Dear Friends,
I realized that my last two newsletter titles referenced songs so I referenced one again this week intentionally which will also make it a rule for future titles. This is fitting because I am trying to be more intentional about what I do with my writing and screen time these days. I chose “Only Lonely” because I knew I had the above photo featuring the album “You’re Only Lonely” by J.D. Souther and also because loneliness is a theme in my life and in the world today and as a result, also in my poetry. This is evidenced in poems like “Better Ways to be Lonely” and “Generous” and many others. I also second guessed using this title for the same reason I often second guess sharing those poems; because of an underlying sensation of shame that I experience when I admit to my loneliness. But then I realize that there is a good chance that I am not alone in what I am feeling and I want other people to know that they are not alone either. How can we not feel lonely if we are pretending we are not or otherwise hiding our true feelings? And what is the point of poetry if not to reveal our common inner experience?
Loneliness is also one of the many reasons behind my decision to take at least the rest of the year off from the scrolling social media platforms. To tell you the truth, I used to be vehemently against the idea that social media made people feel more lonely because that wasn’t my experience, until it was. Not only has social media felt both overwhelming and isolating to me lately but I find myself feeling less lonely when I’m not on it. I am not ruling out going back to it in some capacity in the future but for now I am enjoying the break and the opportunity to focus more on this project.
When do I not feel lonely? When I’m talking to a good friend, snuggling with my cats, writing, listening to a good song or reading a good book and when someone tells me they can relate to my poetry.
Also, I hope my poems convey that it is possible to feel lonely at times and still be glad to be alive, as I certainly am.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and support of my poetry. And if you wouldn’t mind sharing the poems of mine that you can relate to on your social media accounts, I would certainly appreciate it even more during this break.
A couple of news and notes I want to share or reshare before the paywall break:
I recently made a video for the poem, “Better Ways to be Lonely” which you can find on my YouTube channel. I plan to add more content to YouTube in the future that may be independent of this newsletter so you might want to subscribe there too.
And, in case you missed it in my Thursday Thoughts post, I am now offering a free personalized, inspirational poem to all of my paid subscribers. You could also ask that I write that poem for a friend or family member instead of yourself and give it to them as a holiday gift. When you become a paid subscriber you will receive a welcome email with full instructions on how to receive your poem.
Also, I updated my About page, in case you or anyone you know needs a quick overview of this project.
Lastly, for other ways you can connect with me or support my work, please visit linktr.ee/vlhpoetry
Thanks again.
Peace and love,
Victoria
In the rest of this Newsletter:
Inspiration & Meaning: For the Haters
What I’m Reading
My reading of a poem by my first poetry muse (audio)