Every Day Is a Poem by Jacqueline Suskin (manga ereader txt) 📗

grow, because this is the source of our selfhood and we’re not fixed beings. The more we craft and collect meaning, the more we reshape and rebuild our points of reference, the wider the reach we develop, the more we understand, and with greater understanding comes greater possibility for opportunity, success, togetherness, and resolution.

chapter 3

EXPLORE YOUR PURPOSE

I will serve the earth

and not pretend my life could be

better served.

—WENDELL BERRY

Many years ago, I was sitting on a rooftop in Oakland at a permaculture meeting. Surrounded by urban gardeners and farmers, the sunset casting a gorgeous pink across the sky, we listened as an elderly man began to discuss the beginning of his journey growing food and planting gardens. The first thing he said was, “You have to ask yourself this very important question: What do I serve?” He went on to say, “Some people serve God, some people serve themselves, some serve their community. It’s okay if you can’t answer this question yet, but I suggest you come back to the question every day until you can.” I looked at him, his long white beard, the clouds like cotton candy swirling behind him, and I knew my answer immediately.

WHAT DO I SERVE?

I SERVE THE EARTH.

Everything I do as a poet, all of the energy I put into helping people through verse, it’s all fueled by my hope to preserve the planet. I figure, if I help people find clarity, if I help them become more aware of beauty, more appreciative of the infinite bounty that surrounds them on a daily basis, then they’ll in turn become better and treat the earth better. I love planet Earth. It’s such a perfect gift, and I aim to do everything in my power to help protect it. This is my purpose.

It’s okay not to know your purpose. A lot of

people don’t, although I believe it’s there

inside waiting to be identified.

Your purpose can change over the years. Your purpose can look clearly like something, and then you realize there’s a hidden door to another aspect of intention that offers up new motivation. Maybe you have a few different types of motivation that fuel your existence, and all of these reasons for doing what you do can come out in small ways and large ways.

I’m Here

The city doesn’t require me

to have a purpose.

It says I never need to think about

what I’m offering the world.

The essence is money.

The rest can be a blur

of hiding from the sun

in air-conditioned rooms.

No need for any of it to be holy.

Throw cups away, ten a day.

A cool night wind blows my window open.

I disagree with the mantras of this place.

I can’t forget that I’m standing

on a planet that is floating in space.

I can’t ignore my constant awe

or the words that arrive

while I’m sleeping. Each verse

written in the dark is a reason,

a reminder that I’m here

and I know why.

EXERCISE FOR EXPLORING PURPOSE

DISCOVER THE PURPOSE OF YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS

Writers and artists create their work for a reason. Whether it be to simply let all of their emotions out onto the page so they don’t explode, to inspire social change and activism, or to help heal their readers by sharing the guidance and wisdom of their personal story. There are countless reasons to write, and knowing why your favorite writers are or were dedicated to their craft can be helpful as you hone your own purpose.

For example, I’m so inspired by the way Audre Lorde speaks on behalf of intersectional feminism and civil rights in her poetry. Following her work, I’m able to witness how she chose to process her anger and use it to educate her readers.

This practice will require some research into the personal lives of the creators you look up to. You could read a memoir or simply delve into their body of work. Make a list of writers you share a common purpose with or a list of writers who you aspire to connect with creatively. We can often discover a writer’s purpose from the arc of their career and focus. How did they begin to write? Who’s their audience? As their career progressed, did they attach themselves to a movement or a goal? Note their struggles, how they wavered or expanded, and think about your path of expression and what you want to do with the power of your words.

WRITING PRACTICE

CREATE A POEM OF PURPOSE

I invite you to find your purpose by writing your thoughts about why you do the work you do, why you practice whatever activities you practice, and why you study whatever you study. This list can start with something very simple, such as you do your work for your family, you practice piano to relieve your mind after a busy day, and you study French because you want to go to Paris next year. But after these simple sentiments come forth, I urge you to look further. Why do you serve your family, why do you seek relief for your mind, and why do you want to travel to France? You may sit down every morning to write in your journal in an attempt to find out more about your inner world, but why do you want to know more about your inner world in the first place?

What are you doing to support something greater than yourself in the universe? Are you creating something to help alleviate suffering? Are you working to figure yourself out so that you can offer a whole version of your spirit to those around you? Are you doing any of this while you write? There are all types of purpose, and each one is crucial for our work as writers, but also for our work as humans in general.

As you figure out your purpose, you might also ask yourself who you