Guest guest Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Here is a poem from Ivan Granger himself-with permission--- On Mon, 13/10/08, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] Ivan M. Granger - Holy GroundalanadamsjacobsDate: Monday, 13 October, 2008, 4:12 PM Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Holy Ground By Ivan M. Granger(1969 - ) Let the visionof the vastnessyou areleave youin gloriousruins.Pilgrims will cometo imaginethe grand templethat once stood,not realizingthe wreckmade this empty plainholy ground. / Photo by Mendhak / ============ Thought for the Day: Blessings workboth ways. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Wimshurst's Machine The Alchemist Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -It's been several months since I last featured one of my own poems. So I thought I'd slip one in today.Rather that bury this brief poem with lots of commentary, I thought I'd plant a few questions instead:- Who or what is really left in ruins?- Why are those ruins "glorious"?- Why an "empty plain"? What is it that is empty?- Most importantly, why is it that the ruins, the "wreck," make this holy ground, rather than some "grand temple"?Don't spend too much time trying to answer these questions intellectually. Just let the questions simmer, and see what sort of answers naturally bubble up to the surface.We had a rainy, overcast weekend here in Colorado. Time to wrap yourself in a warm sweater, hold cold hands around a hot cup of tea, and enjoy some melancholy musings...---A bit about the author (yours truly)...Ivan M. Granger grew up in Oregon and Southern California. He has also lived on the island of Maui. He now lives in Colorado with his wife, Michele.When asked why he writes poetry, Ivan says, "Poetry has an immediate effect on the mind. The simple act of reading poetry alters thought patterns and the shuttle of the breath. Poetry induces trance. Its words are chant. Its rhythms are drum beats. Its images become the icons of the inner eye. Poetry is more than a description of the sacred experience; it carries the experience itself."He adds, "My poetry is not fixed. When I read my own poems, I say them aloud, I repeat random lines, change the words around. Sometimes I sing them or chant them. I play with these poems until my mind relaxes enough to let the sacred spark shine forth." If you're interested in my thoughts on sacred poetry, how I ended up on this path, or if you're just curious what my voice sounds like, you may want to listen to an interview I did with the Ecstatic Art & Theater Project.Ecstatic Art & Theater ProjectAudio Interview (20 min).Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Stork Migrations and Reading a Poem - Comments (2) I just returned from a walk along the shore of a nearby lake. Eight majestic white wood storks were drifting along the surface, then, at some mutually agreed upon signal, they took off one after the other, reaching out for full wingspan, and rising up in an ascending, orderly line to the sky. Watching them, I thought, “Reading a poem is like this.†More - More - More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Video Channel www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 What beautiful poem from Ivan Granger. Thank you for sharing the Holy Ground. We are on Holy Ground. We are the Holy Ground. Love, Harsha On Behalf Of Alan Jacobs Monday, October 13, 2008 11:15 AM Re: [Poetry Chaikhana] Ivan M. Granger - Holy Ground Here is a poem from Ivan Granger himself-with permission --- On Mon, 13/10/08, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Poetry Chaikhana <ivan [Poetry Chaikhana] Ivan M. Granger - Holy Ground alanadamsjacobs Monday, 13 October, 2008, 4:12 PM Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Holy Ground By Ivan M. Granger (1969 - ) Let the vision of the vastness you are leave you in glorious ruins. Pilgrims will come to imagine the grand temple that once stood, not realizing the wreck made this empty plain holy ground. / Photo by Mendhak / ============ Thought for the Day: Blessings work both ways. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Wimshurst's Machine The Alchemist Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan - It's been several months since I last featured one of my own poems. So I thought I'd slip one in today. Rather that bury this brief poem with lots of commentary, I thought I'd plant a few questions instead: - Who or what is really left in ruins? - Why are those ruins " glorious " ? - Why an " empty plain " ? What is it that is empty? - Most importantly, why is it that the ruins, the " wreck, " make this holy ground, rather than some " grand temple " ? Don't spend too much time trying to answer these questions intellectually. Just let the questions simmer, and see what sort of answers naturally bubble up to the surface. We had a rainy, overcast weekend here in Colorado. Time to wrap yourself in a warm sweater, hold cold hands around a hot cup of tea, and enjoy some melancholy musings... --- A bit about the author (yours truly)... Ivan M. Granger grew up in Oregon and Southern California. He has also lived on the island of Maui. He now lives in Colorado with his wife, Michele. When asked why he writes poetry, Ivan says, " Poetry has an immediate effect on the mind. The simple act of reading poetry alters thought patterns and the shuttle of the breath. Poetry induces trance. Its words are chant. Its rhythms are drum beats. Its images become the icons of the inner eye. Poetry is more than a description of the sacred experience; it carries the experience itself. " He adds, " My poetry is not fixed. When I read my own poems, I say them aloud, I repeat random lines, change the words around. Sometimes I sing them or chant them. I play with these poems until my mind relaxes enough to let the sacred spark shine forth. " If you're interested in my thoughts on sacred poetry, how I ended up on this path, or if you're just curious what my voice sounds like, you may want to listen to an interview I did with the Ecstatic Art & Theater Project. Ecstatic Art & Theater Project Audio Interview (20 min). Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana Blog In addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Stork Migrations and Reading a Poem - Comments (2) I just returned from a walk along the shore of a nearby lake. Eight majestic white wood storks were drifting along the surface, then, at some mutually agreed upon signal, they took off one after the other, reaching out for full wingspan, and rising up in an ascending, orderly line to the sky. Watching them, I thought, “Reading a poem is like this.†More - More - More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana Home New | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | Contact Poets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | Commentary Blog | Forum | Video Channel www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry Chaikhana P.O. Box 2320 Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger. All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to " Cancel " . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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