Feel frustrated as a writer when your words don't get published? Don't worry. Keep writing. It's about the craft. You ARE a writer, even if it never gets on a page. Here are some words to motivate your work:

I’m always writing—
In my mind, at least.
Creating words,
One thought juxtaposed with another

Sometimes they're filled with rage
At injustices that pervade
The hurt, blatant lies
The degradation of lives created in the image of God

These words leave a bitter taste on my tongue.

Sometimes they're filled with tears
Probing inquiries with no answers
Why? What now?
Where do we go from here?

These words come out in cathartic spurts.

Sometimes they're filled with creativity
A need to put together phrases
As if my sanity depends upon it
An itch that needs to be scratched

These words blossom with potential.

Sometimes they're filled with compassion
Reaching out in text or card
Letting those around me know
They are seen; they are valued

These words create connection.

Writing doesn’t always happen
In published books that line the shelves
In 280 characters that all the world can see
In lyrics fit with melodies that stick inside your brain

Writing happens in the heart
Where jumbled thoughts sit entangled
Mixed with emotion, faith, and lived experience
Put together to make sense of it all

These words define my soul.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash