The World of We

Written as a poem of appreciate for Fabian who continues to review my work like an absolute gentleman; it is such an honour to continue to enjoy your support, guidance and wit!

You reminded me, 

it's not an I, tis a we 

Poetry is not the simple act

of speaking inward It is outbound

Outgoing 

             * Oh my face 

               frozen in suspension 

               as I came to the realisation

               that you're trying to show me

               your hopes and dreams

               and what it means 

               to be accepted into this

Society of soul searchers, truth seekers, 

wise word beavers Busy building 

Dam 

The dunce that I am 

I was only in the mirror 

Not quite cognisant of the fact that

this rich web of cosmic significance

had accumulated behind the gleam 

of my laptop screen 

If you put pen to paper, gather round

compadre, soldier... for we're all in 

the trenches together Though the 

solitude is felt most deeply Definitely

it is an illusion For I am living your 

aching and bleeding; you are giving

me back my sanity, humanity, by

sharing your warmth, hope, tragedy 

You don't inhabit your world,

you never did, you inhabit the World of We 

Reviews

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Fabian is a very wise soul that is for sure. But you are accumulating wisdom yourself especially in recognizing that, "you inhabit the world of we." One can not be wise without at first being young. I have always felt that a young voice is just as vital in knowledge as an old. As we are seeing in these difficult times wiser vioces are those of younger minds who want a better world and are speaking for it. Who are tired of the old hateful ways. I admire those who yearn for a better humanity. Not a failed one. Keep writing your truth and speaking your voice in the art you create.

[C Peril]

Carlos, thank you 1st for reading my work, 2nd for the kind words and motivation to keep on writing. You're 100% right - since we're embedded within a social fabric that has the ability to make a vast difference to the lives we live, we all have that obligation to make that social structure a little bit kinder, more humane. We do that on a base level through our everyday interactions. Always worth keeping in mind that the small gestures we make towards one another might have a profound impact on someone else's life. Hope you're well in these crazy times.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Thank you. I'm so touched by this tribute. We have to support each other and sharpen one another's skills through inspiration, conversation and dedication to our craft. We need good sounding boards and readers to leave constructive reviews. An ounce of encouragement is worth a pound of criticism. I remember reading a line from Richard Kostelanetz in which he advised, "Don't be an instant enemy", It seems an obvious choice but as we get further along in technological advancements and spin off comments and tweets and posts on social media, it really comes out of the fog as an astute bit of advice. Kipling told us not to lose "the common touch" our humanity; our empathy, or the fact that we belong to the "we". We're all in this together in the broadest sense of that application, Thanks for being a friend and fellow poet who understands. F.