One of my all-time favorite poets is R.M. Drake. I’m not sure how exactly I stumbled upon him, but I think it was from one of my friends during our years in middle school who shares my love of poetry.
Once I discovered his works, it felt like my life changed a little bit. I love the simplicity of his poetry, his word choices and how applicable his words are to my life or how I’m feeling.
With that being said, I won’t take away any more words from him and let you read for yourself. I hope you enjoy these quotes.
“You are exactly where you need to be right now. So please don’t ever feel as if you’re not enough. There is a plan for you. It’s just. The Universe will take its time unveiling what is meant for you. Trust the process. Trust the journey. Every little detail is important. Every little moment of your life is meant for something greater. Believe this.”
“Change was among the stars, the moment she began to love herself.”
“I care. Maybe a little more than I should. And that’s why it hurts. That’s why everything bothers me the way it does. I feel too much. And I don’t know when or how to stop it. I let people get the best of me. I always give them more than they deserve”
“But you know what is stronger than bombs? Inspiring people. That’s the kind of thing that’s strong enough to change the world.”
“I have too much universe in me. I deserve more than the sky and a few stars.”
“I am proud of you. Because after everything you’ve been through. You are still here. And you are still smiling and laughing regardless of all the bullshit you’ve been through. You haven’t let anything break you. You are as strong as they come.”
“Love what loves you but never hate what hates you. For hate is the burden to exhaust the stars in you.”
“It is a beautiful thing to inspire people to do something, whether it is to make art, change the world or to love.”
“Like poems. People, too, are meant to make you feel something.”
“It is okay if you do not have the words right now to express what you feel. It is okay if you do not even know what it is you are feeling. It is okay if you don’t know where to begin. If you don’t know if a chapter in your life has ended. It is okay if you are not sure about your future. Not sure about your past. About what you were thinking. It is okay if you suddenly fell out of love with someone. And especially, if you did not want that to happen but it did. It is okay if you don’t know how to apologize. If you are not sure if you even have to. It is okay if you wish to move on. Or even. If you wish to stay where you are a little longer than expected. It is okay to cry. To wake up and cry. And or to fall asleep crying. It is okay to wish you can change things. To wish you can go back and make all of the bad things right. It is okay if you are not happy with who you are. At least not for the time being. It is okay to work on yourself. To take as much time as you need, too. Until you feel comfortable in your skin. It is okay if you don’t feel the same. Don’t feel the same about certain things. Like your career aspirations. Certain people. Certain places. Certain things that used to speak to you. It is okay to move away. To find new homes within new people. To find what you love in new places. It is okay. This is your life. And only yours. And life is too short to worry about everything. To overthink about all the details. Because it’s okay. And it’s going to be okay. Just be yourself. Just take your time.”
Just re-reading all of R.M. Drake’s words brings me so many different feelings and emotions. What I love most about his work and writing is how versatile it is. It seems like he has a poem or quote for whatever emotion I may be feeling: anger, thankfulness, love, upset, lost, happiness, sadness, uncertainty. His poems are comforting to me and always seem to find me when I need them the most. He often posts on Instagram and Twitter so I would encourage giving him a follow. His words have been there for me since I was thirteen, and they have helped me navigate life up until now as a 21-year-old. And I know that they will continue providing me comfort and guidance as I continue to grow older. I was happy to share some of my favorites of his in hopes that it might inspire, comfort someone else, or just make someone feel something. Words, poetry and writing are magic. We should never take the simplicity and magic of the written word for granted.