Sunday, November 26, 2006
Podcasts, Poetry, Kundalini
http://mysticbabylon.podomatic.com (#24, November 20, 2006)
This afternoon, I had a new experience. I participated in a "poetry podcast" consisting of three poets whose work was recorded for listening on the internet at the above site. John Rhodes, the sponsor, read first. His poetry is laced with Biblical references, though he is not a "religious" poet in any conventional sense. The second reader (Monique) writes in a very different vein. She is active in a women's poetry collective known as Tara's Tongue and writes what I would describe as slightly "in your face" poetry, somewhat like that of the hippies whose work was full of fire and social protest. I was the third reader. Each of us read for about 12 minutes.
Initially, I felt that my poetry would be very much in contrast to that of the others, in view of my deep spiritual bent. Yet, after we finished, John described an unusual mystical experience which had occurred to him when he was still a child. And Monique stated that she was quite familiar with kundalini, having spent several years in India with Muktananda at his ashram. She added that she was especially fond of the poems I had read about Mirabai, one of her favorites.
I was surprised and pleased at both responses. Oftentimes, when one reads mystical poetry, the listener is at sea to place it in context. And, as most of us know, when you speak of kundalini, all too often the hearer looks confused and then asks the almost unanswerable question, "What is kundalini?"
I was delighted to discover this unexpected connection with both poets, neither of whom I had known before.
I had intended to read more poems which followed "Marrow of Flame," but somehow the time got away from me.
I applaud John Rhodes in his efforts to bring spoken poetry into the mainstream. As I commented on the podcast, poetry is meant to be read aloud and heard, not simply confined to the printed page.
This afternoon, I had a new experience. I participated in a "poetry podcast" consisting of three poets whose work was recorded for listening on the internet at the above site. John Rhodes, the sponsor, read first. His poetry is laced with Biblical references, though he is not a "religious" poet in any conventional sense. The second reader (Monique) writes in a very different vein. She is active in a women's poetry collective known as Tara's Tongue and writes what I would describe as slightly "in your face" poetry, somewhat like that of the hippies whose work was full of fire and social protest. I was the third reader. Each of us read for about 12 minutes.
Initially, I felt that my poetry would be very much in contrast to that of the others, in view of my deep spiritual bent. Yet, after we finished, John described an unusual mystical experience which had occurred to him when he was still a child. And Monique stated that she was quite familiar with kundalini, having spent several years in India with Muktananda at his ashram. She added that she was especially fond of the poems I had read about Mirabai, one of her favorites.
I was surprised and pleased at both responses. Oftentimes, when one reads mystical poetry, the listener is at sea to place it in context. And, as most of us know, when you speak of kundalini, all too often the hearer looks confused and then asks the almost unanswerable question, "What is kundalini?"
I was delighted to discover this unexpected connection with both poets, neither of whom I had known before.
I had intended to read more poems which followed "Marrow of Flame," but somehow the time got away from me.
I applaud John Rhodes in his efforts to bring spoken poetry into the mainstream. As I commented on the podcast, poetry is meant to be read aloud and heard, not simply confined to the printed page.
