Thursday, March 3, 2011

One Sweet World

"Nine planets around the sun
only one does the sun embrace
upon this watered one
so much we take for granted
so let us sleep outside tonight
lay down in our mother's arms
for here we can rest safely"
-Dave Matthews

...Yet we are so very divided.

A little over a year ago, I started a group called The Global Poetry Project. The goal is extremely idealistic and I know it, but I was thinking one day that perhaps if more people saw that human beings all over the globe are experiencing many of the same things: love, loss, births, deaths, war, struggle, and happiness, just to list a few, maybe, just maybe, this understanding could bring some walls down.

The overall goal of The Global Poetry Project is to bridge gaps in cultural understanding through poetry. This is a space for people to post their own work and respond to poetry. I know that it's understood that people everywhere deal with the items that I listed earlier but the GPP offers a real connection to the people experiencing them. What I like about the particular format of the GPP is that it offers a two way street. When I read Billy Collins, I often find myself wanting to e-mail him and ask him a few questions about his work. The GPP provides a connection between poet and reader. Granted, Billy Collins is not currently contributing, but give it time...you never know.

This project has received its share of criticism as well. One blogger stated that projects like this, that offer the immediate gratification of publication, cause people to lose respect for the masters of the art of poetry. That isn't what the GPP is about. It's another way to communicate.

It's not perfect, but it is my vision, and it is something that I feel passionately about. If you're reading this, I urge you to take a look at what is happening on the GPP. Join the movement! Spread the word. Technology today has made the world a much smaller place...poetry has the ability to make it more intimate.