Poet Spotlight: WordBender and the Importance of Imagination

Brendan De Lucia, also known as WordBender, is a poet who strives to create stories that feel both spontaneous and relatable. With a unique and imaginative style, he uses extensive imagery to create new worlds in his poetry. When asked what topic he most seeks to shed light on with his poetry, he identifies imagination. 

“My message with poetry is simple. Create memories via imagination. As we grow older, we tend to stray away from using our imaginations. Society tells us that a healthy imagination has no place in the “real” world. But, to evolve, we must create. To create, we must imagine. Plus, in the process, you make memories which last forever.” —Brendan De Lucia

In today’s world, we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. If we don’t know something, we can easily find an answer with a few quick Google searches. Our thoughts become less abstract and more organized. We grow older and are encouraged to think practically instead of imagining freely. We aren’t encouraged to wonder in the same way we were when we were younger. 

De Lucia challenges us to celebrate and cultivate imagination. This is such a beautiful message because we often find ourselves at one of two extremes: Either we view our time too practically and don’t give ourselves the space to dream and imagine, or we view our creative space as a productivity hub and tie it down to lofty expectations and quotas. 

Either way, we aren’t left with the room to create for creation’s sake. De Lucia’s writing insists on exploration and innovation. He creates worlds of his own through uniquely personal yet relatable stories about love and dreams, like in this beautiful piece: 

I hope

our present 

becomes the 

vintage past of our future

His writing mixes the real with the surreal, the romantic with the imagined. De Lucia’s writing gives us a chance to step into his world for a little while and look around from his perspective. Like wanderlust, a trip through his poetry lights a fire within our hearts to see the worlds we could create if we give ourselves the time and space to explore them.

When asked to share a poem he feels speaks to his message, De Lucia chose one that so beautifully ties together his message, reminding us all that we all have the ability and the privilege to create incredible moments in our days. Imagination is just the first step down the path of creating something truly special and beautiful with our time here. 

In life, 

Use imagination

To manifest memory 

Because in death 

We seek to forever 

Re-live memories 

When is the last time you let your imagination run wild? When is the last time you allowed yourself to dream or create a piece of art, poetry, or music for the joy of it? When is the last time you tapped into that childlike awe and wonder at the world around you and all its potential? 

De Lucia’s message for us is a simple one with immense possibilities: create. 

For more poetry from De Lucia, be sure to follow him on Instagram.