Invitation to Bravery for Writers

 If there's one character trait all our protagonists must have, it's bravery. 

AND, we as writers must cultivate courage, too. I recently shared about this in my YouTube series "Tuesday 2-Minute Writing Tip" in episode #27, "Writers Who Give Me Courage." 

Of course, bravery can arrive in any number of ways, and in its own time. Here are a few poems I've written on the topic. Enjoy!

INVITATION

inside

the center

of the center of your heart

a song stirs

take breath

part your lips

spiral your tune

into the broken/hopeful world

—Irene Latham

COURAGE HAS FOUR FEET

sometimes it wakes

slowly—

a bear summoned

by snowmelt

birdsong

hunger

it shuffles

into a greening wood

thunder in its throat

lightning in its eyes

heartstorm

stirring

beneath each

wobbly step

—Irene Latham

COURAGE

The seed

in the apron

pocket

doesn't know

it will grow

into corn

yet it never

complains

about the dark

or the dirt

or the farmer's 

calloused hands—

instead

it simply

waits

for light

                                            —Irene Latham

HOW TO RISE

A kite needs wind,

smoke needs fire.

A whale dives

d 

   e

       e

           p

before it swims up for air.

A balloon doesn't stop

to ask, what's it all for?

It simply lifts,

drifts,

finds new mountains 

to float over.

And each day the sun returns,

reminding us

to try

once more.

—Irene Latham