WRITE POETRY TO COPE WITH TURMOIL by Dr. Leo Rebello

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Write Poetry to Cope with Turmoil by Dr. Leo Rebello

www.healthwisdom.org

 

Penning a poem is about observing the world within or around you. It is also claimed that writing poetry is good for your mental health, especially in a world full of turmoil and stress.

A new study has found that writing poems, no matter how ‘bad’ they may appear, helps the brain to cope with emotional turmoil and to reduce anxiety, fear and sadness – the less vivid and descriptive the poem is, the better is the mental unloading.

 

According to Dr. Matthew Lieberman of California University, expressing one-self in print is “a sort of unintentional emotion regulation” as it inhibits parts of the brain linked to emotional turmoil, and increases activity in the region to do with self-control.

 

In their study findings released on Valentine’s Day 2009, the researchers proved the therapeutic powers of writing by scanning the brains of 30 people as they described distressing pictures. Dr. Lieberman and his team found that the act tended to reduce activity in the amygdala, that part of the brain, which deals with control of emotion and fear.

 

Anger is momentary madness. In our experiments too, we found, that poetry reading or writing regulates our distress and especially in the war zone, or to calm down those incarcerated in jail, poetry writing has a profound calming effect on the agitated minds.

 

We have worked with hyperactive or disturbed children. We have worked with children of disturbed families, those affected by riots and natural calamity and separated from parents, especially children whose parents are in jail or children who have been abused. Making them recite poems or teaching them how to write poetry, we invariably found, has an instant calming effect on them, as poetry is the language of the soul, language of peace and language of the universe. Like in meditation you listen to the inner voice, poetry is another medium to listen to the god within you.

 

Read the following inspiring poems and de-stress yourself and work for a World Without Wars.

 

End of Search - By Dr. Leo Rebello

 

I climbed the mountains

But didn’t find Him there,

The warmth of the sun

Though made my heart care.

 

I went to the Temple

And still didn’t meet Him,

But the spirit that I felt

Made my heart sing a hymn.

 

I asked my friends if they

Knew where He was,

“Beside you” some said

“Up above” chorused others.

 

In quiet contemplation

I sat by the stream,

Mind wandering off

In search of my dream.

When I saw my reflection

Then it was very easy to see,

That God wasn’t hiding

Because He resides in me.

 

17 October 2008

 

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NOSTALGIA by Dr. Leo Rebello

 

Going for picnics with friends every Sunday,

Or to dancing classes, or simply playing

carom or chess with parents was regular.

 

Parents helped with the homework

Going to tuition classes was for the duffers

Everyone passed, because teachers taught well.

 

Arithmetic was simple. We learnt :

Friends to add, no enemies to subtract,

so we had joys to multiply and sorrows to divide.

 

Food was plenty, guests were welcome,

Sharing recipes or eating together

in the garden with neighbours was such fun.

 

No one ever asked where the car keys were

as they were always in the car, in the ignition,

and the doors were never locked.

 

War was a card game. Loser cried, winner grinned.

Going to the races meant, running competition, when our dogs too ran with us.

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.

Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a catapult.

 

Dinner at 7.00, lights out by 8.00 post meridiem

We were up by 5.00 in the morning.

To look at the rising sun or swim in the river.

 

For breakfast we climbed up a tree

to eat luscious fruits, as there were no

early morning schools.

 

Can I have my nostalgic life back?

I am ready to pay anything for the trade off.

 

Written on 17th February 2009.