One of the good things to come out of the pandemic is the wealth of incredible programs available now on Zoom, Youtube, Facebook Live, and elsewhere. I’ve participated in a number of poetry readings, open mics, yoga classes, meetings with the fellow sopranos in my chorus, meetings (and even a virtual birthday party) with a group of women who are living through the pandemic alone, concerts, Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations, classes in Gaelic-language songs, and Revels sing-alongs, even though the only voices I could hear were mine and the host’s.
At a recent First Tuesday reading, both readers spoke so wonderfully about poetry that I wanted to share their words.
Duane Esposito said that to create poetry is “to follow words till life gets said. It takes a while. It takes a lifetime. “
Ralph Nazareth said that writing poetry was to pay attention although “it is a terrifying thing to pay attention. But it is necessary–to be alive.”