‘How do you do it?’ said night
‘How do you wake up and shine?’
‘I keep it simple,’ said light
‘One day at a time’
‘How do you grow?’ said night
‘How do you keep it in the day?’
‘To keep what I have,’ said light
‘I have to give it away’
Lemn Sissay
For the last ten years Lemn Sissay has written a poem each morning, a daily practice, sometimes it takes minutes, sometimes hours. A selection of these have now been gathered and published in ‘let the light pour in’, his series of Morning Poems’
A friend advised me to ‘Wake with enthusiasm to the dawning of each day’. I like that ‘cause when I write I feel like I am opening windows to let the light pour in. - Lemn Sissay
As a daily act in itself, the idea of writing each morning creates a wonderful rhythm and momentum to creativity. Perhaps some would view this as too tethered, or an impossible routine to maintain, but in committing to writing Lemn is slowly refining what he creates, a form of meditation to engage with the place and space that he physically, emotionally and psychologically finds himself in. This doesn't only allow him to recognise and acknowledge it, but attempt to capture it and refine it into something that others may be able to engage with in the hope that it may resonate with them.
For Lemn, there isn’t a defined goal or an ending, instead he regards it as ‘an experimentation in hope’. What a beautiful way to approach the act of creating something new, pouring yourself into something new, not knowing whether it will be fruitful, but trusting that in attempting alone, there is hope for the birth of something wonderful that did not previously exist.
Some of the poems might pass you by, they float in and drift past. Others however, will resonate in a way that you had forgotten that words could. They will invite you into a different space, ask something of you, reframe your mindset, or simply allow you to rest in the moment. It has me asking myself about my daily practice. There are plenty of things that I do deliberately and intentionally each day, such as making coffee, morning stretches and breathing, reading something nourishing, walking the kids to school through the fields and playing whatever games they have devised that day. But imagine how we might grow if we committed to creating something new each day. For me, perhaps that is making a photograph, and regardless of the results the act itself will encourage new thoughts on what and how I might make pictures.
If it were not imagined
It could not be made
Therefore imagination
Must not be afraid
Lemn Sissay
This article is taken from my October Mailout which also features some of my latest news and cultural highlights.
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