Untitled, Ludlow. 2014

Untitled, Ludlow. 2014

Notes on emergent questions and themes: journey; voice; shape-shifting

‘As for problems and their solutions, their number and the classes into which they fall should become clear if considered in this way:

  1. The poet is engaged in imitation, just like a painter or anyone else who produces visual images, and the object of his imagination must in every case be one of three things: either the kind of thing that was or is the case; or the kind of thing that is said or thought to be the case; or the kind of thing that ought to be the case.
  2. The diction in which these things are expressed includes non-standard words, metaphors and many modifications diction; these licences are allowed to poets.
  3. In addition, correctness is not the same thing in ethics and poetry, not in any other art and poetry. Error in poetry is of two kinds, one intrinsic, the other incidental. If someone has chosen to imitate accurately but failed to do so because of incompetence, the fault is intrinsic; but if he has chosen not to do so correctly… the error is in respect to the particular art… not in respect to the art itself.’

Aristotle, from Poetics

 

The poet’s

task is simple.

He looks for quiet

and speaks to what

he finds there.

But like Blake

in his engraving shop, works 

with the fierceness 

of acid on metal.

Melting away apparent 

surfaces and displaying

the infinite

which was hid.

In the early morning 

he listens

by the window,  

makes 

the first utterance

and tries to overhear

himself

say something

from which 

in that silence

it is impossible to retreat.

David Whyte, from The Poet

 

Inquiry Questions:

1. Poetry: poet as healer, shaman, sorcerer. How is this a form of knowing? And inquiry, and healing?

2. Shape-shifting: effective, real, ethical method; or oblique, esoteric, dream? What is it?

3. Grounding: can I ground, or bridge: the realities of the situations described?

4. Inquiry space: how do I effectively adopt, or use these spaces – develop practice – whilst staying fluid and intact?

5. How am I with all of this? Next steps?

Inquiry Themes:

Poetry: The poet fractures and reforms realities in an imaginal way. The poet uses uncommon word forms to understand, to re-know, re-imagine, the tangentially observed: ‘Melting away apparent / surfaces and displaying / the infinite / which was hid.’ (Whyte 2009; 49)

Shapeshifting: Oppression, bullying occurs, shows up, usually in very subtle ways at first: it is a psychological emotional pressure, the form is a wave-like one; an inverse, perverse, form of creativity; a negative, dark, kind of shapeshifting. The lighter, dreaming form might come into play to neutralise, to dream a way forward: ‘Choose when to identify with and when to misidentify with the trip. You must remember your whole self even when you are dreaming.’  (Mindel 1993)

Grounding: This may happen in three ways:

  1. the theoretical, literary: ‘Knowing the theory, and holding it lightly.’ (Seeley 2014; 24)
  2. the lived, artful adventure; wayfaring: ‘Following my bliss and my heartbreak‘ (Seeley 2014; 27)
  3. with humility: ‘those moments when you should not succumb to telling’  (Schein 2013; 110)

Inquiry space: into the uses of poetry to promote sensuous, healthy creativity; to counter the more toxic, oppressive, kind, which: confuses the creative activity (poiesis) with the product (poiema) of that activity – Into separation of the activity from the product. (Carse 1986; 63)

How (and who) am I with this?

The coda epigraphs, from Aristotle and David Whyte, suggest that inquiry with poetry is both possible, and may have been going on for some time.

In this space, since the transfer viva, I have started to find my way with my academic voice. This in itself has been a shapeshifting exercise; like wearing my suit. I bought my first Paul Smith suit back in 1994, to get my job on the Leviathan, when unemployed. I bought my second, and probably last, one just prior to the series of kangaroo courts for which it as to be worn. Therein I lost my voice: Beware any enterprise requiring new clothes (Mark Twain).

Twain might have said: ‘beware any enterprise requiring new voice.’ On my way out of the Leviathan I had to connect to my legal voice. Now, in my conflict with B, I find that I’m reconnecting, only too readily, with that voice again.

My academic voice has proven more elusive, but now I’m finding plenty to say. Not academically elegantly, but perhaps effectively enough. For now.

In conflict, lately, I have been glad, and felt empowered, to have my poetic voice, my reflective voice, my academic voice. And my legal voice. It has proven interesting and insightful (though not always easy) to flip between these voices…

Now to get my voices out there, via workshops, and publishing, and readings: To develop, and to use these voices appropriately; to track, and influence, via: Miasma and Sohbet; fiasco, and bliss; erasure and enchantment. With death as my advisor.

‘Perennial philosophies recommend that the best choice for explorers of wisdom at this point is humility. At any degree of accomplishment you are always a beginner.’  (Mindell 2004; 53).

Readings:

Carse J. P. Finite and infinite games: a vision of life as play and possibility. New York: Free Press, 1986.

Heath M. Aristotle: Poetics. London: Penguin, 1996.

Mead G. Coming home to story: storytelling beyond happily ever after. Bristol: Vala, 2011.

Mindell A. The quantum mind and healing: how to listen and respond to your body’s symptoms. Charlottesville: Hampton Roads, 2004.

Mindell A. Sitting in the fire: large group transformation using conflict and diversity. Portland, Oregon: Lao Tse Press, 1995.

Mindell A. The shamans body: a new shamanism for transforming health, relationships and the community. New York: Harper One, 1993.

Olivier R. Inspirational leadership: Henry V and the muse of fire. London: Articulate Press, 2007.

Schein E. Humble inquiry: the gentle art of asking instead of telling. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler, 2013.

Seeley C, Thornhill E. Artful Organisations Ashridge: Ashridge Business School, 2014.

Stanley P. Dark Incantations: meditations on Sohbet and miasma. 2014.

Whyte D. Fire in the earth. Langley, Washington: Many Rivers Press, 2009.