A Human Experience (Introduction)

Welcome to the beginning of a project dedicated to the individual. A project dedicated to teaching the Steemit community about individuals and teaching individuals about the Steemit community. I have spoken to hundreds of people preparing for this project and in future posts you will get to meet all of them. Each post will cover one experience by one individual. That experience may be portrayed through music, sketches, or words, but you will learn more about another person and what makes that individual unique.

(If you are interested in reading more background on this project, you can do so here: https://steemit.com/ahumanexperience/@anthonyjerrigo/a-human-experience-project )

Our first post must serve as an introduction, but still capture the motive and passion behind this project. The below poem does just that. This poem is written by one of the first people I spoke to many weeks ago, Matt. You will surely learn more about Matt as an individual in a future post, but for now she has allowed me to share her poem to begin this project.

Welcome to A Human Experience... Enjoy

My art is not just a reflection of me
It's like I've opened myself up surgically
Broke my own ribs so you can see
What's in my veins not blood but marker ink and poetry

So if I hand you a poem, a story a sketch hold it like its my first born son

Don't hold it like its paper hold it like I've just handed you my still breathing lungs

Because what I'm trying to tell you with that paper in your hand

This is my love language let me translate so you understand

I trust you

Not just to hold this creation that I fired in the kiln that is my soul

But to take it apart, break it, and keep it whole

To express with no uncertainty

What you really see

When you look at this detached part of me

This child born of pen and creativity

Tell me

When you see that slip, that smudge, that awkward line

Something made me think you can do this and still be kind

Still let me know that my work and my toil isn't cast aside

That I'm not being a bother when I come to you and show you something