Poetry is Not a Luxury

In recent years, I’ve prioritized educational projects over my creative work. Although I find writing educational material extremely rewarding, a part of me often wishes I had more time for fiction. Surprisingly – even to myself –  my creative outlet has become poetry. It’s a form of expression that is concentrated to the extreme. When I finish a poem, it’s always with a sense of joy and relief. It’s therapeutic.

A few weeks ago, I read an article by Audre Lorde called “Poetry is not a Luxury”. It made me see that I need to stop apologizing for writing poetry instead of being more conventionally “productive”, regardless of whether I’m good at it or not. I’ve been lucky enough to have my poems included in a couple of Pakistani anthologies recently. Getting published is always more than half the battle in this line of work!