Continuing the challenge to keep writing poems of 144 characters or less. Here are three more #micropoems. Poetry for twitter 🙂
1. my finger is on the trigger needle is in the vein my blood is on my hands my soul is in disarray 2. lost is the answer question remains’ uncertain all that is certain is mortality 3. red mist clears sun breaks through the clouds my soul is in my hands red poppies look beautiful in the cold morning light
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
After writing an article; The Art of Silence, and upon further reflection, I penned the following poem. In light of the books and music I have been indulging in of late; this took the poem down a darker path, than initially intended.
everybody should be quiet near a little stream where the wild roses grow and just listen down to the river we ride be silent, listen to your heartbeat take my hand, I'll take yours to much madness and sorrow the loudest words are not spoken living in this age of rage down to the river we go walking towards the light this beautiful place wearing many guises sending me down the river tonight my baby and I the river runs clear in the night no words needed to uncover an ability to let things go take solace in the silence an inner absence of preoccupation masks the hidden messages of compliance do you know where the wild roses grow down by the river together you may get away baptised in the river cleansed be delivered
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
If I cast my eye over my writings for the past few years (poetry and creative), the subject of silence, solitude and solace, weighs heavy over the pages. When I then received an article from tweetspeakpoetry – Book Club Announcement: The Art of Stillness which discusses a new book by Pico Iyer:Â The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere (TED Books). I had pause to delve back into my writings and cast my net wider, across the subject of being silent in a noisy world, and how we need to learnt to cultivate, this lost art of being silent in a frenetic noisy world.
Thoughts, visions, imagery; evoking pictures of silence Be silent, listen to your heartbeat, and just be Silence; sometimes the loudest words are the ones not spoken
The writer of the tweetspeak article, LW Lindquist, speaks of the “space between our thoughts”. The importance of the said versus the unsaid, the importance of what is not said, in the moments of silence, which can carry more weight. It is this quest for the power of silence and the solace of the silence, which has been discussed by the likes of Marcel Proust, Mahatma Gandhi, Emily Dickinson and Josef Pieper (amongst others), who have found richness in stillness. The incredible insight that comes with making time for stillness.
In a TED talk by Pico Iyer: The art of stillness he speaks about:
Our world of constant movement and distraction, and he teases out strategies we all can use to take back a few minutes out of every day, or a few days out of every season.
If you feel overwhelmed by the demands of the constant chase and rush, that our society at times demands of us, then I encourage you to devote 15 minutes of your rushed day, and listen to Pico, and then reflect, in silence.
During Leonard Cohen’s five year stay at a Zen monastery, he wrote the poems for his book: The Book of Longing, and he was also joined for a while by Pico Iyer, who writes in his book the Art of Stillness, that Cohen’s “name in the monastery, Jikan, referred to the silence between two thoughts.” It is worth stopping what you are doing and be invited into his (Cohen’s) world of beauty, women, and lonesome hours. It is an emotional journey, honest and direct, still, and sometimes lost.
Decades before the Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast, sat contemplating on how we came to lose our ability to relax and be, and how it could be reclaimed. The very institutions of learning, that were once intended as a mecca of “leisure” and contemplative activity, presently prepare us for a lifetime of industrialized conformity.
Josef Pieper (German Philosopher  May 4, 1904–November 6, 1997) on his model of the three types of work: work as activity, work as effort, and work as social contribution, and how against the contrast of each a different core aspect of leisure is revealed.
Against the exclusiveness of the paradigm of work as activity there is leisure as “non-activity” — an inner absence of preoccupation, a calm, an ability to let things go, to be quiet.
A few years back when I was sitting relaxing with my love one Sunday afternoon, she commented:
I’m there, you’re there We are silent in each other’s presence
Each engaged in our own thoughts/activities, but still at one; it inspired me to pen a sonnet: The Sonnet of Silent Conversations
the solace in the silence where words are not needed to uncover the hidden messages of compliance
The silence echoes around the enclosed walls of our minds, encouraging us to break down the alienation and find solace in the silence, and learn the importance of being silent, quiet, amongst those we feel close to, and then taking this silence out into the rushed and frenetic world in which we live. This can aid us to slow down, in this age of constant movement and immediate gratification. When speed is king, anyone or anything that gets in its way and slows the pace down, becomes the enemy. Thanks to speed, we are living in the age of rage. That too is ironic, the fast pace of life alienates more, than the comfort we can find in silence.
By opting out we do not have to drop out.
Being reading “War” by Sebastian Junger, and he writes about “the Zen of not fucking up” and the consequences thereof. On an aside, it’s an excellent read of modern day warfare. Highly recommended. That comment got me thinking, reading, writing and then thinking some more. This poem grew out of Zen, War, Dylan and Junger! If you have an aversion to swearing please don’t read this 🙂
down in the valley going to the mountaintop find your Zen in the valley take it with you on your way on high no Zen up there my brother its all down here below deal with the concrete, the grit take wisdom from the now not invisible stuff from ancient books shame on your greed, your wicked schemes modern times thunders in the alley causing a ruckus in the valley everything has potential consequences push for the high mindfulness of not fucking up don’t worry about being worried care about what you care about don’t give a fuck about the rest learn how not to worry about being worried be more joyful, kinder to others plant and see what the earth brings forth follow the zen art of not fucking up enlighten up don’t take yourself to seriously you don't need any guide you already know the way if things don’t work for you then just say, fuck it!
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
Continuing the challenge to keep writing poems of 144 characters or less. Here are three more #micropoems. Poetry for twitter 🙂
1. a moment in time when worlds collide when lovers unite chaos and disorder we gaze into this abyss we see life, love lust and eternity
2. the beat of your heart touch of your tongue heat of your skin silk of your hair welcome to the seduction arcade
3. dew glistens across the valley casting fast disappearing rainbows chased by bleeding colours across the sky a new palette of shades awaits this ephemeral beauty must not escape
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
I am sure many of you out there seek for ways to tap into your creativity and seek inspiration from various sources. Music and reading are two of my main sources, I have previously written extensively on the music and poetry, that I use to tap into my well of creativity. Thus far, I have not delved into the books that I read on writing styles, creative input and how to manage the day to day challenge of sitting at ones desk, and hopefully write. Here are a few of the books that I keep going back to, again and again; they are well thumbed and travelled (with my journal and colour coded notebooks) and remain close to my desk, most are littered with tabs and post it notes.
A most intriguing read is Paul Zollo’s book of interviews with songwriters (62 to be exact) on how they create their magic, how they have succeed in creating timeless memoires for the listener: Songwriters On Songwriting – Many of my favourite musicians that I listen to (or whose lyrics I read – have most of Dylan and Springsteen’s lyrics in book form), are thumb indexed so I easily can dive back to reread their creative processes. I wrote a more in-depth article, on the section in the book, about Bob Dylan Learning from Creative People – Bob Dylan – who Van Morrison has called the worlds greatest Poet – cue Nobel literature signature tune here 🙂
A small gem of a book is written by Steven Pressfield –Â The War of Art – it runs us through the psychology of the creative process. See my post The War of Art for a more detailed review of the book.
Two of the earliest books I read on writing and creativity are written by, in my opinion, the legends/gods of writing; Stephen King and Ray Bradbury. King’s Danse Macabre is a well thumbed gem, written in the early 1980’s, I received my copy from my brother in 1988 as a Christmas present. It is a ranging wild trip through the history of horror, how it works and how he brings this process to bear in his own inimitable way through hi many novels. Bradury’s Zen in the Art of Writing – is a fascinating trip, 11 essays on the pleasures of writing, by one of the most entertaining writers (sci-fi, horror, screen plays, essays, poems and much more). His central premise throughout the book (and his life) is that writing must be a celebration, not a chore. I highly recommend this book for a unique perspective by a most amazing man, on his greatest passion – writing.
Lastly two books, I keep close at hand, which some would find unusual or different 🙂 one to aid me in pushing my creative boundaries, and the other for a unique perspective on words and their meaning (true or intended) when I am grasping for a different view of the creative road.
The one to push my creative boundaries, is an amazing thick, huge hard cover book by Guillermo Del Toro – Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions – in which he reveals the inspirations behind his signature artistic motifs, horror creations, writings and much more. It contains amazing photos of his creations, items from his collection and pages from his notebooks. It is a unique opportunity to see into his creative mind and process. I find that aspect of an artists creative process interesting; how do they get from A to B or Z?
The other well thumbed book is – The Devils Dictionary – by Ambrose Bierce, a satirical dictionary written by American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in 1906 as The Cynic’s Word Book. If you are looking for a unique spin on words, with a rich sense of irony then its a keeper. Here are a few timeless examples:
I trust dear gentle reader (and writer), that you have enjoyed this creative jaunt with me, finding it both entertaining and helpful. I would love your comments; with respect to what inspires you, what you read, listen to, or delve into? When you need to troll the depths of your creative well, to discover the hidden gems that lie below.
May we always lust and thirst to celebrate our creativity.
Michael D Emmerich
Continuing the challenge to keep writing poems of 144 words or less. Here are two more #micropoems.
1. sun breaks through red mist parts your breath across my cheek river runs through life rubicon, styx which ferry to take
2. the comfort of new skin we gaze at discarded masques the face in the mirror is more loved by the ego & the beloved
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
days spent around death encourages one to live day by day we die until we choose to live life is not lost by dying life is lost by not living time never runs out challenge each day to live choose to live with intent facing life with hope each day is a new life each day the butterfly emerges allow it to flap its wings to create change changing the smallest details completely changes the outcome grasp the live by the throat demand to live live each day to the fullest until we are absolutely assured that life will escape us demand that your life demonstrates this principle understanding our limited existence shout out that each day must be taken living every day as if it were your last for one day you're sure to be right
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
Taking up the challenge to write poems of 144 words or less, more to follow, having fun, hope you enjoy reading these 3 🙂 Poetry for twitter 🙂
intimate, hushed solace in the silence conversing by delicious touch seduced by a smile & flirtatious wink
the beauty of the silent bond that ties two stars into orbit requiring no response other than a soft touch or knowing look
the day fades to grey shifting from grey to dark before we long for the promise of a new day we cling to the dark
© 2015 Michael D Emmerich
we are on a journey on a quest into the darkened heart that of life, doubts and dreams the search for proof of life strength in life, rests on doubt accept that which you know to be true are dream states virtual reality is life one constant dream what is real? let knowledge be your secure foundation not the imagination thereof but the doubt thereof let the doubt be our proof of life doubt creates sanity life is stronger than anything the mind can invent what is real are our thoughts doubt your senses doubt your existence rise up and claim your reality think, therefore, you live
© 2016 Michael D Emmerich
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