#5 The Power of Poetry Anthology

Katrina Haney

I used to think
Everyone thought as I did;
I used to feel
Everyone felt the way I did;

I used to think
Everyone saw what I saw.
I used to believe what I was told!
Then, one day, I discovered

My thoughts were different
And that scared me.
And I realized that I felt different too
And that scared me more!

And so I stopped saying what I thought
And expressing what I felt
And I just listened.
And then I realized that I saw things differently too--

And I no longer believed everything I was told!

But I was still afraid--

Afraid that what I thought was wrong,
Afraid that was I felt was wrong
Afraid that what I saw was wrong

Because it was different.

Afraid I would be ridiculed!

How could my thoughts be so different?
How could my feelings not be everyone's feelings?
How could I see things other people didn't see?

And then one day it hit me--

My thoughts and feelings

Were different
Because they were mine!
And I saw things the way I saw them

Because I wasn't everyone else,

I was myself!

And I began to trust what I thought and felt,
And what I saw that was different!
And then I began to share them
And people listened--
And they believed what I said

Or not!

But I am no longer afraid
To think what I think
And to feel what I feel
And to say them out loud!
Because different isn't wrong--

It's just different!

It's just me!

©

Katrina Haney

Birdwings and Brushstrokes

"Birdwings and Brushstrokes," by

Katrina Haney

harmoniously marries the splendor of avian life with art. If you found resonance in her words through #5 The Power of Poetry Anthology, you know how deeply her talent runs. Her work speaks to the courage and beauty of embracing uniqueness, a theme not unfamiliar to anyone who loves birds and art.

Here is a humble invitation to subscribe to this enriching experience. In this space, artistry and nature come together, complemented by narratives and artwork that awaken your senses.

Warm regards,

The Editor, The Power of Poetry