I started writing poetry in 1907 after a very stressful and challenging time in my life. Poetry saved me from needless worry.  You learn much from reading other peoples poems.  In normal circumstances most of us don't go around opening up our souls to that degree.

 This is a great topic to take further as I feel poetry has been put on a back burner by the young generation...:-(

Poetry is the highest form of expression....it breaks the shackles of 'I must' ....and frees the man/woman to do what he/she most naturally is made for !

Prose is an intellectual creation....poetry is straight from the heart ! ( mostly)

Stress doesn’t discriminate age, race, ethnic group or sex.  Infants, stressed out, cry to be fed or changed.  Stressed out elderly people, residing in nursing homes, cry out for help and so anyone else between those two ages.

Poetry is to the mind what food is to the body: nourishment. Poetry is a good way of relaxation; it promotes and expresses sensuality, spirituality, empathy and understanding. When twenty-four hours are not enough in a day, take an hour to read and or write poetry and to punch the daylights of that punching bag in the basement or at the gym. After you do that the twenty-four hours in a day magically seem fine.