Fort Benning SRU Soldiers pen poetry and prose in creative writing class

Courtesy Photo | Master Sgt. Deangelis Taylor wrote a poem entitled, “I Am, You Are, We Are 2020” during a creative writing class offered by the adaptive reconditioning program at the Fort Benning Soldier Recovery Unit, Ga. The poem was inspired by a prompt to reflect on the year thus far. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of Andre Walker)  

UNITED STATES

10.27.2020

Story by Christine Aurigema 

Army Recovery Care Program

ARLINGTON, Va. – One session at a time, the Fort Benning Soldier Recovery Unit’s creative writing class is showing Soldiers that putting pen to paper can be a creative outlet. Every week, Soldiers take prompts and turn them into short stories or poems to be shared with their peers. One such poem captured a Soldier’s feelings about events that took place this year.

The Army Recovery Care Program supports wounded, ill and injured Soldiers as they transition back to the force or to veteran status. Adaptive reconditioning activities, like creative writing, are an important part of helping Soldiers improve their wellbeing and achieve goals.

The AR program’s first creative writing class took place last winter. Annalise Doyle, recreational therapist for the Fort Benning SRU, said that the program was developed to help Soldiers adjust, reintegrate and be more comfortable in group settings. She explained that it also refines self-expression, builds self-efficacy, helps to process and express emotions, and works on fine motor skills.

Participants get a chance to develop their creativity and express themselves, which is why Doyle believes they enjoy it. Sometimes writing becomes a way for them to work through things they didn’t realize were bothering them, she noted.

“It’s easier to write things out to collect your thoughts than it is to try and say them out loud or work through them in your head,” she said.

In her experience, some people get more out of writing creatively or journaling.

“I think it can be beneficial in many different ways,” she said.

In June, the Soldiers were prompted to write about the year 2020 and reflect on the events that took place.

Master Sgt. Deangelis Taylor, a Soldier from the Mississippi National Guard assigned to the Fort Benning SRU, wrote a poem based on the prompt entitled, “I Am, You Are, We Are 2020.” She shared it because she felt there may be other people and Soldiers who feel the same way she does. The poem’s inspiration came from a special source.

“It comes from life and it’s how I express how I feel about what’s going on,” she said.

Taylor wrote before she joined the military. Now that she’s participating in the writing program, she authors short stories and poems in class and during her personal time.

Writing allows Taylor to tell stories that don’t conform to specific conventions. It relaxes her mind and helps her heal and express herself. She describes it as a form of therapy that allows her to share things she feels need to be heard.

“It’s challenging to me because I don't want to just write,” she said. “When I write, I want them to hear something. I try to have a message or lesson in everything I write.”

I Am, You Are, We Are 2020 by Deangelis M. Taylor

I am the fear of the darkness filled with death
I am the calm of the light filled with hope
I am the disease of the time pouring like rain
I am the punctuation of the expressions voiced by many
I am the mist of the fog covering the land of dreams
I am the echo of the laughter needed by most
I am the trails of the wilderness hid by the unknown
I am the peak of the mountains waiting to be reached
I am the sheet of the sky viewed as a blank canvas
I am the carpet of the earth worn with troubled paths
I am the innocence of the children spreading unconditional love
I am the quaintness of a lady finding a strong voice
I am the masculine of a man standing firm for what’s right
I am, You are, We are, the world of 2020.

The Army Warrior Care and Transition Program is now the Army Recovery Care Program. Although the name has changed, the mission remains the same: to provide quality complex case management to the Army's wounded, ill and injured Soldiers.

• Date Taken: 10.27.2020
• Date Posted: 10.27.2020 16:27
• Story ID: 381857
• Location: US
• Hometown: WAYNESBORO, MS, US