Poetry is the language of our time. It is a verbal excavation, digging us into and under that which is inarticulate, that which cannot be said but can be felt, that which cannot be stated but can be conjured. Poetry is a form of revolution. It arranges our thinking, our perception, our dialogue. It takes us out of the literal so that we can see what is real.” Eve Ensler
How do you open your heart, feed your soul, and challenge your mind in a matter of minutes? What can break up the concrete of our habitual perception and turn our trusty assumptions on their head?
A poem.
In this program we explore the relationship between the poetic form, language, and truth, and celebrate the power of poetry to subvert conventional assumptions and dogmas. I read some of the poems that are moving me right now, including:
Poetry by Pablo Neruda
King of the River by Stanley Kunitz
Split the Sack by Rumi (trans by Coleman Barks)
Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye
Annunciation by Marie Howe
Against Certainty by Jane Hirshfield
Meditation at Lagunitas by Robert Haas
