They say that the most talented are also some of the most broken

That the authors of poems and the artists of paintings had to have felt so much more fiercely than others to create such beauty

And that the purpose of expression is to lift weight from creative shoulders

I know this because I am one of them

I used to believe that I had never been sad enough to push stanzas into hearts

I used to believe that I had never been abused to the extent of others so surely I cannot paint the landscape of my pain

I used to believe that when you feel anything passionately, you have to keep it hidden away because it is precious and people will take it away from you

But poetry is something that cannot be bound

Words are things that are immeasurable in power and grace

And that anyone can be a poet

Because you will always be good enough for a sheet of paper to listen

And you will never hear a pen tell you that you aren’t enough to write.