Veterans & Poetry — How We Say It

IPM Advisory Board Member, Jim Moreno facilitates

To register contact Jim directly: jimpoet@hotmail.com

How We Say It:

A Drop-in Online Poetry Group

for National, International & Deported Veterans

How Does Poetry Impact the World?

By Atoy Harris

Poetry has the power to impact the world in a number of ways. Here are a few examples:

1. Poetry can inspire social change. Throughout history, poets have used their words to shed light on social issues and injustices, and to inspire others to take action. Poets such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Audre Lorde, for example, have used their poetry to advocate for civil rights and social justice.
2. Poetry can provide a voice for the marginalized. Poetry can give a platform to people whose voices are often silenced or overlooked by mainstream society. It can be a way for people to express their experiences, thoughts, and feelings, and to share their stories with a wider audience.
3. Poetry can help people understand and connect with others. Poetry can provide a window into the lives and experiences of people from different cultures and backgrounds. By reading and engaging with poetry from different parts of the world, we can gain a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures and perspectives.
4. Poetry can stimulate the imagination and creativity. Poetry can challenge readers to think in new ways and to consider different perspectives. It can also inspire readers to create their own poetry, which can be a powerful form of self-expression.
5. Poetry can bring people together. Poetry readings and events can be a way for people to come together and connect through their shared love of poetry. These events can foster a sense of community and belonging, and can provide a space for people to engage with and discuss poetry with others.

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Container of Respect and Poetry of Cultural Curriculum

• Why write in community? Why write online?
• The role of the Container
• Poetry: Is narrative storytelling?
• Inspiration, Motivation, Imagination, Contagion (IMIC)
• Poems, Prompts, Film Clips
• Connections to Creativity
• Your first poem in this class
• Quotes that help recovery

Lesson 2: Creativity: What Happens When You Look At the Blank Page?

• The use of the poetry prompt.
• The role of inspiration and collaboration in the creative process.
• The advancing of your ear in writing process.
• The poem not as event but as process.
• The value of revision.
• Quotes that help recovery

Lesson 3: Existential Elements of Leaving the Military

• The value of prompts: I used to be...but now I am...
• The music of your poem: trusting you ear and your mind.
• The value of the stanza
• Structure and form in music and poetry
• Quotes that help recovery

Lesson 4: Colloquial Poetry; Write like you talk.

• Poetry from different genres and cultures
• The influence of social justice and existential poems.
• Concrete and figurative language in poetry.
• Quotes that help recovery

Lesson 5: Trauma Recovery: Taming Monsters In the Basement

• Research about writing in recovery from trauma
• PTSD Poems
• Recovery from Addiction Poems
• Being a soldier (sailor, marine, airman) means...
• Winning the fight to live, when suicide is not an option...
• Quotes that help recovery

Lesson 6:  Landing the Workshop, Landing the Poem

• The meaning of the last 6 weeks
• The music of the course
• Your last poem in this class
• Quotes that help with writing...
• Publication in the San Diego Poetry Annual
• Feedback Connection