> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # [Poem] Why I Write (2026 Edition) - URL: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/poem-why-i-write-2026-edition/ - Published: 2026-04-28T15:20:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-04-28T15:20:22.000Z - Description: I revisited the reasons why I write - and how it's led me to starting the Sovereign Poet Society - Author: Tom Shaw - Tags: Poems, #substack, #substack-type-newsletter, #substack-access-everyone, #Import 2026-10-24 12:50 Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedIn the deepest depths of the night, In the far reaches that remain, Untouched by rays of warm daylight, There’s a rhyme lost in the ether. In the blackness of all my woes, Wrought in my own dissonant thoughts, Tossing in relentless echoes, I hear that rhyme calling for help. So I go there, tracking its moan. My mission, therefore, becomes clear: Bring it a blanket of my own, Don’t let it succumb to frostbite. We huddle in space together, I’m shown how to wield my chatter. So it lives in sight forever, In return I offer my voice. We return through eternity, Into the light – I awaken. And I know with some certainty How to answer: “Why do I write?” I write to find the *Whys* and *Hows*, To find those worlds in grains of sand. Kipling’s *Ifs* thus turn in to *Nows*, So I am master of my fate. Wander no more like lonely clouds, Nor rhyme like ancient mariners. We need new words for modern crowds, So I will write, and write, and write... ###### Why I Write (2026 Edition) \~ A Poem by Tom Shaw [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) The original version of this poem is now over two years old - which boggles my mind that, two years on, I’m still sharing poetry here with you all with no signs of stopping. Feel free to check out the original below to see how it compares: [Why I Write![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/8a142b5d-cbf5-4555-b54f-4764d0b89820_800x512.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/why-i-write/) There was a good reason for me to return to this question. I’m at a point in my life where I’m satisfied that I have a gift to share with the world through my words. The **why** of my writing is an intuitive sense of duty and higher calling. Now I get to go through the cycles of experimenting and refining how I bring that to other people. I’ve seen how my own words - and creating spaces for others to find their own words - has brought people comfort, insight, and furtherance in their lives in ways I could have never predicted. I am grateful every day that I get to have these kinds of impacts. I’ve also seen how meaningful poetic work has ripples far beyond the individuals who engage with them. I have seen the poems of others (*especially* from people who don’t think of themselves as poets) move rooms to laughter, tears, or joy. There are many people who possess a gift with words, each with their own unique voice and flavour that satiates the souls of others in ways I simply cannot. However, just as I have experienced in my personal live, and just as I know from everyone I speak with, our self-limiting belief systems get in the way of us seeing and believing in the value of our words and our presence. There is always a need for new poetry; for new narrative and language that bring us out of the darkest pits of our individual or collective despair. I am merely mortal. I cannot and will not play the “forever” game in flesh and blood. What I can do is bring forth the knowledge and insight I have gained of my craft. I can then let other aspiring poets, wordsmiths, and communicators of the human spirit take the parts of my journey that they need most for their own. I let the truth of poetry permeate through the families, friends and strangers of those brave pioneers. The village will keep the [mastery of our word](https://tom-shaw.uk/master-your-word/?ref=tom-shaw.uk) alive. I’m here to serve the village. ## The Digital Dance Who the “village” is has been complicated by the arrival of the internet. Is the “village” my wonderful readers who I have never met or spoken a word to in-person who have found their way digitally to my efforts? Is it those I’ve had the pleasure of meeting at events around the world who now keep in touch electronically? Is it the lively community of poets that live just a walk or bus-ride away from my front door? Is it all of them simultaneously? Is it fluid? All of these groups have different needs and circumstances, and not all can be served in the same way. This is absolutely true over the internet. There are ways of connecting with and serving people that simply cannot happen in the digital sphere. If you’ve been reading my works for some time, you’ll know I am of the belief that more time in physical reality - out with nature, in the presence of others energy - is a necessary remedy for some of the maladies we suffer. [Do Humans Dream of Coal-Fired Sheep?Where've they gone, those coal-fired sheep? I used to count them in my sleep, Flamed woolly coat keeping me warm. But now, in keeping with the new norm, I'm supposed to switch to electric ones, Their…![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/c9374a58-192c-44ea-8834-72a7d7474190_1920x1440.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/do-humans-dream-of-coal-fired-sheep/) At the same time, I cherish everyone who I could not stay in cyber-touch with through any means other than the internet. There is richness, inspiration and value in learning of escapades in the far corners of the world from the equally unique people that live there. What is the correct balance of the digital and the physical? All of these things have been tossing around my head for some time. Then, the solution hit me. On a train packed with the cross-country Friday-night commuters, I began typing the words you’re reading now, hoping that some answer would come together through the process of writing. It did. The wordsmiths of the world have their flesh-and-blood village. Whether small or large, they have an ability to deliver their words audibly; as frequencies of healing that are received as a whole experience by another. It would be impossible of me to go to all those villages, all at once, and give all of myself for those poets to take on themselves as they see fit. But I can give them something simultaneously, without being in the village. I have the internet. ## The Sovereign Poet Society ![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/a8e0fde9-24a5-4fe7-872c-7ae1177b70ba_1535x1534.png) I hinted at this in my previous piece, which I am composing in tandem with this one. [How To Model What Is RightThe title of this piece comes from the last line of a poem I shared a few months ago, Say No And Smile. It captures a theme I have been thinking about a lot lately…![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1553152531-b98a2fc8d3bf?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMnx8ZnJlZWRvbXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NjAzNzg1NTR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/model-what-is-right/) The Sovereign Poet Society is a community of passionate individuals dedicated to using poetry for personal and collective growth. The mission of the Society is simple: to inspire ourselves and others to reach our highest potential through the power of poetry. I have created two ways to be involved in the society. First is as a **Member**, for those at the early stages of writing right up to seasoned professionals. Members will get access to the [Poetic Realignment Bundle](https://tom-shaw.uk/product/poetic-realignment-bundle/?ref=tom-shaw.uk) and a poetry-only communications channel with other members, laying the foundations for a culture of elevating each other and our local communities through verse. Four times a year, we will then convene for a half-day, online Seasonal Retreat, providing powerful crucibles for acquiring new linguistic tools, developing our craft, and workshopping pieces with others to bring out their full potential before we bring them to those around us physically. It’s my belief that everyone has the capacity to be a poet, but I’m aware that not everyone else may feel the same. For those who don’t feel called to write, but who are nonetheless passionate about supporting great poetry, there is **Observer** Involvement. Observers will get read-only access to poetic communications and invites to observe the *Showcase* portions at the conclusion of the half-day retreats. Additionally, they will also get the *30-Day* *Poetic Emancipation Guide*, taking the core elements of the Poetic Realignment Bundle and providing daily poems and questions to ponder over. Both ways of involvement will also get access to archives and ebooks of my previous work, should either Members or Observers feel the need for further inspiration. The Sovereign Poet will launch this Summer. Some of the infrastructure still needs building out - something which is not free. To help cover the costs, I am launching the opportunity to be a Founder of the society today, whether as a Member or as an Observer. As a thank-you for being willing to support the Society in it's crucial early stages, you’ll receive two months of your 1-year involvement for free, as well as a special name tag in our poetry-only channels (which will carry over for Observers who later choose to become Members). The more who commit to being Founding Members and Founding Observers, the sooner I can move on estabishing the infrastructure - which is why I’m yet to give an exact date for the launch. [Sovereign Poet Society](https://tom-shaw.uk/product/sovereign-poet-society-founding-involvement/?ref=tom-shaw.uk) I have no idea if this is going to work in the way I imagine it might. My hope is for it to produce a delightful smorgasbord of poets and poetry lovers equally committed to using verse in service of the highest good in each individual. I hope there’s a day that the society will be self-sufficient and continue enriching minds and hearts for generations to come - perhaps the ultimate definition of “sovereign”. ## Your Turn If you feel called to get involved, please check out the options for Founding Involvement using the button below: [Sovereign Poet Society](https://tom-shaw.uk/product/sovereign-poet-society-founding-involvement/?ref=tom-shaw.uk) And for those who aren’t called to join right now, know that you’ll still receiving poems and reflections from me as usual, for free ([or you can get my book to take my poems offline](https://tom-shaw.uk/product/go-forth-butterfly/?ref=tom-shaw.uk)). Let me know if you’re excited to keep reading more from me by leaving a comment: [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) Thank you for making time ro read this piece. I look forward to bringing you more soon. With gratitude, Tom [Subscribe](#/portal/signup)