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shaping up to be a strange day. that NEVER happens. yeah, right. so, lets start with the stray stuff first� second, i have added two Amber Alert banners to the bottom of my page. (one for the U.S. & one for Canada) when you are here in the future just give them a quick check before you leave. yes, i know that they are a very long shot, but long is better than none. now, the deeper stuff. after talking with tony this morning about the goings on at Speak last night i got to thinking about the purpose of open readings. yes, they provide a space for people to read their poetry, but what is the larger purpose? readings create an enclave of people with a shared interest. there may be differences in views on many levels, ages or backgrounds, intelligence or ability, but a common interest joins them all. it would be easy to say that the joining interest is poetry, but i don�t think it is. if it were poetry, a poet would feel at ease at any reading they went to & we know that this is not the case. i think that there is another force at work, something unnamed that brings people to the same place to share inner views of themselves. i think it is the same thing that draws people to churches or temples or mosques, the same thing that leads people to yoga classes (instead of practicing at home), the same thing that leads people to hang out at a coffeehouse. there is a connection that is made in an environment like that. even some people who don�t write poetry find themselves drawn to readings searching for that contact. i think that there is a collective energy that is (in many ways) healing to both the mind & spirit. we want to be part of something larger than ourselves without loosing who we are as people. it is times like this that language fails us. there are no words to describe exactly what i�m talking about. but yet most of you will understand anyway & in doing so, serve as an example of it. kinda cool, ain�t it? I�m not looking for the meaning of life at Key Bob�s Tropical Fish Emporium, but then again, where are you looking? tonight, i will head to my favorite coffeehouse to feel that connection. tonight, i will drink coffee & shoot the shit & hang out & in doing so, become whole again, if only for a short while. may you find the people who make you feel whole (& a good cup of coffee at the same time.) have a good night. be well Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. Your broadsword isn't iron! |
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