Publication Date: May, 2020
Location: As Above, So Below, Issue 5, online here or downloadable below..
Genesis: Every time one of my poems is published, released out into the world from the confines of my notebook, it’s an exciting moment. This one is especially wonderful, though, for a number of reasons.
The most obvious is the fact that this is the poem that inspired me to create this entire website in the first place! It’s almost my signature poem. And it’s felt a little odd at times. The website is inspired by a poem. However, only published poems are allowed on this site and, since the poem that inspired the site had not been published, it was not on the site. Until now.
Then there’s the way in which publication came about. I attended a virtual poetry salon in mid-May, run by the Ledbury Poetry Festival, at which Jacqueline Saphra was the guest poet. She read some of her work, talking about her poetry, ran a Q&A session, and read some more. We then took a short break, after which was Open Mic time, and I read this poem in one of the last slots of the evening. It later transpired that one of the poets who had read earlier, Bethany Rivers, edits As Above, So Below, the online poetry magazine, and she contacted me and asked if she could include The Shamanic Poet in an upcoming issue. Two days later, Issue 5 went live and, as you’ll see when you read it, I find myself in some amazing company there.
Every word is steeped in mystery. Every line emerges from the crack Between the Worlds. Every stanza bears the blessings of Spirit, And every verse is layered in meaning. Come closer, for there is more to tell! The ink shapeshifts onto the page, From the confines of cartridge To carve wisdom onto the bark of the world, Conjuring memories from the paper Of the forest, of which once it was a part, And from which it has never truly left. The Poet writes from Dream, from Innocence; Not merely a passive channel, But as a mischievous herald, A passionate creator, A bridge between the Worlds, Seeking a higher Truth.
In July of 2020, this poem also appeared in Poetcrit, a publication out of India. It’s on page 120…