Poetry newsletter August 2024
Since my last newsletter in 2022, I’ve journeyed from
the depths of sadness for delusional love that never was! This trip help me
learn—by observing and categorizing misguided hate—the actions from people that
look down on you--from where ever I am, not them.
As a noun, Hate is a manifestation of people’s actions
and thoughts. As a verb, Hate is action.
Another manifestation is our writing.
I’m on a Love Conquers All path to create an
infrastructure that includes The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show and
time to write.
The Main hub of my writing work is my poetry website--
workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com. The latest is a celebration of my Mom’s 100th birthday
which I finished writing for her Feb. 18 birthday, two days later at
Art-in-the-Basin. I posted “Happy 100th Birthday, Mom (Dedicated to Halin Pryves
Leighton)” on Sunday because of Kamala Harris. (She had some
healing energy on this journey, classifying deliberately mean behavior as “weird,”
but not in a creative sense manifested by artists. The poem salutes some of my
ancestry including roots from India…. The last verse blew my mind--it was
about my cats and not having children.
Also here at workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com is a link
to my first interview for the Leighton Inclusion. The third entry is with Tina
Jackson, a former neighbor from the Bronx. Over the past ten years we’ve egged
each other away from abuse. She released her first novel, "Love Don't
Hit," and has been promoting herself in ways I need to learn! Now she’s
working on a poetry book.
I’m creating poetry workshops inspired by Emily
Dickinson—to understand the difference between kindness and cruelty. Tina will
join me in some big workshops, and talk about getting out of abusive
situations.
We like the idea of connecting with people that live
love as opposed to those that are mean. Here's a link from a show one of
my artists, Val Kinzler created as a series of “We the She” concerts in New
York City.
Val had me write a poem, “We The She.” That segment
starts about 39 minutes in; the poem tells my story of shaming a
friend after an unsuccessful hookup with a rock star I was in love with back
then. She gave him hell for not interacting with fans, and back then I told her
she shouldn’t have stood up to the guy like that, 'cause I wanted him to like
me next time we met if we ever talk…. Like he's gonna actually remember me!
I could’ve lost a friendship with someone that went to
bat for me as opposed to someone that didn't like me.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NPv0c4GPss&t=2605s
Words are important, and we need to understand them
for what they are. There’s so much about “Inclusion” being a negative word
lately. "Inclusion" means
"Everyone needs a lift, and someone thinks you're worth it. It's belonging
with people that care about you.
Send the elevator down!
Let me make one thing perfectly clear. AnneLeightonInclusion is who I am. It’s become as
much of my brand as my exuberant poetry book, "The Anne Leighton
Explosion."
I Need Your Help For My New Poem—in progress. In fact, let’s call it, “In Progress”!!!!!
I fight City Hall and
want to see change. Whether it does or doesn't, I have to be the change I want
to see, because that's what I want in the world. That kind of recovery helps me
slow down to observe, and recognize “mean” and kindness.
Just because I’m a
writer, that doesn't mean I'm diplomatic. I've been blunt and
humorous-in-an-outspoken way to every one of them.
Give me some advice
on diplomacy and I’ll work on it and turn it into a poem.
One more link: If you have access to Facebook, please
listen to my Art-in-the-Basin reading. Most of the poems were written after The
Leighton Explosion, so I'm still at it. There's also a reading of the poem
about my Mom on her 100th Birthday.
www.facebook.com/artinthebasin/videos/931976168342958
Thank you for reading and checking out my work. I love
encouragement like that. Hoping you have a cool summer!
