Words cure any pain

By Albert Dumont

OTTAWA — Recently at the Singing Pebble bookstore I spoke about what it was that created the poetry I write. I shared childhood memories and talked about my life, how I used to feel my heart was so weighted down with confusion and guilt and shame in myself for my failures, that I was dragging it behind me with large iron chains.

The life of a poet is far different than what is the norm. At least, this is my belief. It was poetic words, spoken and sung which changed me from being a man with the mind of a ruthless desperado to being a kind man and loving father and grandfather.

Poetry and spirituality chased alcohol from my life forever. Words, properly put together, can cure the mind of any pain placed there by anguish or any other assorted miseries of life.

Poetry is the message and it is the messenger. It is the wind and it is the great bird which soars onto it. It is the little fish which does not give up, until it overcomes the raging rapids.

Read poetry, think poetry, write poetry and the blood of your heart will burn with desires never before contemplated by you. And you will become a stronger, better human being because of it.

Poetry says it all. The beauty of one’s heart can be captured by the poet like a photographer can capture the beauty of a landscape.

Albert Dumont, “South Wind”, is a poet, storyteller, speaker, and an Algonquin traditional teacher. He was born and raised in traditional Algonquin territory (Kitigan Zibi). His blog is at www.albertdumont.com.

This story originally posted April 16, 2013.