The sheer volume of textbook pages I read every semester might be enough to stop the deletion of forests all over the world. With that being said, I do not have time to leisurely read much even if I on the off chance have the energy to.

The nice weather that has drifted in far too late into spring has allowed me to have an excuse to get out of my house and away from the comfort of all the looming wifi signals. Sitting outside with something good to read never ceases to soothe my soul, but the hustle and bustle of the end of the semester does not give me the leeway to get absorbed into a book just for fun. This is where I have discovered how poetry is perfect for me. Let me elaborate on why maybe you should pick up a poetry book and see for yourself:

1. You can pick up a poetry book and put it down as you please.

In most of my experience with poetry, most books do not have tons of lengthy poems. I love that I can open a book and read a page or two and put it down without having to lose a train of thought or risk losing my place.

2. It can open your eyes to a new perspective.

Sometimes I go on thinking one way for years and years and then it could take one poem to realize that something is off. For example, I used to feel like I was all over the place with my personality but then I read a poem about it and realized it was perfectly fine. The poem is from Beau Taplin's most recent book, "Bloom"

3. You will realize that you are not alone.

Reading something that someone else wrote that you find highly relatable is great reassurance that in whatever you are feeling, you are not alone. At least one other person has gone through what you are thinking if someone else has already written about it.

4. The right poets have a way of speaking to the depths of your soul.

If you read enough poetry or just take the time to explore a few different poets, you will find that some just feel like they wrote the words on the page directly for you. Different poets have different styles, use different language, and write of different themes, but there is always one poet that seems to know exactly what to say to you.

5. Poems have a way of making you think deeply.

This coincides with poetry giving you a new perspective, but poems that speak to your soul will make you stop and think. You literally cannot help it.

6. Poetry is sooo therapeutic.

You would be amazed at how many times I feel so much calmer and collected after sitting down for 15 mins to read. We could all use a little bit more practice with mindfulness.

7. It can help you understand yourself & even understand others better.

You know how sometimes someone can tell you the same thing over and over, but one day a new person tells you that same thing and it finally sinks in? That is the silver lining of all poetry.

8. You can read the same thing over again and it is never the same twice.

Depending on your state of mind and what you are going through when you read a poem, your thoughts about the exact same poem can shift in a day based on what you feel when you wake up the next day.

9. You can read poetry bit by bit & take your time.

You will find that when you read something that is deep and makes you think, it takes time to really digest. That is the great thing about poetry though, it is designed for you to take your time to read, bit by bit.

10. Poetry forces your mind to wander while comprehending the words on a page.

Whether the words are straightforward or complex, poetry has a way of letting you get lost in thought in the process of reading what the poet has written down on the pages of your book.

11. Poetry has the power to slow you down in a noisy, never ceasing world.

I don't want to explain this to you because I want you to just take a leap of faith and experience it for yourself.