writing
A Poem A Day #2: The Theory of Poetry
A Poem A Day #1: The Poet
My Poem “Zen”
For there to be white, there must and black... for there to be light, there must be dark... for there to yin there must be a yang... for there to be stars, heat, and life on any given planet, there must be the cold and hostile vaccum of space for the two opposing forces of nature - life and death - to have their way and test the limits and the extremes of their own potential... for good to prevail there must be evil to vanquish... for hope to win in the end there must be the shadow of doubt to sometimes struggle with... for the best of the best to be crowned there must be ups and downs from which lessons are learned which inspire others down the road who are on their own journey of self-discovery... for the entirety of this version of the universe there has existed both the beginning and the end, the start and the finish, the Go and the Stop, the found and the lost - but there are places where and when the interconnected consciousness of all living things communicates with one another consciously as well as unconsciously, that some have even reported to have visited and returned from feeling changed and brand new: nirvana, heaven, Eden, space, the frontier, the edge, high above the clouds or deep below the ocean - after which they can both perceive and understand forever that the balance that keeps the wheels of existence rolling as serenely as a sphere of energy spinning through space, that is both perfect and imperfect at the same time, would have to be one of the most wonderful symbols in existence that captures the true essence of what it means to be zen.
My Poem “The Evening Sky”
Against the blue and gold hue of the sky at sunset I watch the silhouette of a flock of birds fly across the sky, as the daylight drains away and darkness rises... the moments of twilight are so beautiful that I cannot look away, because I am always entranced by the transition between the world of day and the world of night... there has always been something magical to me about sitting in the dark, while watching and waiting for the clouds to clear and the divine light of the stars to pierce through the vastness like some kind of celestial knives... I love living where I live - in the countryside and away from the city sights and sounds - because I am able to be inspired by nature, up close and personal, and every day and every night look up to the sky and feel as if I can see the face of heaven looking back at me, perfect and bright, at the same time gifting me a vision and some sort of second sight that makes me feel like a shooting star arching from left to right unimpeded through the evening sky.
My Poem “The Chair of Chairs”
There is something about the energy, the memory, the legacy, and the connection attributed to a particular chair that, though it may not be called as such, is a throne in its own right because of the way that it gives a rise and an ascendancy in power and inspiration to whomever sits in it... there is an impression, a weight, an indentation that is left by every sitter in every seat that can be as individual as that of a person's fingerprint. There are chairs that are legendary... there are chairs that are just as synonymous as the person who used them many times for rest, for relaxation, or for perhaps other purposes beyond what a chair was first thought to be used for... there are chair's that helped in the delivery of a person into the world and there are chair's that have been used to execute people after being charged, convicted, and sentenced for heinous crimes of which they are guilty... there are chairs that were designed and built specifically to assist in the comfort, the protection, and safety of someone flying on a plane; and there are chairs that are like the trees from which they were built and will forever be thought of as precious and timeless works of art. There are some things that you can do lying down, standing up, or even while floating upon the water of a swimming pool; however, there are some things that people do - painting, or writing, for example - that can only be done if and when someone is where and when they need to be to create art and poetry... there are some activities that can be undertaken while doing other things simultaneously, but, for some people, they can only attain the required focus that they need to do what they need to do only when they feel constrained, but at the same time free... there are some things that you simply can only be effective at doing when you have the right tools at your disposal and you can make the most of every moment without a worry or a care... there are some moments when you can feel as if you have been transported backwards or forwards - to first times, to last times, to emotional times, to happy times, to sad times, to times of transformation, to times in your life that will always be unforgettable for one reason or another - that you can only be transported to while sitting somewhere that is like nowhere else on Earth, because to you that place, that seat, is more than a chair and is more like a rocket ship to another world: and that place is what I like to call "the chair of chairs".
Episode #30: “The Mark The Poet Experience” – Recent Poetry
My Poem “The Mark of New York”
Every time I am asked about where my favourite place in the world might be, I close my eyes, I smile, and I am instantly transported back to the metropolis of my dreams: the one and the only, New York City... no other city compares, no other place is more special in my heart, no other city do I remember every second of and every experience that I had while being there, no other place shines brighter - because to me it will always be an inspiring constellation of 8 million stars each with their own individual story to tell about how they choose to leave their mark. It's been 8 years since I was last in the city that never sleeps, but there isn't a day that goes by when I do not think about all that I saw and all that felt while I was visiting the city filled with so many buildings literally capable of scraping the sky... it's been a long time since I was walking down the various avenues and streets from one side of the island of Manhattan to the other, but I always find comfort in the fact that, though I am far away, I can return to New York City any time I want, in my mind - and when I am there I see things, I remember things, I see details, I remember people who make the "Big Apple" the place that it is: like no other, special, powerful, and one of a kind. I would love to go back to New York City one day... I would love nothing more than to wake up, to get dressed, to head to my favourite Starbucks cafe on Fifth Avenue - where I used to eat breakfast, lunch, and enjoy a late night caramel latte or a machiatto on a regular basis, and during the daytime, as well after dark - and also revisit the places that I love and feel like I know so well, which got under my skin from the instant that I saw them and I immediately found myself in awe. I would love to go back in time... I would to get back in that yellow taxi and once again return to the pools of rememberance that lie in the shadow of the Freedom Tower, and once again pay my respects to those who lost their lives on 9/11... I would love to go back to the place that I could never get enough of and rediscover and explore the things, the places, and the feeling of unbridled kinetic energy and electricity that New York City has that has the ability to gift to those who are lucky enough to be able to visit it, or call it home - because, take it from me, no other city on Earth leaves its mark upon you after you have been there like New York.
Episode #18: “The Mark The Poet Experience” – Recent Poetry
My Poem “Hello/Goodbye”
During the chapters of our life we encounter unforgettable characters who influence us in many different ways - and, just as in a book, some chapters, some encounters, and some experiences may be brief; however, sometimes, some indellible impressions never end and never stop being like a breath of fresh air through the sometimes cluttered interior of our brain. "I'll see you again", "I'll see you on the other side", "I'll see you before you see me" - life does not always conform to how we might want it to play out: sometimes people move on, sometimes people lose touch, sometimes two becomes one, sometimes you can have too much and sometimes you cannot have enough; however, no matter the struggle, no matter the pain, no matter the scars that people sometimes have to sustain, if you are lucky, one day, a reason for what you went through will reveal itself and give you an answer that may reveal something about yourself that will be just as revelatory as the truth that all life is a cycle and everything on Earth has a connection to everything within the blue or the black sky that we sometimes see above. You never know what you are going to do, you never know who you are going to meet, you never know what or who will become important to you - because no one can ever know the outcome of anything until they choose to try... you never know if you will ever do something again, you never know if you will ever see someone again - but sometimes something can last a long time, perhaps a lifetime, before the curtains are drawn, before we reach for our jacket, before we walk through a door to the world beyond our periphery where and when we will say a simultaneous hello and goodbye.
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