The Colors I Hear

Poems & Prose to Inspire Creativity

by Carolyn Riker

WINNER of the Seasonal PenCraft Book Award for Literary Excellence

Anytime an artist sets their craft into motion, all sorts of self-doubt bubbles and churns. One minute, I’m chirping along, thinking this is the best thing I have ever written! And the next, this book is awful! What was I thinking? Well, that’s art. 

Poetry is art. Poetry is the brevity of word creation and the soul of my being. I shape words through a kaleidoscope of emotions, nature, and sensitivity.

This is my fourth book of poetry and prose. I’m stunned and humbled at this trajectory as a writer and where I was, where I am, and where I am going. I’m following something unseen but deeply felt. It’s like being within a stream of consciousness. Poetry writes me.

I divided this book into four sections. The first section is When a Bird Sings. I really believe if it weren’t for nature, most of these poems would never have been written. For as long as I can recall, I’ve had a connection with critters, plants, trees, lakes, and the sea. A sunset will catch my eye, a bee will buzz by, and the sea will remind me how life comes and goes, much like the tides. I am kin to blues and grays, both in color and mood. I can taste a sunset, and when a breeze goes through a string of trees, I’m teleported to the sea. 

The second section is Welcome All Sides of You. This is about moods, aging, and honoring oneself, mixed in with encouragement, self-kindness, and acceptance. I touch on the depths of aging and the difference between being alone and lonely. As an empty nester, long stretches of solitude have been a surprising gift. Welcome All Sides of You was written because we need more love and respect as we age. I will be turning 60 this year. It has been such a privilege to nurture the seeds of my poetic voice as I age.

Section three is special to me because it is for people like you and me who are Highly Sensitive People (HSP). I didn’t even know I was an HSP until about a decade ago when a friend gave me a copy of Dr. Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person. Nevertheless, it’s where my art is born and felt, and seen. I introduce that section with an essay and what it means to be an HSP. The rest is a curated selection of my poetry and prose. Think of it as a mini poetic guide for HSPs. 

The final section completes me, so I saved it for last. I needed a juicy ending. It is titled The Colors of Creativity which shows the confluence with one’s imagination. Within those 15 pieces of writing, you’ll catch a glimpse of all sorts of nonlinear thought bubbles, joy, imagination, observations, and beauty. 

Overall, within these pages, there’s love and an intimate connection with life. There’s magic and whimsy. There’s rhyme, but mostly not. These words come from deep inside my psyche. It is my gift to you and my wish for you to read, pause and ponder. 

In the words of the brilliant poet Langston Hughes, “perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people, the beauty within themselves.”

My ultimate dream is that you’ll pick up your pen and write. Maybe you’ll sketch, paint a picture, or dance. It’s time to share the real you. And with that, I fully know you will do so beautifully.

I appreciate you for taking the time to read my introduction. 

With much love & respect,

Carolyn