Hi Omss -
Do you wonder what my work with the Poetry Chaikhana looks like?
I normally start my morning off with a meditation, and then I see which poem seems eager to speak that day. I let my computer suggest a poem at random, and then I try to sense if the poem is "right" for the day. Some mornings I select the first poem that comes up. Other days I'll spend an hour sorting through possibilities. I try to make sure I have a good balance of spiritual traditions represented over the month. I also make a point of including women's voices regularly. Occasionally I look for a series of poems that follow a sacred theme or metaphor.
Once I've selected the daily poem, I often spend a little time researching the life of the poet so I can pass along a few notes with the poem.
Then I sit with the poem, contemplate it, speak it aloud, let it dance in my mind, and I watch the ideas rise for my commentary. Occasionally I slip back into meditation and when I emerge the commentary is just waiting to be written out.
Some mornings I feel I've said too much in recent commentaries, and I just send the poem with a short, friendly note. And sometimes I come across a poem with a comment I wrote a couple of year ago, and I think, "I have to share that with everyone again!"
Then I spend a while searching through photos among Flickr's "Creative Commons" library and look for one that somehow expresses an image or feeling from the poem.
I select a "Thought for the Day" from among the many I've written over the years, and I find a music CD.
Then I update the Poetry Chaikhana home page and post the poem and commentary to the Poetry Chaikhana blog. I spend a while adding new sign-ups and removing cancellations from the email list. Finally, I format everything and send out the poem email.
The Poetry Chaikhana poem email now goes out to nearly 7,000 people! It takes my computer 3 - 4 hours to send the poem email out each day.
I also spend time each month looking for new voices of wisdom in books and on the Internet. I try to add new poems and poets regularly. I've become quite a speedy typist!
Some weeks I also have to spend time maintaining and troubleshooting the Poetry Chaikhana database and website. Occasionally, I have to wrangle with spam-blocker sites to convince them that the Poetry Chaikhana emails are not spam.
I get dozens of emails each week, sometimes hundreds -- which I love! I read every email and, when I can, I send responses.
...And then I start my day job. Whew!
The Politics of Poetry
In addition to the spiritual importance of this sacred poetry, there is also a cultural, even a political motivation behind the Poetry Chaikhana. Here's how I described it in a interview a few years ago:
"Sacred poetry has the unique benefit of being a deeply personal expression of spiritual truth while, at the same time, being largely free from dogma. In the United States, for example, there is an increasing prejudice and fear about the Muslim world. But who can read Jelaluddin Rumi without immediately recognizing the deep truth that Islam can express? The same is true for a non-Hindu reading Lal Ded or a non-Christian reading St. John of the Cross. Sacred poetry is the natural goodwill ambassador for the world's religions. Poetry can reach across cultural divides, soften prejudices, and shed light on misunderstandings. I hope the Poetry Chaikhana can help to facilitate that process."
Sacred poetry is transformative on both a personal and a global level.
The Poetry Chaikhana has become a community that reaches across the globe. We have visitors from every continent and more than 220 countries and territories! (See Poetry Chaikhana Around the World.)
The Poetry Chaikhana is an important resource for people all over the world seeking to more deeply understand their own wisdom traditions as well as the spirituality of other cultures in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
/ Photo by woodleywonderworks /
Your Support as a Community
It is still a struggle to find a workable balance in time and money to bring you the Poetry Chaikhana on a regular basis. I support myself and my family by working part-time as a computer programmer. My computer work is flexible enough to allow me to spend a lot of time with the Poetry Chaikhana, but that also means it's flexible enough to allow me to earn very little income ;-)
To continue this work, the Poetry Chaikhana needs community support.
If you feel a connection to the Poetry Chaikhana, please consider making a donation.
(I want to be clear, though, that I am not asking you to contribute more than you can comfortably afford. Even a small amount -- from many people -- is immensely helpful. Many contributions from many people makes the Poetry Chaikhana a stronger community project, maintained by many helping hands.)
Ways you can contribute:
Poetry Chaikhana
PO Box 2320
Boulder, CO 80306
Many of you have been generous with your contributions to the Poetry Chaikhana in the past, through donations, through notes of thanks, through supportive thoughts and prayers. Every contribution, whether financial or energetic, is sincerely appreciated.
A warm thank you to everyone!
Ivan
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| Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! |  Click here | You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! | |
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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.
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