Poetry has been an on again off again affair for local poet Asia Vettergreen since she started writing poetry in 2011.
“Most things that I’m interested in seem to be on again off again,” said Vettergreen.
Her interest in poetry started in Grade 10 and has waxed and waned as she figured out high school, college and a job.
“Now it seems I’m in a point in my life where I can kinda figure out what I want to stick with,” she said, “So I’ve been focusing a lot on poetry, I think it’s here to stay.”
Along with the stop and go of her interest in poetry she came to the art in an unconventional way.
For Vettergreen, poetry has always been spoken.
“Right from the get go, poetry to me was always something that you speak out loud” she said.
She didn’t start reading and exploring the written works of other poets until more recently as she has become established as a poet.
So unlike many people who find stage fright and the act of reciting their poems to an audience to be hard, Vettergreen finds putting pen to paper to be the hardest part.
“My poems are meant to be heard, not really meant to be read,” she said.
Which made the decision to come be a part of the second Word Up Chestermere poetry open mic at North Taphouse Nov. 23 an easy one.
Vettergreen likes that through her poetry she can express thoughts and ideas that are sometimes a bit vague or hard to bring up in conversation.
“If I’ve got an issue I’m not going to come out with it,” she said, “so poetry is nice way for me to talk the stuff that goes through my mind.”
Through her poetry she tries to take these difficult issues and find a way to make them beautiful.
“That’s my way of grieving and releasing and letting go and being angry.
“Just write a poem about it and make it something pretty,” she said.
She likes to explore hard topics in her poetry, such as mental health issues or respect for others or oneself.
When she recently compiled all her work into one note book, Vettergreen realized that she also writes a lot about flowers.
A massage therapist, Vettergreen is going back to school to get her holistic therapist degree which she describes as being an eastern medicine pharmacist.
She has chosen her career path to leave room for her to focus on poetry.
“It’s hard for artists to make money but that’s…not my goal,” she said.
“I’m kinda just into doing my art and being happy and making enough to get by and just having fun,” said Vettergreen.
She also runs a website, www.ramblingonwords.com where Calgary artists can showcase their work.
“There’s not many places where people can showcase their poetry,” she said.
