<p dir="ltr">Thanks Lucas.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As many of you know, that quick brown fox was born years ago in another context. (My fingers will never forget.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">When tasked to honor every letter of my alphabet in a short poem of open space, I thought of one more thing not to do, and this came out.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As OST turns thirty, I'm grateful for its foxy powers to support the love in our hearts and all kinds of being. Thanks to our other two poets for your beautiful poems.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jeff<br>
North of San Francisco, California</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Dec 6, 2015 1:30 PM, "Lucas Cioffi" <<a href="mailto:lucas@qiqochat.com">lucas@qiqochat.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Thank you to all who shared a poem with the list. All three poems received votes, however Poem #1 (below) earned the most.</div><div></div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, I am excited to announce our new Poet Laureate: Jeff Aitken!</div><div><br></div><div><div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Lucas Cioffi</span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Outgoing OSLIST <span>Poet</span> <span>Laureate</span></span></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><div>Charlottesville, VA, USA</div><span style="font-size:12.8px">- with a deep bow to my fellow <span>Poet</span> <span>Laureates, past, present, and future</span></span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><br><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:small">==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== </span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px">A little history, from Chris Corrigan:</span><br style="font-size:12.8px"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex"><span style="font-size:12.8px">“For all those who might be curious, the OSLIST Biannual Restricted Form <span>Poetry</span> Contest started in the spring of 2000 when I issued the challenge to the list. Ralph Copleman actually began the whole thing with a contest in the fall of 1999 (which I won) and so he is the “<span>Poetry</span> King” for all time. I just claimed the “<span>Poet</span> <span>Laureate</span>” title in an effort to have some fun. It was something of a one martini idea, and I was out of gin at the time...”</span></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Note: Members of the OSLIST select a new Poet Laureate every 6 months. </div><div><br></div></div></div><div><div class="gmail_quote">==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== </div><div class="gmail_quote"><br><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="4"><b>Poem #1</b></font><br></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div>Open space </div><div>is a </div><div>quick </div><div>brown </div><div>fox</div><div>jumping over that</div><div>lazy dog </div><div>Control.</div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><br><font size="4"><b>Poem #2</b></font></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><b><font size="4">I</font></b> feel deeply touched </div><div><br></div><div><b><font size="4">A</font></b>bout everything that is happening </div><div><b><font size="4">M</font></b>y deepest feelings goes to the family of the deceased</div><div><br></div><div><b><font size="4">P</font></b>rinciples like love, peace, respect…are they lost?</div><div><b><font size="4">A</font></b>lways seemed right to love and respect every soul , every living being!</div><div><b><font size="4">R</font></b>ises my inner voice against all kind of hate and evil</div><div><b><font size="4">I</font></b>s this the world we want to build?</div><div><b><font size="4">S</font></b>ay no to hate, say no to fear, say yes to love, and please respect all kinds of being!</div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><br><font size="4"><b>Poem #3</b></font><br></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div>Someone may say, ‘What can one person do?, when others are so evil?’</div><div>One person can step forward.</div><div>Just as in Open Space.</div><div>Speaking to passion and responsibility.</div><div>We’ve seen it happen.</div><div><br></div><div>In Open Space, we have learned to notice the differences.</div><div>The one person.</div><div>The diversity.</div><div><br></div><div>One person can step forward.</div><div>Name a topic.</div><div>Submit a poem.</div><div>Hold a session with just themselves attending it.</div><div><br></div><div>In Open Space, we welcome that.</div><div>We invite it.</div><div>Even one person stepping forward</div><div>stepping into their passion and responsibility</div><div>can shift an organization. A community. A way of thinking.</div><div><br></div><div>Someone said, 'Only one person on this list submitted a poem.'</div><div><br></div><div>One person.</div><div>Stepping forward.</div><div>Speaking to passion and responsibility.</div><div><br></div><div>What can one person do?</div><div>Step forward into the silence.</div><div>Breathe.</div><div>Open up her arms.</div><div>Invite difference.</div><div>Embody the simple fact that</div><div>each person matters.</div><div><br></div><div>One person can do the most loving thing it is in her heart to do.</div></blockquote>
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