VAGUE EXISTENCE
Behind my smile
I fear I may be reveling
In exaggerated truth.
In my eyes I paint the windows over blue,
So the cold winter may not enter.
In the hugs I give,
There is some reluctance
Hidden away by a warm embrace.
Within the books I read
Are characters better left in its pages,
But who walk among us
In the chair that I sit
Is a girl whose heart is always in question
Whose intellect is at war with her soul
She hides the uncertainty of her
Away deep inside
Where no one knows to go.
—from 2018 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
McKenzie Renfrew: “I write poetry because it serves as an emotional and creative outlet for me. I use it to put my feelings and thoughts into words. I also use it as a form of storytelling. Usually, I experience something, or someone I know does, and I feel the need to pass it on. Another reason is that I don’t want others to feel like they are alone in their struggle. I want them to know that their emotions are justified and are important to recognize (as opposed to bottling them up).”
