My introduction to poetry was through a book of poems my mother presented to me as a child. It included the poems from renowned poets such as Carl Sandburg "The Fog", Christina Rossetti "Who has seen the Wind", and Gelett Burgess "The Goops". These three poems have stuck with me throughout my life. It was the wonder of the word that probably inspired me around 7 years old to begin my own writings. Although I do not have any of my original work, I can only imagine what it must have been to have written that first line of that very first poem and then re-read it aloud to myself and then to others. The healing aspect of writing has enveloped my spirit, mind and body for decades. I can remember getting an unsatisfactory for "not paying attention" in the classroom and now recalling the fact that the teacher was actually clashing with me and my muse.

Although writing is an art, it is also a transformative tool that can impact the lives of generations to come. Take for example, The International Poetry Festival of Medellin. In the early 1990s, Medellin was engulfed in fear, political terror and fighting between criminals. A simple idea transformed this city in Colombia through organizing poetry readings in the streets; people re-established a cultural life and reclaimed their city. In his poem entitled, "Today is a Day of Great Joy", Victor Hernandez Cruz writes "a true poet aiming poems and watching things fall to the ground, it is a great day." The Poetry Festival of Medellin typifies this very thing through the power of poetry. The founders of this great work, Poetry Therapy, Drs. Jack Leedy and Art Lerner also believed poetry to be a strong part of the "language of life". Both concluded that the field is interdisciplinary and has a place in "various schools of psychology and literary genres."

Recently, I was invited as a guest poet to participate in an international poetry festival in San Salvador, El Salvador. As an English speaking person in a Spanish speaking country, it became very apparent that I would have some challenges ahead of me during my stay. However, the language of the heart prevailed in ways I would have never imagined. My presence in a country that has not lent itself to people of African descent became a phenomenon along with the symbolic meaning of my words and the stories between them. My visit transformed a city and my understanding of the meaning of "language, story and symbol." A desire to learn more about my work both written and through Poetry Therapy has opened a new door and a new frontier to be explored.

I would like to welcome you to begin your own journey through the power of poetry and its impact on a global experience. It will flourish by joining our membership and gaining the benefits of connection with members of our community through workshops, online groups and attending our annual conference. This can continue in your own backyard with the people in your community, workplace, and other connections. The Academy of Poets encourages us to carry a favorite "pocket size" poem in our pocket on the last day of April. I would like to encourage you to carry a poem everyday and pass it along to others and make a pronouncement about Poetry Therapy, a place for transformation, healing and the language of life!

Barbara Bethea, MA, PTR, LCAT

President
president@poetrytherapy.org