[OSList] And now, our new OSLIST Poet Laureate.... !

Sun Jun 9 17:44:24 PDT 2013

Ladies and gentlemen - I now present to you our new Poet Laureate of  
Open Space:

J o n a t h a n   C o e

CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS !!

Jonathan will now hold space for poetry on the OSLIST through the rest  
of the year.
And how enriched we will be !

This mens he will write, or invite, or feel, or however he wishes to  
hold space for poetry for our community and for Open Space.

And see who the other poets are - their work is amazing amazing. Do  
continue to gift us with your thoughts and words, everyone - all  
inspiration welcome.

Enjoy, and a deep bow to our new Poet Laureate...
Lisa

____

First, Jonathan's poem - one of his two contributions to the contest.  
And then the other fabulous poems from our thoughtful creative  
colleagues. Happy reading and dreaming and imagining...

___

WOSONOS 2012

In Stoke Newington Town Hall I fell in love with nothing,
and it was no thing that I loved.

Alone, knowing no-one and nothing I walked the circle
I got present
I was connected.

Presence,
absence.									
The empty space of the opening circle.
Profoundly empty,
containing no thing

Through me
everything and no-thing, in me
the circle, in me
the space, in me
the people, in me
butterflies and bumblebees.  In me
body, in me
mind, in me
image, in me
thought, in me
feeling, in me
sensation, in me
nothing.

It started at the right time
The right people were the ones who came
The only thing that could have happened
Was what happened
It was over when it was over.

The bees were buzzing
The 'flies were flitting
The space was open.
The circle was squared.

-- Jonathan Coe (London, England)

_____

Loving My Blank Walls
28 February 2013, 12:58PM
Tacloban City

I love my blank walls

They are empty spaces
For treasures of my heart

They are my open spaces
Where I play and dance

There I draw
Dreams and visions

There I start anew
Awakening fresh each morning

There my mind wanders
Coloring my canvass with ideas

There I forget
And I remember

There I am
There I am not

-- Carmela Ariza (Manila, the Philippines) 

____________

This poem are words I put together from the participants in the Open  
Space on Future of Learning here in Manila in 2011. As I listened to  
the participants I wrote down all the beautiful words and phrases  
uttered and organized them into this (see below). These were words/ 
phrases from about half of the participants as I was seated somewhere  
in the middle (of the circumference) of the circle in the closing  
ceremony. I listened to each one, wrote down, and when It was my turn  
to speak, I read this piece.

Open Spaces in My Heart
participants’ beautiful insights woven into one poem by Carmela Ariza
at the OST conference on Learning for the Future closing
SEAMEO Innotech, Manila, March 2012

Help us to just be
Not controlling

Help us share what we learned
To listen to everyone since we are all brilliant and wise

Fill us with hope
So that we may be the rockets and stars in open space

As we sit at the edge of the lake, keep us still and peaceful
So that we can marvel at the beauty of open spaces

Thank you for the gift of the moment
To slow down, because to be slow also means to be fast

Lead us to walk towards
what is life giving

We were initially hesitant
But we have learned to open ourselves to others

We have found the open space
in our silence within

 From living in tight spaces
We now know how to live in open spaces

We thank the sacred source
For the space of humility and listening from the heart
For our nature is to be free

Within this happy sacred circle
Help us bring healing to others

Make our circle continuously open
So that our learning will never stop

Thank you that we have regained our lost passion
And turned our cynicism into idealism

Beyond this meeting
Use our passions to shape a better future

May this be just a beginning of more open spaces
New choices, which are the key to freedom

Keep us curious
Help us sustain the convergence

Instill in us a sense of urgency
To embrace and own the direction towards what is right and good.

-- Carmela Ariza (Manila, the Philippines)

_____

space,

opening

unfolding

wondrous

-- Kerry Napuk (Edinburgh, Scotland)

_____

This piece I wrote as the team of OS facilitators were designing for  
many days the Sumatran Rhino Crisis Summit. I was reflecting on the  
issue and I just thought about these....

Saving the Rhinos and Me
by: Carmela Ariza
4 March 2013, 11:52AM

Can we really save the rhino?
Or are we here to save ourselves?

Are we talking about the rhino?
Or are we talking about me and you?

Should we talk about them?
Or should be talk about us?

It’s hard when we have to look out there
When the answers are all in here

Is it the Rhino who’s running out of time?
Or it is us who are chasing the past?

Tomorrow seems to be now
And today seems to have gone by

We’ve all come from places near or far
Does your presence have a reason and a rhyme

How can we make our conversations
Mean more than what we came here for

Perhaps we all want answers
The question is: what is the question?

How can we find what’s good for the rhino?
If we can’t find what’s good for ourselves

Let’s try to listen more
To the calling that’s within

Let’s try to open up the spaces
For the wisdom we all have to share!

-- Carmela Ariza (Manila, the Philippines)

_____

Space Open Circle

from Open Space Technology - A Users Guide by Harrison Owen
Note: This poem is in the 'found poetry' form. I have made selections  
from the original text and decided how to shape and punctuate it.
I have removed all the other words from the book - but none from the  
selected phrases.

The circle is the fundamental geometry
of human communication.

A circle has no head or feet,
no high or low
no sides to take;
in a circle people can simply be
with each other,
face to face.

The geometry of the circle
and the rhythm of breath.

Show Up
Be Present
Tell The Truth
Let It All Go.

Do nothing and remain
invisible.

Be prepared
to be
surprised.

Who ever heard of a square of friends?

-- Jonathan Coe (London, England)

_____

This was what I wrote during the Rhino Summit - I started writing  
there and finished it after. It is a very short one...

Spaces Made Holy for the Rhino

I sit on holy ground
As people open spaces
To try to save the rhino
there are spaces
Between us
Above us
Inside us
To voice
To listen
To Respect
And to suspend
We are holding the space
For a flow of meaning
That will be shared by all
Even for difficult moments
We seek to keep the space open
Today, I stand firmly on holy ground

-- Carmela Ariza (Manila, the Philippines)

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