This is an erasure on the theme of ‘Refuge’ – NPD theme, 2023 – where I removed all the lines from Samuel Beckett’s 1969 story Lessness (though being precise, his later English translation from the French original Sans), apart from those referencing ‘true refuge’ and the occasional ‘light refuge’. It shifts the hypnotic focus closer into this as an exploration:

I wrote about my introduction to this story – and its impact – in the following link. I also include the whole story if you want to read: https://gravyfromthegazebo.blog/2017/02/18/lessness-samuel-beckett/

My final generative TextArt exploration on the theme of ‘Refuge’.

More from researching the theme of ‘Refuge’, this is the first from The Three Refuges Buddist chant, and here is a translation,

I go to the Buddha for Refuge.
I go to the Dhamma for Refuge.
I go to the Sangha for Refuge.

I am only being brief to prevent straying from my limited knowledge! I like its variation on my previous generation from thematic TextArt poetry, and – as ever – I like the patterns produced.

I like a routine/pattern to pursue… Continuing on the theme of Refuge (and using lyrics), this is from Gimme Shelter.

The lyric’s narrative doesn’t have the same ‘sensitivity’ as my previous from Across the Borderline – I think it is more sensationalist than emotive – but it was interesting to have that link with the word ‘just’ and further sense of fragility and jeopardy,

‘War, children
It’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away
War, children
It’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away’

I’m continuing to explore the Regfuge theme and was listening to that great song Across the Border (James Luther Dickinson / John Robert Hiatt / Ryland Peter Cooder) which is of course about escape and seeking refuge,

‘Up and down the Rio Grande
A thousand footprints in the sand
Reveal a secret no one can define
The river flows on like a breath
In between our life and death
Tell me who’s the next to cross the borderline’

but the telling word is ‘just’ from the final verse which emphasises the tenuous security that’s offered, as well as the illusion of escape and freedom,

I’ve always supported National Poetry Day, mainly as a teacher encouraging my students to write but also sharing resources for other teachers to use in their classrooms. My involvement in this began quite ‘successfully’ – Teachit taking and also sharing these; a sense that other teachers found them useful – but over the years this has lessened.

There’s much more I could say, but I’ve done so many times on this blog and elsewhere, and especially in promoting the resources produced over the years. So I won’t repeat. I haven’t presented any new resources for this year, apart from a reference to Teachit highlighting one of my previous as relevant to this year’s theme of ‘Refuge’, and a general promotion of using list poems as useful and effective ways to encourage students to write on any given theme.

My one steadfast suggestion has always been to encourage students to write; stimulate and support them to write. Too many ideas I have encountered over the years ask students to read and analyse poems. They should be writing poems.

A final comment: I’ve always been aware of the squeeze on the English curriculum which doesn’t encourage teachers to try and find the time for creative writing, ever. For me, National Poetry Day was/is at least one event that might provide a moment to insist.

No, this is the final comment: there is the occasional carping or precious observation from others (poets/writers) that poetry is for every day, and so on, and not needing this national singular focus. Yes, carping and precious. And silly. I’d still encourage poeple to grab the moment, no matter how it is promoted and useful.

The following is one generative TextArt poem I have produced on the theme of Refuge. I have a few others… The idea is to take a line – in this case a ‘literary’ line – that contains the word refuge (or a synonym would be fine/great) and play around with this.

I will share one or two more next Thursday.

(The line is by John Ashbery from ‘Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror’)

~

More from my generative TextArt sequence based on ‘literary’ lines/phrases. I may have a separate set using only two words from such lines, but pairs that speak for themselves…

I am most grateful for the empathetic reading and thoughtful review from Rupert Loydell of my collection Dark and Tender Principles. Thanks also to Tears in the Fence for posting this on their blog.

You can read here: https://tearsinthefence.com/2023/09/21/dark-and-tender-principles-by-mike-ferguson-gazebo-crazy-press/

(images by artist and photographer Nick Dormand)