Words Dance
Even a grocery list can be a poem in disguise.
If you’ve ever wondered how a single classroom challenge can spark a lifetime of creativity—or how personality strengths shape the way we write—this post is for you. Today I’m sharing two discoveries that changed my writing journey:
- My first concrete poem in high school
- My recent dive into the CliftonStrengths assessment
Both moments reveal how words can dance when we lean into our God-given talents.
The Rainy Cloud Poem (High-School Spark)
I was fifteen, convinced poetry was “too fluffy,” when my English teacher—Mrs. Evans—handed me an assignment that flipped the script. She introduced us to concrete (shape) poetry, where the text forms an actual picture on the page.
Challenge accepted. I wrote about a rainy cloud poem arranging each line so the upper poem looked like the cloud itself, with the rain slanting across the bottom. I’d never felt language come alive like that. The blend of art and words hooked me for life.
Pro Tip: Shape poems are a fun gateway for visual thinkers. Grab a theme you love—stars, trees, castles—and let the outline guide your line breaks.
That rainy cloud poem still sits in my writing folder, weathered but bright. And yes, a brand-new concrete poem appears in To Speak as a quiet nod to where everything began.
Blue Balloons (Concrete Poem)
blue
blue ball
blue balloons f l o a t i n g
blue balloons blue a w a y in the
blue balloons s k y
blue ball
blue
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
But as I thought about this post today, I wanted to share another poem with you, one that I’ve share on social media this week. You can hear me read it out loud on my podcast, on Youtube, on IG, and on TikTok.
Words Dance (New Poem)
I open my notes
to find poems and lists.
Somehow,
the two
smash together in synchronistic rhythm,
and I wonder if lists are poems
in disguise.Storage cubes
Bananas
Cucumbers
Peppers, red and gold
Earl Grey tea
Energy drinks
New jeans
Art for empty wallsTo speak
of the heart
under and over
the matter,
soul patterns found
in pottery shards,
dug up by dusty hands.Specificity,
syllables in motion,
list or poem?
Both?
Neither?
Does it matter?
Words dance.
Feel free to share your favorite line in the comments—or add an item to the “list” that makes YOUR words dance.
Discovering My CliftonStrengths
With a Kickstarter on the horizon and multiple series in the works, I wanted insight into the way I naturally create. Enter CliftonStrengths, a Gallup assessment that highlights your top talent themes. My results:
- Ideation — endless flow of fresh concepts
- Strategic — instinctively mapping the best path
- Connectedness — seeing stories, people & faith as woven together
- Achiever — steady drive to finish what I start
- Intellection — love of deep reflection and thought
I read the report and immediately saw my writing life on the page.
How These Strengths Shape My Poetry
- Ideation fuels playful forms like concrete poems and list-poems (hello, Words Dance).
- Strategic helps me decide whether a piece needs tight sonnet walls or blank-verse freedom.
- Connectedness guides themes of grace, light, and universal hope woven through fantasy worlds.
- Achiever keeps me drafting daily—even when the muse wants a nap.
- Intellection invites long walks pondering a single metaphor until it rings true.
Knowing these strengths lets me lean into what works instead of fighting my wiring—and that means braver, truer poems.
Your Turn: Creative Invite
- Write a shape (concrete) poem about an object or symbol you love—a lantern, waterfall, or even your morning coffee mug.
- OR take the CliftonStrengths assessment and note one way your top talent shows up in your writing or everyday creativity.
Share your piece (or your strength) on Instagram or X and tag @TyreanMartinson so I can cheer you on!
Keep the Dance Going
- Back To Speak on Kickstarter before August 14 for exclusive poems, art prints, and behind-the-scenes goodies.
Thanks for reading—and for letting your words, lists, and strengths dance on the page.
—Tyrean Martinson