From Community Work to Poetry: How Listening Became Healing

By Victoria (Tori) Martinez

At the start of my journey doing community work in rural Colorado I didn't set out to write about it. In fact, I wasn't sure where this journey was going to lead me. After over a decade of listening, here's what I learned.

The work started out about trying to make rural communities better, but the longer I did the work the more I came to realize it was about something more. It was about connecting rural communities and the people in those communities. Those very real human connections moved us away from the superficial ways of making community improvements, and toward sustainable ways of making a deeply meaningful life.

As I said, I didn't set out to write about this journey but nevertheless the words flowed. The surprising part was that all of the learning, growth, and personal revelation became creative expression in the form of poetry.

Some poetry doesn’t just rhyme, it heals. That’s what my poetry did for me and many others.  

Let’s start at the large conference room in Denver, Colorado where I found myself with 75 other rural leaders and community organizers. Stories were shared of our community struggles, and shared difficulties. We lifted each other up and found the strength to keep doing the work.

Years later I found myself in a small living room with 12 young adults learning to do advocacy work in rural communities. Frustration and anger filled the room as they voiced the hurdles they were trying to overcome. Like not being taken seriously, told they were too young to do this kind of work, and pushed to the margins. We breathed together through that moment of self-care and it led to our triumph.

Moving forward to another conference room where hundreds of rural leaders and community members gathered. Through their collective trauma they embraced the power of their united voices, found solutions through patient dialogue, and were strengthened by their steadfast resolve.

From the midst of all this rose a collection of poetry found in the broken masses that brought healing and strength. Poems birthed in the watching, waiting, in-between moments. Observation brought validation, listening brought understanding. Slowly the words emerged through the fog and into the light. Acknowledging our inner voices still awakening.

The work and my writing sit at the intersection of participatory action research (PAR) and creative expression to translate lived experience into a deeper understanding that spurs necessary conversations that lead to social change.

If you’d like to read some of the poems birthed from this work you can claim your copy of my book A Call to Awaken here.

This blog post is copyrighted to the author; no part may be reproduced or used in anyway without the author's permission. The information shared here is based on personal experiences and is not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual need.