Without art, we are empty. Everyone should have something they do as an expression of their humanity. I've found that through poetry I can express my true self - any emotion or thought - in metaphors without feeling the need to hide them by never allowing their expression at all. The art is in the metaphor, the self-reflection of emotion and thought and describing them using words. Yes, using words when there are no words to describe the fine shades of what we feel, the complex tapestry of flow within our mind and soul that forms the substance of our self-awareness. The art in the metaphor is describing events, images, concepts, things, senses, anything that can be described adequately with words, and stringing those words together as a medium for the mind providing the needed ingredients to form that tapestry in the soul at a later time or for another person.

I don't think my writing is astounding by any stretch of the meaning, but it serves its purpose for me. Writing poetry has given me the gift of self-expression, self-discovery, relaxation and inner peace, things that are often found lacking in today's society.

• The Old Man
• Flow

The legal stuff: These poems are Copyright 1990-1998 Bryan Travis and may be reproduced ONLY for personal, non-profit use and webpage search engines. Any reproduction by any means including electronic and printing for any other purpose is unlawful. Links pointing to this page are fine.