Sally Eslinger Poet Prose Poetry

Language So Learned Begins

Language So Learned Begins


I always thought it too audacious to think myself a poet-born but I tried it at age ten then my mother laughed rattling my precious penned paper as she pronounced from her parent-throne “No, your brother’s the natural writer not you” from her ken of always reading in our house of nearly half a thousand books all read so I supposed she’d know
and I took the dare
throwing myself into a learning to love the language from its rules to its rhythms the synonyms and rhymes origins and designs for pleasure or political leadership inspirations there came so many nights 
I wept almost uncontrollably with my eyes aside Alfred Lord Tennyson’s anguishing “in Memoriam” I thought Oh Lord what your created Word has left to do?  I’d teach myself
beginning 23-years of writing journals and trying all the genres humility wrenching all my turns getting published with prizes but still I gave up on my perseverance as well as myself
until two years ago 
when I met another poet Charlie Cooper who moved me back to my voice as it rushed from its prison cell breathing all the straight-jacketed phrases with their thoughts aflame 
in time’s wisdom
to spell them out til I declare I am a poet-born as I sensed I always was made to be a natural writer of this so very loved language all it says does inspires songs even prayers of our souls too the desperate hearts who must lie alone to share words to walls but do remember language lives as it was made Alive to listening as well as speaking the voices even long imprisoned
the Word made flesh died but rose redeeming 
our voices do not forget
their stories go forth among the generations
our voices are heard


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(c)sally Young eslinger 12/31/20
 Thanks be to God
Please also read my poem “Then Came the Lady in Blue”

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Caren Krutsinger January 9, 2021 at 9:40 AM God put Charlie Cooper in your path for a reason, and now here you are! Have you looked at www.lulu.com? I have several books on there. None of them poetry, but books I thought should be published and now they have been.