top of page
poetry-open-mic-night.webp

Poetry Appreciation & Sharing

Thursday, November 14

6:00 - 7:00pm

(or as long as the words are flowing)

 

Free to Attend 

All experience levels and ages are welcome

Share some of your own work,

Share a poem written by an author who is an inspiration to you,

or simply come and listen!

​

For all recorded written history, poetry has held an important role in the understand and development of humans beings.

 

Through its symbolism, metaphor and imagery, poetry conveys messages that have shaped and influenced individuals, culture, society, and the world.

 

Many people have negative connotations about poetry due to how it was taught in school, or how mainstream society often views it.

 

A reframe is that by being conscious beings and emotive humans we are all poets.

 

This evening event is a space for anyone to come share in the beauty, grit, truth-telling, and imagination of poetry. And hopefully bring about an increasing appreciation for, and joy in, poetry.

  

Poetry 
by Pablo Neruda

And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no, they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
frm the branches of night,
abruptly from others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

​

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the firts faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

 

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
for myself a pure part of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind.

 

(Translated from Spanish by Alastair Reid)

bottom of page