The Pained Ink Slayer: Creating an "I Am" Poem

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Creating an "I Am" Poem

Writing poetry of any kind begins with a spark that ignites feelings, encouraging them to provide light and insight by using our senses, our thoughts, our dreams and our imagination. Poetry is the conduit to your inner self, the one we live with everyday, but otherwise wouldn’t take the time to explore. I encourage you to use your imagination to create characteristics of “Who I Am.”

As a template start and end each line of your poem stanza (paragraph of sorts) with your I am line, then follow with the verbs provided below. Imagine yourself in a particular place, a certain situation, a role, an achievement, an illness etc., build your words from there.

After you do a rough draft, you can go back and change the words to convey your thoughts and feelings. This is free style poetry so you are not limited in your creation. It is totally up to you, as poetry is very personal and self revealing.

I wish I could find the author of this template, so I could thank them, but most of all give them credit. I found it by goggling but no one claims the origin. If anyone happens to know the author of this template, please share.

Following the template is one of my poems as an example.

I am…….

I wonder….

I hear…..

I see…..

I want….

I am….

I pretend….

I feel….

I touch….

I worry….

I cry….

I am…..

I understand….

I say….

I dream…..

I try….

I hope…..

I am…..

I Am Tired not Weary ©

I am tired not weary,

I wonder if you see my pain?

I hear the thumping in my body,

The tunnel beckoning me to the light.

I seek the peace it promises,

I am tired not weary.

I strive to ski the slopes of life,

I feel lifted up by whiteness,

touching the light with my tongue.

I worry it will not last,

I deny the thought of darkness,

I am tired not weary.

I understand I must endure,

I say acceptance is the first step,

Imagining others will understand.

I try to get my point across,

I seek knowledge in truth,

I am tired not weary.

You can read more about how to write poetry, journal and much more in Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia,Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection.

(Signature line appended, March 2018)

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com