my dear reader, I'm delighted that we can be friends here on the page. Thank you for being here.I hope that you receive the invitation I'm extending to you as you read this "blue" collection: create a connection with a friend and be open to exploring how the poems in these pages inspire opportunities for friendships new and old, and both day-to-day chats and hours of deep dives.May you live with intention to join me to be a great friend.Thanks again, and...Happy reading! Molly Read more