What is poetry?

I know what it takes to read someone's stuff and I have to say I'm blown away by the support and people who let me share my thoughts and creations with them. I get over 7000 page views on my site monthly and it's growing and I hope I have either brightened or maybe darkened someone's day haha That said, I wanted to put up an offer of 10 free downloads of The Book of Past poetry book in digital format on till the 20th of April 2017 or until they are all redeemed. I'll probably do it once in awhile because honestly personally I'd never buy a poetry book lol!! Terrible to say coming from someone who published one but whatever, it's my blog so I'll say whatever the f**! I want. I'd actually never really read a line of poetry unless it was shoved under my nose until I started writing it again several years ago during a very bizarre time. Talk about yanking yourself away from all you are it seems to your core to start newly with a totally different outlook, out of pure necessity though not always pleasant; not really sure if you will ever grow into it or even recognize yourself afterwards but ya... Before I give you the code to get it free I thought I'd tell you what poetry NOW means to me. Very different from the idea I had of it...
What is poetry? As always someone around me inspired me to write something and they will never have a clue they have been my muse. My brother, not really a mushy sentimental person by any stretch got a hold of my poetry book paperback (seen below) and unbeknownst to me started to read it. He's a motorcycle riding, alternative rock musician and not the type of dude I'd see under a tree on some campus reading damn poetry haha - yeah...no! But then after a couple weeks he sent me a burst of texts saying he liked it and it was cool and had a rhythm he really liked. It was the first time a non-poetry writing person had actually duplicated what it was because they sorta fell into reading it. Yes I thought! EXACTLY right!
I'll tell you why I don't feel like those labels I'd put on "poetry" in the past are accurate and why I'm proud of my stuff. Who doesn't like music right? Well what are all those lyrics that get us through that break up or spell out our betrayal so we don't need to embarrass ourselves with our drama or... you name it. I am actually about the heaviest rock/metal/alternative fan you could find (only the smallest percent of peeps even know my ultra fave which I don't promote) but now I'm all up in the face of the hip hop community and the reason is firstly my utter respect for some of these guys for their sheer writing ability and magic with words and concepts and their utter "take it or leave it but I'm gonna say it" and then coming in secondly, the sounds and rhythm they put to them.
When your blood rushes it has a beat, a rhythm. When you sit down to write poetry there is something you want to say and it flows like harmony all over the page or whatever you are putting it on. Poetry doesn't have to rhyme at all and that's called Free Verse which is all I usually write but I generally end up with the sounds blending...interesting it takes me about a few minutes tops to write a poem and it's like a gush of emotion spelled out or an outrage I wanted to make beautiful or some insane idea I felt I could bring some beauty to, to perhaps provoke thought of something otherwise too ugly to face etc. It is a dance with words and some of the most hardcore stuff I've ever read was the punch of a poet. I was a drummer in my school bands and writing an intense or exhilarating poem has the same kick somehow. On deviantART where I have a literature group I've seen some intense stuff from our hundreds of members and most of them are kids and man, their words can fly. I've seen real tragedy and love on there and if you want to learn how our youth are feeling, go read them. You'll understand and love them more, I guarantee it.
If you never thought of poetry maybe I've expanded your view. Either way it's something that may have to be experienced to be relatable who knows. So below I've put up a code that can be redeemed at the Smashwords link for 10 people. You have to be a Smashwords member which basically is signing up for no charge and creating a password. The Book of Past is also on iBooks and I'll probably do a coupon thing for that too down the road for any Apple iPhone peeps.
If you do get a download I'm always happy to get a review of the book at the place allotted for that. It's super interesting to hear what people have to say about it for sure- hell, people in general are damn interesting so why wouldn't I want to know?

Click here and use code PJ27Y at Smashwords at Checkout