an opening

“The true philosopher and the true poet are one, and a beauty, which is truth, and a truth, which is beauty, is the aim of both.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 - 1882)

I do not in the least consider myself a Philosopher in the sense of being formally educated in Philosophy.  However, I am someone who loves to learn and who aspires to remain always open, embodying a spirit of inquiry.  In this sense I do consider myself constantly engaging in the practice of philosophy, of seeking knowledge and wisdom in all dimensions of life and in whatever form they manifest.

I also consider myself quite far from an expert poet or an expert in poetry.  My interest was sparked during my teens listening to creative R&B and rap lyrics ranging from simple serenades to powerful, politically charged prose, and from silly rhyming couplets to masterfully crafted flows.  I began to emulate what I heard and saw, never ever with the intent of writing lyrics, reciting or performing, but only as a means to express experiences of joy, sorrow and everything in between. 

I wrote simple rhyming couplets relatively regularly in the first year or so, eventually broadening my scope by incorporating metered stanzas and literary symbols.  College literature courses introduced me to some great poets and I ran several pens dry experimenting, and refining my own humble expressions.  Over the years writing has been sporadic; I experienced dry spells, sometimes one or two years of nothing, sometimes days spent dwelling on one poem, and on the extremely rare occasion, inspiration found me writing almost a poem a day! 

Around 2007 I began experimenting again by adding images and playing with visual presentation among other things.  I also took a huge leap by submitting a poem to commemorate an event and eventually reciting it before an audience, whence began a foray into collaborated and solo spoken word readings/ recitations and performances of original, co-created and existing literary expressions.  Although I continue to write, the past year or so has seen only one performance for a friend’s wedding, so I hope to find additional spaces to read or perform again!

I am truly grateful for the wellspring of creative inspiration over the years, and have come to deeply appreciate the entire ensuing process of refining, reworking, rewriting and recreating before something takes shape; very very rarely does a poem ever emerge ‘ready’.  Although I never consciously considered the aims of this process as seeking to understand truth or beauty, in essence this is exactly what it has been about, struggling with and seeking to make sense of my truth, my story and how it interweaves and resonates with the stories of others as well as with broader narratives across time and space.  Struggling with the limits of language(s) to attempt to convey, however clumsily, and to come to terms with experiences of awe-inspiring beauty and abhorrent ugliness.

This space will thus aspire to be poetic, narrative, hermeneutic – a portal into and through what lies within and beyond, the manifest and the hidden, the explicit and the implicit.  It opens by featuring a variety of recent poetic personal expressions, along with a small selection of past works revisited and reworked.  As inspiration flows and finds me I will continue to explore, attempt to make meaning, and share expressions, insights, ideas, thoughts, stories, etc.  Since meaning making is a shared process, I invite you also to share and respond…

with gratitude and blessings,

rahim