Dusting Off Old Pages

How Forgotten Pieces of My Writing Are Finding Their Place in My New Poetry Collection

Lately, I’ve found myself digging through old notebooks—those places where I used to pour my thoughts without much intention, just letting the words spill out onto paper. It’s almost like unearthing a part of myself I forgot existed. I’ve found poems I didn’t even know I had, pieces of my past that never quite made it into the light. Some are incomplete, others raw and unfinished. But as I read through them, I realized something: my writing has changed, but in some ways, it hasn’t.

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It’s Funny How Time Shifts Things

There’s a shift that comes with time, and I can see it clearly now in the words I wrote years ago. They feel a bit more fragile, uncertain, like I was still searching for the words that would give shape to the emotions I didn’t yet fully understand. I can see that I wasn’t as confident back then, but I was still trying to find my voice. What’s interesting, though, is that the core of my writing has remained the same. The themes, the emotions, the places I turn to in my poems—they’ve always been there. What’s different is how I approach them now, with more confidence, a better understanding of myself, and a deeper sense of what I want to express.

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The Pieces That Never Quite Fit

There’s a certain magic in rediscovering forgotten work. These old poems, even though they were left behind for one reason or another, still hold pieces of me. Some of them seem almost prophetic—like the parts of myself I hadn’t fully realized yet, yet they were being written into existence. Revisiting them now, years later, is like having a conversation with my younger self. It’s a strange and beautiful feeling to witness the change, to see how far I’ve come.

There were also poems that were triggering, reminders of pain I hadn’t fully processed yet. They felt heavy to read, and I had to pause and give myself space before moving on. But even those words have their place. They’re part of the raw, real journey I’ve been on. And in looking at them now, I can see how much healing has occurred since those words were first written.

Some of these lost pieces, ones that I never quite knew what to do with, are slowly finding their place in my new poetry collection. It’s as if they were waiting for the right moment, the right version of me to come along and breathe life into them. It’s humbling to see how these forgotten words fit together with my newer work, creating a fuller picture of my journey. I’m finally giving them the attention they deserve, and it feels like a natural continuation of my writing—like they were always meant to be a part of it.

And I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for the words that still have a place in my heart, even if they’ve been patiently waiting all these years for just the right moment to be shared.

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One of These Poems, Coming this Sunday

As I share these poems and allow them to find their place in my collection, I’ll be sharing one of them this weekend for Poetic Sundays. I’m excited to bring this piece out into the light and let it breathe alongside the rest of the work I’ve been creating.

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A Question for You

Have you ever gone back through old journals or writings? How have your thoughts or feelings evolved over time? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this—sometimes, looking back can be as powerful as moving forward.

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Debra 💛

Let’s keep growing—together.

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