Poetry Celebration and Contest reminder

[Jeff Aitken]

Hello... One week left in the contest. Send in your dots! Meanwhile, the
celebration continues.

CELEBRATION
Here are twelve poems written by OS practitioners. Enjoy! Thanks to all who
contributed!

CONTEST
The contest is based on the "convergence" model. Each member of the OSLIST
has 5 "virtual sticky dot" votes which you may distribute among the poems
as you wish. Please DO NOT REPLY TO OSLIST WITH YOUR VOTES - be SURE that
you are emailing only to Jeff Aitken <ja at svn.net> -- try clicking on
mailto:JA at SVN.NET The poems are numbered; you can simply send me the poem
number(s) and votes. I will accept votes until 10 pm PDT on Monday, April
30.

Thanks to Ralph Copleman, our original poet laureate, for introducing this
edition.

Aitken originally envisioned
deep blue space would open
and ripple out
rhymes, rhythms and songs
for us to wade around in


Here are two poems from the outgoing poet laureate, not for the contest.

For Harrison

A friend took me
on this journey

The leap is deep
but not so wide

we always reach
the other side


As Usual

This crucible of
gathered beings
heats and cracks
the silent shell
around me.
I stand among
the shards
naked, deeply
breathing.

__________

1.

assembly.

    alert...

and...

...airborne...

      agenda
      anecdotes
      autonomy
      agility
      acceleration
      abandonment

afterwards:

      aglow
      aware
      animated
      accomplished

all agreed:

      another
      amazing
      adventure.





      aha.


2.

An astonishing thing keeps happening:
polished practice, endless rehearsals lead to
hushed reflection, sudden activity --
and always,
the appearance of birds.


3.

At once he strode
into the circle,
grabbed all the paper
and glared with triumph.

Then smiling sheepishly
he replaced it.


4.

An Open Space:
Essence,
Simplicity,
Generosity,
Inclusion.
So...
Discover the heart,
Do one less thing,
Give it away,
Welcome the stranger...


5.

There once was a fellow named Owen
Who claimed he was not really all knowin'
He learned how to fire us
It spread like a virus
Now Open Space is comin' and goin'.


6.

anfang

am anfang war kein ende.
so ward entschieden
daß anfang auf anfang folge
immerdar
vorbei-ist-vorbei bedeutet darum:
gib raum neuem anfang


beginning

at the beginning
there was no end

eversince they decided
beginning forever

over-is-over tells us
it´s time for a further beginning


7.

A seed in the dirt,
An empty sky,
A flying, crying eye.

Words fall through me
Like swords through wind;

Goodbye.


8.

Agenda Unknown

Tension between fear and longing
broken by one voice in the bare room:
first step on the journey,
chaos into light.


9.

A list, only a list?
Of Angels opening space
in a community of
appreciation
that exists in our minds?
That's  Good!

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