Poartry

The theory of poetry is the theory of life... Wallace Stevens

Ever since I came to the shores of Ireland I have lived with the exploited and abused world of Christianity, not knowing where I stood in Catholicism or Protestantism. I always felt outside the realms of spiritualism although I find inner peace in my art. Poetry and painting hold the essence of enlightenment for me so lets call mine poatry. On my trek through life I have found my own sense of inner peace reading poetry by Raymond carver, and others like him ’ where water comes together with other water’ for me is a very spiritual experience and in the reading of that book I became the river in harmony with nature. I was sitting there beside that river meandering through life, twisting and turning through the rapids and along the calm stretches.

 

Though they are the words of Raymond carver, (funi) as the buddists call it oneness. I feel the same when I read Mary Olivers poetry or Sharon Olds, Chezslaw Milosz or Robert Lowell or look at a beautiful piece of art by Van gogh, Hopper or a piece that stirs my emotion. Robert Lowell said, ‘language is the imperfection of art’ we must use our craft to create something beautiful. I have lived in northern Ireland since I was a young boy, I have always wanted to put my elegance somewhere it was sore on my arse sitting there on that fence tooing and froing but it took that time of confusion for things to settle in my mind. i All this could have been over a lot sooner. Christianity always came across very negative to me and I think in this world of negativity we have to be very careful that we don’t get corrupted by consumerism. I think the young people have lost respect because they are drowning in consumerism and there is no one left to help them.

 

It's about time we wised up and stopped this disrespectful dog eat dog society we live in its about time the government done something. I believe in most of what the Buddhist has to say at least it’s a very positive. I don’t believe in their reincarnation or my belief in someone from the twelfth century that formed the form of Buddhism that I will chant the tao is my man. Im sorry but my poetry and the poetry I read will be chanted like a mantra that finds my centre. This is the way I have found to say my thing and be accepted in this world. I believe everyone has got a story wether their directing a film by someone else it’s their slant they are bringing to the screen. There’s a little piece of them in everything they do just like there’s a little piece of you in everything you do. I want my poems to be like an everyday item say a tea bag, this is my tea bag and I hope some day you’ll lift it and read it and take my experience of that poem with you. while your making that cup of tea remember we are the same kind of people . what are the sayings love like you mean it, dance as if no one is watching i could go on but you get the gist. i dare you to tell them you love them, do something to let them know you love them. the beauty in life is we dont have the answers and we dont know what tomorrow brings so make the most of the moment. as jarvis cocker sings go on and give to her the next click of your fingers could be your last so live like you mean it. go on and give it to her it might just last forever you know its now or never the birds in your garden are all singing your song.as i said before i dont have any answers to life i am searching like you. i think the only ones with answers are those who have kicked the bucket passed away to the otherside however you want to say it. i woke from this terrible ordeal (the stroke) with my friends and family around me i was lucky. get in touch with them now not tomorrrow we dont know what will happen in the next half an hour. poetry and painting is like that in fact all forms of art is like that an expression of our feelings.

 

We're living in such a volitile ,fragile state of consumerism,binge drinking etc its like being an extra in the hollywood movie. everything is based on image,’does your bum look big in this’. i just think today we have to be so careful we dont slip into the gutter. while writing this im looking at a mandala a representation of my soul. like a flower in bloom,a circle within a circle within a circle. i had it done in portadown in the shop, ‘good karma’. imagine theres a spiritual shop in potadown called good karma. weve come a long way from the bleak negativity of the past. i dont think we can go back to the tit-for-tat killings, waking in that negativity everyday. weve had a few years of peace in this country, lets not slip back into that past. the beautiful thing about yesterday was the girl who done the representation of my soul never once asked me what religion I was. catholic, prodestant, buddist or other thats the way it should be. i dont know where i sit when it comes to religion i think im spiritual like the circle within circle within circle i am touching those out there that i think are positive to my life and getting rid of the negativity.

 

I have lived in northern ireland through the troubles ive seen a lot of negativity especially the way religion has been twisted and turned to suit one side or the other. in the name of god this country and the world has been abused like a wound on the skin of society lets heal this wound. its hard to change things ‘do you know that this world has never seen one days peace. war and conflict is part of us wether we like it or not ,but lets make a tiny u- turn and if we can all think we can change it then we will lets stop this negative view that you cant do this, you can do anything you want you just have to be positive and tell yourself yes you can do whatever you want at least think that way. i love that line by the late great sogwriter ,townes van zant, ‘id like to lean into the wind and tell myself im free’. so lets at least tell ourselves were free.