50 Reasons to Write Poetry
By Joe Sottile
Rochester's Poet for Kids
1. To bear witness to life, the good, the bad, and the ugly
2. To discover what I feel
3. To express my feelings
4. To corral my experiences
5. To discover what I think, know and care about
6. To get life’s pain out
7. To use what hurts positively
8. To enjoy the power of words
9. To share serious thoughts
10. To define who I am
11. To be seen and heard
12. To open minds and change the world
13. To make sense of the world
14. To understand the human condition better
15. To stay engaged with my own divinity
16. To be authentic, genuine and real like Holden Caulfield
17. To avoid Depression
18. To build bridges with words
19. To keep my brain alert and alive
20. To keep Alzheimer’s at bay
21. To have something positive to daydream about—writing…
22. To recite my own poetry in traffic
23. To be part of various poetry groups and writing organizations
24. To be a leader instead of a follower
25. To conduct poetry workshops
26. To be anything I want to be in writing
27. To make others laugh
28. To share life’s wisdom and insights
29. To reveal to others what I think is truly ironic
30. To share what I am thankful for
31. To honor others
32. To get published in journals
33. To create books
34. To stretch my sensibilities
35. To keep on growing as a writer
36. To give back to others
37. To have new poems to read
38. To create publishing dates
39. To make poetry accessible to others, especially kids
40. To live life’s good parts again and again through my poetry
41. To be a local celebrity
42. To do in writing what I once thought impossible
43. To get faster to life’s “Bottom Lines” like Charlie Rose
44. To leave a record of my life
45. To perfect my “Last Lecture” with each poetry performance
46. To create some spending money
47. To make my mark on the world
48. To leave a legacy for my kids
49. To create a more interesting income tax return
50. To be of interest to the ladies (Shhhhhhh! Keep this a secret!)