A New Poetic Genre: Interchanging Poetry

Poetry is the absolute beauty of the human heart expressing emotion in a form  that delights, and leaves the reader with a feeling of contentment in one  spectrum, and a feeling of remorse in another. No other form of writing has the  ability and power to inspire the emotion created through poetry.

There are more than sixty different popular forms of poetry commonly used  today. Many forms from the Old World, have been Americanized to suit the  American style for writing.

Interchanging Poetry is a narrative combining poetry with discussion, debate,  dialog, or description; using the poetry to emphasize the narrative. It is a new  form of poetry developing interchanging literary devices to enhance poetic  discourse.

Generally, writers will incorporate a poem into their article, publication,  or book to make a point or site as a reference. This is common practice giving  the author of the poetry proper credit. This is not a common practice with  poets, who write specific forms of poetry following established poetic  format.

Often, poets wish they had a methodology to explain why they wrote a  particular poem or as a follow up to their thought process in creating the poem.  When you write using the Interchanging Poetry format, you extend your ability to  expound on the meaning behind the words written as poetic expression; giving the  reader a greater insight into the wonderful world of what the mind conceived and  has achieved through poetry.

In developing this form, these qualifiers for identifying a work as  Interchanging Poetry:

(1)  The entire work must be the original work of the author.
(2)  There must be an interchange folding the poetry into the narrative.
(3)  The poetry must enhance the theme, it may be any form desired.
(4)  Interchanging Poetry may be of any length and use as many poems as  desired.
(5)  References may be cited if a quote or definition is used.

When I write poetry, I normally do not feel compelled to explain why I wrote  the piece. However, there are times I decide to write about a theme I believe  needs clarification and I can use narrative and poetry combined to bring power  to my writing.

One of the first interchanging Poetry poems written was about Breast Cancer.  I had written several pieces related to the subject but I never expressed how I  personally felt or the impact of Cancer on my life. The following is a sample of  my first attempt:

Most people either know someone or know of someone who has suffered from  Breast Cancer. Within my family, in the Navy, and in my business career, I have  known several courageous women diagnosed with this horrific disease. All made  the decision to undergo a surgical procedure from lymph node dissection to a  mastectomy. Thankfully, all are survivors over 5 years; the longest post-surgery  is 40 years, which speaks volumes for advances in treatment.

The Scar is a poem about meeting someone, falling in  love, marrying, being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and seeing cancer not as an  end, but as a new beginning. I write poetry about Breast Cancer from my  perspective as a male and my belief most men respond in a like manner. The Long Ride is a reflection of The Scar from a  different perspective and Walk With Me is a poem of love  and a journey to understanding, and rounding out this series of poems is my  personal favorite Love Remains True.

The Scar

When first we met,
I marveled at your flawless flesh;
nary a wrinkle or blemish did offset.
Until cancer took your breast,
leaving a scar, obvious as a mountain range
upon your once flawless flesh.

The scar a reminder of what had been
and a symbol, not of an end,
but a new beginning of life again.

The Long Ride

It is not outward appearance
whereby
love does survive
it is inner beauty
takes love
for the long ride

You can see how poetry has been Interchanged to clarify the meaning of the  narrative, informing the reader why these poems are important. No longer does  the reader need question the meaning of the poem, it is understood.

This is a partial sample of the original title “Breast Cancer, A Poetic  Expression.” Interchanging poetry is fun to write. As a genre that could be used  to teach both sentence structure and poetic expression to our youth, as well as  increase appreciation for the beauty that is Poetry, it requires little practice  to become proficient. Your readers will appreciate your thoughts as you write  the poetry that expresses your innermost thoughts.