Community and Poetry

I love my Oxford community. And I do place an ownership on that. Damnit, it's my community; it's my place, they're my people, and it's my time. I can not think of any other place that I would rather be. I'm not saying it's a perfect place, but what it is, is a place that moves me. It makes me passionate, and it fires me. One of my new found heroes is a man called Taylor Mali. He is a poet from the US, who is famous amongst my friends in Oxford for a poem called 'The Impotence of Proofreading', with possibly the best last line in poetry ('and three: When it comes to proofreading, the red penis your friend.'). One of his poems is called Silver Lined Heart. It begins 'I’m for reckless abandonment and the spontaneous celebration of nothing at all' and ends with 'tell me what inspires you, what fulfils you and fires you, put your goddamn pen to paper and tell me what you're for', and in the middle lambasts the reader for moaning about shit that doesn't do, well, shit. Well, I'll tell you what I'm for. I'm for Oxford, and I'm for revelling in all she has to offer. Someone once asked me to extol the virtues of Oxford to her. My list was long, but what it comes down most is the people. Again, please, if you don't live in Oxford, there is no disrespect to anyone here, but there is something about these people. They move me. Maybe it's just a here and now thing, maybe not. I'm still trying to work it out. My friend Anita is doing a talk about community at hOME on Wednesday. I would like to be there, but work has sent me to Belgium on Monday.

My friend Naomi has linked me on her blog page. When I work out how to do it properly myself I will return the favour. Until then, you can read her thoughts here. You could spend your time in much less worthy pursuits.

And my community is expanding by one tonight. Friends of mine are giving birth as I write this.