Most of us have heard the phrases "time is of the essence", "timing is everything" and "patience is a virtue." As a writer, often dealing with deadlines and guidelines, I have heard these quite often. They sometimes sound contradictory, both telling me to wait and telling me to move. I have actually found that the concepts do, in fact, go together, it's simply in the way in which we choose to understand them.

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Time is a constant factor that we cannot stop, disturb or disrupt. However, I do believe we can operate out of "right" timing. There is something to be said for waiting - in fact in Isaiah we're told that if we do so, our strength will be renewed. I believe that learning to wait is a valuable lesson in developing humility. When we're humble-minded about our approach to life, things will come full view and become much clearer to us. I have found that in the circle of poets and artists I deal with, that being humble and waiting are great tools for creation. Some of my favorite and most meaningful written pieces have come from moments of waiting. I view my poems as life being born; therefore, it's safe to say the finished products are often labors of love.

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It's when I decided to put my poetry process into that perspective that it all made sense to me - wait but patiently. Many times I may feel frustrated that I can't write or compose something on the spot as my counterparts do. Or I may try and actually put something together on paper but when I read it back with my soul's eye it's clear something is missing. Since I’m influenced by many variables in my environment, my surrounding space is key to how productive my pen is. I prefer to soak up an environment, whether it's hearing another poet/artist, reading someone's work or simply observing the room. It's there that, through patience, I’m able to take in all that I need to feed the place within me that will eventually release the poetry.

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I am often motivated to write from this contact with other artists and connection to this nurturing world in which the voices not only rise up but also raise up. They uplift their psyches to new levels of inspiration, dreams, goals, peace, love and intelligence.

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Many of the poems I write serve to remind me why waiting is very important when seeking to express a story. Now keeping in mind that time waits for no one, we do however have to learn to patiently wait on our time. When I process this, the term "due time" comes to mind. This phrase has sort of an irony to it. On one hand we understand that time is not promised to us, yet when we're owed something that implies that something rightfully ours is on its way. So I close by saying this - continue to wait on what ever dreamed was promised in your heart. This does not mean we should stop moving forward, but it does mean to press forth with confident endurance in the face of times when you're dream doesn’t seem clear. It takes patience to move with trusted assurance. ~K'~

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Thanks for reading JWorld Café, The Poetica Magazine Blog

Kiki Johnson, Guest Blogger

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Kiki Johnson is a poet originally from New York who now resides in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She recites poetry at local open mics, works with aspiring young artists, and facilitates programs and workshops with the YMCA of South Hampton Roads, the City of Norfolk and the City of Suffolk. Her work has been submitted to Essence Magazine, to HBO, and to other local publications, and she anticipates publication of her first collection of poetry by year’s end. Her pen name is K'larity, chosen to reflect her purpose as a spoken word artist. For further info on how to contact her she can be found on MySpace at www.myspace.com/Klarity_517 and by email at sj2c517@gmail.com  - Linda Pressman, Blog Editor