Healing through Vers Libre

3/10/2023

Beginning Monday, March 13, 2023, I will be using this space to share the free verse I have written over the years. Most have been in the last decade. As I have mentioned on the sidebar, this is like a diary in verse for me. I can read through one of these, and it will take me back to the emotions of that moment. Of course, now I have hindsight. I can see what came before and what developed afterward.

Even though there have been some emotional roller coasters in the last decade, especially with my husband's illness, I realize how important it was for me to allow these emotions to flow into words on paper. Not only were they a release valve at the time, they have continued to strengthen me on my journey.

I hope you can resonate with some of them. Some are extremely intimate while others deal with emotions that arose from things going on in the world.

All the best on your quest,
Dannye Williamsen

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Dannye Williamsen

A Diary in Verse

Pablo Picasso said, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” For me, free verse is like a diary. It serves you by allowing you to release your emotions by setting pen to paper. At times, it helps you clarify your thinking on a subject. Regardless of the motivation, it is an intimate exercise. As a writer, it takes courage to share them with others. The words lay you open to the world.

Life is a purifying process. It serves as our crucible – a place where we can experience the heat of change. Life is our source for opportunities to transform ourselves. For me, writing, particularly free verse, helps me transform my feelings about difficult situations by putting them down on paper. Oftentimes with those verses serving as release valves, I can feel myself changing as soon as I place the last period on the verse.

One thing all humans have in common are emotions. Emotions exist on a complex spectrum, and the spark leading to their expression can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. It can stem from experiences in the past or those in the here and now or even those on the world stage.

I chose to share these in hopes they would resonate with others. I hope some of them can serve you on your journey, if for no other reason than to know you’re not alone in how you are feeling.