A message for you to let you know that I used your own recording here in my podcast this week. I think your voice came out grand despite some minor audio workings. It is the last poem of the show because of its special nature. Let me know what you think. Just know, I will read or add in any of your poems that you recite whenever you like, anytime. Sláinte
This is so powerful and beautiful Ramona, and your reading so raw and gut felt! The god who takes pleasure in smoke and carnage is probably the same whitemalegod that Christena Cleveland writes so potently about in God is a Black Woman (which I've just read).
Ramona I can’t help but see you as a kindred spirit. I love the subjects of politics getting oddly mired with spiritual life, intersection of colonial impact on the non-human world, and mother earth with her agency and volition.
And the poem, dear god, you were on fire. It was dark, layered, and necessary. Thank you for your evocative recitation.
I feel the same, my sister in spirit on the other side of the planet 🙏
Thank you so much, dear Swarnali, your comment means more than I can tell in words! It made me tear up a bit. I appreciate you so much. Connecting to people like you who understand what's on my mind is like a balm to the soul in these horrible times that can feel very isolating.
Yes! If we all wake up to sing our incantations of rebellion against violence and injustice into the night sky, maybe our sisters on the other side of the planet will wake up to our call. We are awakened wolves and they can’t separate our packs anymore because we have learned how to howl to the moon!
Bless your heart dear sister. So appreciate your presence and work! 🌔🕯️💜✨
Depicting so accurately the hypocritical soul of those who use religion to excuse despicable perfidy is bound to cause the ire of those who cannot or choose not to reason but rather to follow conditioned prejudice or preference or the very deeply destructive and insidious installation of doctrinal dogma.
I've written reams about the tragedy that has unfolded over many years and come to haunt the last 10 months and I feel and bleed for its victims but your poem says more and better than I ever have been able to express.
True poetry, in my view, leaving aside formality, (though not dispensing with it), emotes feeling of the poet and engenders feeling of the reader. What you've offered here is precisely that but more, because it deals with much more than beauty, taking the risk of reciting actuality and laying its perfidy bare.
Humbled to read this. Thank you so much for your comment, it means more than I can tell.
This wasn't an easy poem to write or read, and one that I probably wouldn't dare creating just a year ago. A lifetime of ableism and capitalism is very effective in suppressing one's expression, but the atrocities of our "civilisation" are equally effective in creating a tipping point where your eyes open and you can never unsee again. I'm glad I'm back to writing and for meeting so many others who aren't afraid to use their voice in this way.
This is very, very good. With your permission, I would like to read it to my podcast audience or, as I have done in the past, use your voice to read it. You do a much better job than my old voice. If you would like to have this added to a podcast episode of Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry within the next couple of weeks, I would ask that you send a audio file to todomhnaill@crann-na-beatha.com and I will splice it in with an introduction about yourself and what this poem stands for.
I have to wonder if some of this is about Itmar Ben-Gvr desecrating Al Aqsa Mosque yesterday. A couple of the stanzas made me think about the news video I watched.
Terrance, I'm humbled by your comment and as always, I'm very happy to give you the permission to include the poem in your podcast. Please, feel free to read it yourself, I have full faith that you will deliver it beautifully!
As for the inspiration, it wasn't specifically inspired by Ben-Gvir's shameful conduct from the other day as the poem was written before it, but he definitely played a role. His recent actions fit right in. I'd say this is a compound reflection on Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and others spewing their hate and delusionally conflating Judaism with Zionism.
A message for you to let you know that I used your own recording here in my podcast this week. I think your voice came out grand despite some minor audio workings. It is the last poem of the show because of its special nature. Let me know what you think. Just know, I will read or add in any of your poems that you recite whenever you like, anytime. Sláinte
This is so powerful and beautiful Ramona, and your reading so raw and gut felt! The god who takes pleasure in smoke and carnage is probably the same whitemalegod that Christena Cleveland writes so potently about in God is a Black Woman (which I've just read).
Ramona I can’t help but see you as a kindred spirit. I love the subjects of politics getting oddly mired with spiritual life, intersection of colonial impact on the non-human world, and mother earth with her agency and volition.
And the poem, dear god, you were on fire. It was dark, layered, and necessary. Thank you for your evocative recitation.
I feel the same, my sister in spirit on the other side of the planet 🙏
Thank you so much, dear Swarnali, your comment means more than I can tell in words! It made me tear up a bit. I appreciate you so much. Connecting to people like you who understand what's on my mind is like a balm to the soul in these horrible times that can feel very isolating.
Yes! If we all wake up to sing our incantations of rebellion against violence and injustice into the night sky, maybe our sisters on the other side of the planet will wake up to our call. We are awakened wolves and they can’t separate our packs anymore because we have learned how to howl to the moon!
Bless your heart dear sister. So appreciate your presence and work! 🌔🕯️💜✨
Depicting so accurately the hypocritical soul of those who use religion to excuse despicable perfidy is bound to cause the ire of those who cannot or choose not to reason but rather to follow conditioned prejudice or preference or the very deeply destructive and insidious installation of doctrinal dogma.
I've written reams about the tragedy that has unfolded over many years and come to haunt the last 10 months and I feel and bleed for its victims but your poem says more and better than I ever have been able to express.
True poetry, in my view, leaving aside formality, (though not dispensing with it), emotes feeling of the poet and engenders feeling of the reader. What you've offered here is precisely that but more, because it deals with much more than beauty, taking the risk of reciting actuality and laying its perfidy bare.
Thank you.
Take care. Stay safe. ☮️
Humbled to read this. Thank you so much for your comment, it means more than I can tell.
This wasn't an easy poem to write or read, and one that I probably wouldn't dare creating just a year ago. A lifetime of ableism and capitalism is very effective in suppressing one's expression, but the atrocities of our "civilisation" are equally effective in creating a tipping point where your eyes open and you can never unsee again. I'm glad I'm back to writing and for meeting so many others who aren't afraid to use their voice in this way.
You are truly remarkable. Fabulous poem....
Many thanks, Leon! I'm glad you liked the poem and grateful you restacked it.
Alive, despondent, and beckoning. Thank you for this.
Thank you so much, Dawn. It was a hard, almost sickening poem to write and read.
I understand that very much. ❤️🩹
This is very, very good. With your permission, I would like to read it to my podcast audience or, as I have done in the past, use your voice to read it. You do a much better job than my old voice. If you would like to have this added to a podcast episode of Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry within the next couple of weeks, I would ask that you send a audio file to todomhnaill@crann-na-beatha.com and I will splice it in with an introduction about yourself and what this poem stands for.
I have to wonder if some of this is about Itmar Ben-Gvr desecrating Al Aqsa Mosque yesterday. A couple of the stanzas made me think about the news video I watched.
Good on you. I respectively await your reply.
Terrance, I'm humbled by your comment and as always, I'm very happy to give you the permission to include the poem in your podcast. Please, feel free to read it yourself, I have full faith that you will deliver it beautifully!
As for the inspiration, it wasn't specifically inspired by Ben-Gvir's shameful conduct from the other day as the poem was written before it, but he definitely played a role. His recent actions fit right in. I'd say this is a compound reflection on Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and others spewing their hate and delusionally conflating Judaism with Zionism.
powerful 💔🕊
Thank you so much, Liam.