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I began writing poetry in 2015, at the end of a dead-end road.

I was in Cusco, Peru. I’d spent the last years desperately trying everything under the sun to heal chronic illness, with little success. Instead I found myself feeling more and more fragmented, anxious and resistant towards ‘the healing world’.

The only path left was inwards, alone. In a cafe with moody wifi I gave birth to this blog. Then I left Peru.

Poetry and Confession

I wanted to master the language of emotions (‘Can You Feel It?‘ the original name of the blog). I realised I hadn’t – truly felt, I mean.

I confessed to the world. As atheist it was all I believed existed. I wrote in flow-states. I cringed in embarrassment. I published with deep fear of being seen as crazy. It taught me brutal honesty and humility. It initiated me to the art of confession.

Poetry and Sense-Making

When writing emotions, a subjective perspective, truth is easy. As the deception of this world intensified and fully released itself upon our lives in 2020 the lies within the lies within the lies mocked me. Called for my attention.

My own inner world I’d learned to know. The outer world? There was much I had not looked at.

I used poetry as a tool to discern the Truth. To make sense of the world. Much was written, little published. I was careful. The world is complex. I rather not speak until I know it’s truth.

Poetry and Faith

What is poetry but a language of beauty revealing truth. Or so it should be, or else it’s mere opinion. Wouldn’t you agree?

Can it then lead us anywhere but eventually to God? In my pursue of truth, goodness and beauty I eventually became a believer. Poetry led me to recognise the Holy Trinity everywhere, in everything.

All my published work can be found on the blog page. It’s tempting to censor, to remove posts written from an outgrown perspective, yet I’ve chosen not to. It’s all there, truthfully depicting the journey. For some of my favourites, see the Selected Poems.

Love, Johanna Benevole

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