From the book, Walk A Little Slower

I want to write something that will move you beyond yourself. 

To piece together the right amount of syllables in a style
that will steal your anxiety and leave you hopeful.

To spill silhouettes of memories and truth
that will bring you back to the days of your youth.

I want to write something that will shake you to your core
and leave you wanting more.

Like the last line of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
or the center of a cinnamon roll
or the voice of Morgan Freeman how it speaks to our heart and soul.

I want to write something that will make you laugh and then cry and then laugh again and leave you thinking maybe he’s a comedian. 

Like, Ray Romano.
Except, not as nasally. 

I want to write something where I don’t talk about Ray Romano or how we used to watch Everybody Loves Raymond as a family after we finished dinner.

I want to write something that will bring you back to your childhood.

To the times when you would fall but get back up again,
to when we would share our stories and compare our scars
like the one I got when I crashed my bike into a parked car. 

Back to the mornings where pancakes were the only option and calories, like salaries, were only things adults had to think about.

Back to the days when our hands didn’t hold phones but held another hand.

Back to the nights when you would whisper good night to stuffed animals and we swore we heard them say, “Sleep tight.”

Back to a time before the world kicked the weird out of you and me, and there was no such thing as normal.

Back to a time when after dinner you would watch
Everybody Loves Raymond because it was on. 

I want to write something that will put a pain in your side
and maybe even a tear in your eye.

I want to write something that will make you look at the person you love like never before.

But sometimes, I want to write something that will make you think
of your boyfriend and wonder,
how come he isn’t more like this guy? 

I want to write something that will make you think that
poetry isn’t the worst. 

I want to write something that will move you, change you, inspire you and make you forget that you have the internet in your pocket. 

I want to write something that makes you feel seen and known, words that will sit with you when you feel alone.

I want to write something that will pull you away from what’s keeping you from being here.

I want to write something that will make your emotions nod their head and maybe even something that will make your foot tap, fingers snap, hands clap, something that will make you get your phones out and say, “You gotta check this guy out,” in your group chat. 

Or something like that. 

I want to write something that will help you remember God and grace and how you aren’t the only one who feels like you’re all over the place. 

I want to write something and I know this is something,
but is this anything? 

Is this anything?

I want to write something, but right now, this is all I have.

For more of my poetry, check out my books!

About the Author

Tanner Olson is an author, poet, speaker, and podcaster living in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is the author of I’m All Over the Place, As You Go, Walk A Little Slower, and Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.

You can find Tanner Olson’s books on Amazon.

His podcast is The Walk A Little Slower Podcast with Tanner Olson and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tanner Olson travels around the country sharing poetry, telling stories, and delivering messages of hope.

You can follow Tanner Olson on Instagram (@writtentospeak) and Facebook where you’ll daily find encouraging words of faith and hope.