She was weak that way. Its what she thought she was. In the way she established priorities with the only logic of loyalty to feelings. In the way she was a renegade to constrictions of time and space impeding her faith. In the way she broke her walls before she remembered to redeem the coupons of reciprocity. In the way she honoured him with truth and her last sweated penny. In the way she crafted art around those eyes and mouth only. In the way she defied his struggles and trembled before his dreams, being there for both, as if they were hers. In the way she pampered the thought of him and felt amazing in his reality.

She was strong that way. Its what he thought she was. In the way he saw her hope even in the darkest spots with blind reasoning and acute sensitivity. In the way little disappointments were tricked with a caring thought or a self-knitted sock to keep his feet warm. In the way he could count on her choice to forget only to forgive moments cheating on serenity. In the way he couldnt see negative outcomes if he looked too long in her eyes. In the way he cared for her pride she gambled only to keep his word safe and maintain the level of trust. In the way he surrounded her with little things, for her moments of silver screen. In the way he knew, every time she was around, that he was wonderful.

She loved that way. Its what she took pride in the most.

(Picture credits: TomNeil-FiveWishes. Soar, soaring-words.com)

#soar, #soaringwords, #thatway, #lovetypes, #souldiary, #love, #hope.

I am very happy to announce that I will be part of the “TIME is Love Screening – International video art program, 11th Edition (February- December 2018) at galleries, institutions and festivals worldwide.”

This is great news, thank you so much to all those who supported me!

In faith and hope,

Soar Soaring-Words

*”TIME is Love Screening – International video art program – announces the official list of participants of the 11th Edition (2018) at galleries, institutions and festivals worldwide. Time is love screening is a video art cycle that travels to the largest cities in the world exploring the theme of love in difficult times of life. Love stripped of its traditional clichs and timeless idealism. These works address the complexity of human relations regardless of language, individual sensitivity or collective history. The programme proposes a reflection on revolutions, borders and customs in our modern society.”
www.timeisloveshow.org

#soar, #soaringwords, #poetry, #videopoetry, #internationalfestival2018, #screening, #timeislove, #2018.

An interview for the Slam Contemporary Poetry, Italy.
(https://wp.me/p67VL0-Mi)

1) You use different expressive languages such as music, video, writing and poetry. About music, for example, you say “When words are suspended between the past and the future, music is the paramount present”. What are the points of union or contrast among them? Don’t you risk losing your focus in one of them?

Poetry-in-Motion (by Soar) is a project very dear to my heart, meant to intertwine various forms of artistic manifests such as imagery, sound, animation, dance and motion pictures, all with the sole purpose of bringing poetry vividly closer to the audience in a present characterized by speed, variety, versatility and multi-tasking. Its purpose is not to change the essence of my poetical message, which recalls a vintage flair upon the seed of sensibility in an artistic shell, but rather to adapt the form in which such message is to be perceived and hopefully welcomed. I feel that the anchoring from past depths to modern needs is important and prolific.
There is no concrete balance or contrast between the artistic elements I use. They are meant to accompany, guide, succour and harmonize the poetical expression to the point of an intermingled form in unison in order to bring the audience its own personal experience, based on the synergy created with each of them and especially with the whole. While the beauty of it all is when the result is different every time, individually.

2) Can you explain to us what you mean when you say “Words are never enough to express emotions and feelings. Words are static, often in black, unattractive attire upon white thin pages, overloaded with hidden meanings”?

I personally believe that music reaches further than words, undoubtedly because of my hidden passion for music. I often lose myself in it and come back by means of poetry. Its a reversed ongoing process from the starting point to the goal: I search for my own musical shape with the help of words which, once construed within, become in return my essence, attired melodically and transmitted to the world. It is amazing to lose oneself in a form and to find oneself back again under another one; or even better, under a combination of both.
Like previously stated, I sometimes use other elements to help me, such as dance or photography, but essentially it is music and poetry which have had a decisive impact on my work and life.
As to the written form and this quote in particular, words are never enough to convey feelings or emotions. They need their addressees reactions or actions in order to come to life, fulfil their purpose and complete the circle. In that sense, it is the writers task to wrap them in such a way as to awaken individual experiences on both sides, whether lived, relived, or simply enlivened. Words alone are never enough, no matter how savvy they may appear to be.

3) In your Soul diary you deal with topic such as truth, sexuality, love, hope, freedom and elegance. These themes have been continuously addressed in the past. Why this choice?

It is not a choice, it is an as-is status. My literary approach unravels certain themes, keywords or symbols, which recur in my writings as part of my being and beliefs. I included eight keywords and four different forms of art in my upcoming book as short stories with an allegorical touch and a sense of positive teaching or outcome. I have been influenced by them all my life and wish to emphasize, remind of and fight for those forgotten values or little things of worth which can save us from hardships, doubts, dismay or the overwhelming status of our society, constantly refilled with cybernetically enhanced problematics.
Surely these topics have been dealt with in the past, but the point is maybe not to create something new every time, all the time, at the risk of losing ourselves in a void of newness; rather, to go back to the roots and envisage the most important things in life from a different perspective and, from there onwards, to hold on to that essence no matter what the future preserves, for that is the definition of our true selves.
Many readers who approach me to talk about my work dont necessarily confess to have been stimulated towards new adventures, but to have been reminded of the times when they used to be better, do better, love better and they miss that genuine approach to life situations, which sometimes is very simple and achievable if we have the right hope about it.

4) As regard to your poetry, I was impressed by a B. Iliescu’s consideration “You write in a feminine way without falling into feminism”. What’s your goal? What are your most recurring themes?

My main goal was stated many years ago in my article The Prostitution of Writing (2012) and surprisingly enough, despite the growth I have experienced over the years, it has remained the same. “In a world attuned to loneliness and individuality through ever-growing virtual networks and business-framed societies…its not the time to stay obsolete, neither to play confused in a myriad of anti-/neo-/post- trends with contradictory tendencies. Rather, its the time to bring out the best from within, with charm and originality….I will gladly wear colourful miniskirts upon white sheets of settings ensconcing the motion of my emotions, yet I wont prostitute my writing to fit in the stretch outfits of the given industry. A touch of life is more than enough purpose for me. Hopefully.”
As far as feminism is concerned, you can be a feminist, while still being feminine. There are many ways and tools to express a message and fight for a certain goal. Some use riots, strong words, placards or pink pussy hats as symbols. But one can also use different attitudes and approaches like sympathy, empathy, an encouraging language and positivity. I dont want to recall Mother Theresas lenience or Martin Luther Kings passive resistance against violence. Like any human, it is my duty to fight for fairness and, sometimes, being blunt and open is the quickest way to cure injustices. Yet, I feel that our current crusaders are so overwhelmed by bitterness and aggressiveness that adding another drop to a full bucket of harshness and negativity wont change much. Instead, maybe we could make a difference by really being different, despite the trends and the requests. I was often worried that my themes and messages were too soft or not in trend with the world, just to realize from my audience and from time itself that remaining true to ones own expression is a greater value than the one following the hypes. I have never written a poem about a political figure, but I have written many poems about sufferance, hypocrisy, fairness and any other emotions that the socio-political problematics entrench in our everyday life. Maybe my way of addressing such issues is slower and takes longer to grasp, but I am sure the outcome is still colourful and pleasant to reach by those who entrust me with my message.

5) What structure do you use more in your poetry? For example, can you comment on part of your poem “The undone”: Its done, the undone\ with a rebound of life \ where an unconditional soul \ clung between the doings of \ sometimes and hope \ for no other reason than \ the biggest love of all \. Who are your favourite poets?

I dont follow specific writers or trends, even though Sallinger and Prvert are still my favourites. I believe that becoming a writer is not about finding similarities, nor following the same trends, with different accessories. I often un-follow subscriptions and newsfeeds when I want to write about something. When I write I follow, read and am inspired by life, people and passion.
As for the structure, I have always run away from stereotypes and given rules. I think the best reply I can give here is one of my poems, which synthesises how I normally write and structure my pieces.

To make a poem right
all you need is distraction and water
to flow and entangle your thoughts
into drops of feelings
pouring out as if they never existed before
at full speed and intensity
reaching to some sort of confusional awareness
in the bewilderment of the moment
while water runs loose and keeps the noise constant
dragging you along while you try
to stop
something you want to go on
to take over the pre-set logic of the mind
running for the dress code of the metaphors
raw and virgin in your palms
it flows
before you have a chance to put down
or at least to remember
through key words and broken lines
that uniqueness to define
with unabashed focus and stillness of time
a poem, made out right.

6) Are you used to reading poetry at public readings. How important is the voice to poetry? What is the link between a book and an audio book?

I have only been performing poems/reading stories for about two years, so I am still very new to the stage. I always find it fascinating, scary and emotionally charged in a way that it is challenging because its different each time.
I come from a background of book writing and my stories and poems are meant to be intimate messages to be read without being disrupted by waiters, or without needing applause or acclaim.
Needless to say, the mind-set of a reader is different from that of a spectator. In my article The Prostitution of Writing, I tackled this subject and made a not-so-nice comparison between the two. Meanwhile, I grew wiser and more tolerant towards any form of expression, as long as the message is perceived and not taken as some sort of sheer entertaining service. An artist on stage should never have the feeling that he/she is subdued by the audiences whims or expectations. A piece can and should always be adapted to fit the audience, but it should never be transformed to the point of being deprived of the artists truthfulness.
When I started performing my own poems I was worried about such inevitable transformation, yet, now, after more than two years, I am more relieved about the fear of losing my essence in emptied glasses of strong spirits. Now I embrace the live performance as a powerful means and an outlet for all artists who want to be heard and understood at least by their presence, and I would recommend it as a personal experience, regardless of the lack or presence of acting skills.
The voice is also an important asset to the artistic manifest as it reflects ones conviction about the personalized message to emit. If you are not yourself convinced about it, you cannot reach the audience, no matter the given mic, speakers or presence on stage. Because of the nature of my poems/stories, a belligerent or ironic voice doesnt suit me. I dont think its about the strength of the voice or how controversial the subject is. You can perform something about butterflies if you know that you have been professional enough in your research and truthful to your beliefs about them. Many times, I am off topic at events, but at the same time, I have often altered my performance just before going on stage, according to the atmosphere created at the given time of my performance and the people attending the event. I believe its a matter of respect to be aware of the audience with whom you want to connect and interact through your piece and with your presence.

7) Your video poetry “Empire State of Love” (Poetry-in-Motion Project, 2014) synthesises your voice, your poetry and the images. Can you tell us the equilibrium you got, and, in general, what a video poetry is for you?

My Poetry-in-Motion Project was my next step towards my development as a writer and my choice to grow artistically using auxiliary forms of art. As I mentioned in my introduction, it is meant to bring hearts together on more waveforms or rhythms and make poetry more accessible in a demanding and sceptical world, when poetry would most likely be the last resort to solve things with, while still being the one to voice at best the inner side of ourselves, with all the tribulations, fears, courage, doubts and joy.
Empire State of Love was born from an old movie and a vision of the future, while gazing at the world from the emblematic Empire State Building, one of the highest points in New York. It is one of my signature pieces and it expresses the beauty of unconditional feelings, beyond time and space constraints and constructs. It also deals with hope and redemption, amongst other values and virtues, such as loyalty and trust, very dear to my heart and essential in my writings. The animated characters, beautifully designed and animated by two other artists, are meant to be ageless, coloured only by their own emotions, truthful to any situation anywhere in the world and, in this sense, bearer of the universal message of positive feelings, despite the unanimated, metal-like grey scenery. I created it a long time ago and it still defines me as an artist.
Regarding the artistic elements, as I mentioned before, I never follow a pattern in which to combine exact percentages of such elements. Every piece, whether spoken, danced, animated, photographed or just written, needs to fit the intended message, while avoiding excessive expression. Finally, it is simply my wish to connect with my audience on at least one level of communication and the video poetry is an incredible way to reach on many levels. Besides, art through art becomes, in turn, a new form of art and often a stimulation not only for the reader/viewer but also for the writer/artist.
As for the content of my videos/poems, I don’t know exactly what the readers want or expect from me. I am neither a world “saviour” nor a coach/therapist of virtues; nor do I follow gleeful trends or harsh sarcastic tendencies. If the world has become now gothic and realism, I believe it is still important to remind ourselves about renaissance and romanticism, as long as the purpose is to be true to oneself and to others, in respect of life and the beauty of its meaning. We are on this earth not to harm each other, but to learn from one another and to share care and love. There is no “mind” limit to the beats of a heart, and we should never be afraid to listen to it and to make sure it survives. Thank you!

ONEness

(POEM)

Speak to me the outspoken so that I won’t have to make silent speeches of fear for your unspoken feelings. For fears and feelings are kin, merging in bits of spoken realities pertaining to outstretched candid fantasies unspokenly voiced beyond our boundaries.
You above me.

All you and I know so far is the unknown, but isn’t it beautiful to know what we don’t know and to value it as if we’ve known it ever since we wanted to know? I crave to unknow the know of what I still want to know….so that it remains ours alone.
You beside me.

For we are one plus one hoping to become one, but our oneness is defined by the blurring rules of the important none, allowed to be broken bar the one that makes us one. Tell me, how can I portray one dream in a plus-one choices reality, when one is all we need.
You within me.

soaring-words.com, 2017. Picture credits: private source.
#soar, #soaringwords, #poetry, #worldpoetryday2017, #hope, #love, #oneness.

(POEM)

Re
you see it one day on a playground
shine in the happy curls of a little girl
who puts smiles in your heart with gestures of
laughter and sheer innocence
transmogrifying your daily choirs into hopes
as you stop to memorize that light
like an invisible good fairy to bless your future mishaps;
you let her play and walk away
hoping for that miracle to be yours one day.

Gaea
her feline walk and talk is like Egyptian goddesses
not easy to decipher by the unappreciative
nor by the superficial daunted by transparency
shes joyful and romantic in the same card
singing, dancing, wearing sexy with charm
as though its always her prime time
and your smile is the law she abides by
in her playful ways not to win your heart
but to give hers away along with the cake she baked for you last night.

Aura
fighting with you like a lioness
for better days and unrelenting justice
with no bargain as to assuring rightfulness
casting away pain with bravery
putting herself back together after the broken and defeated
while still keeping the best part for her king
made out of the strongest and most fragile pearls
engendering miracles to praise your seed and legacy
and wearing the weight of life like a queen.

Aqua
sometimes the warrior you need is her acumen
as shes the first to compromise and make out of failures
grounds for your new accomplishments
holding the balance of your yin and yang
pouring sympathy, care and strength into your veins
especially on those nights when your hopes are gone
and you remember that sunray seen once on a playground
sculpted in her with all the light shes given you so far
and you cant help, but smile.

Man, if you see her in all her shapes,
dont walk away in fear, doubt or disarray
dont put her down and dont deny her worth
hold on to that wonder on your course

for Feminine is but
a child with hopes bigger than its size
a girl with audacity and tenderness
a woman of a cosmic love and fragility
a mother of ambition and diligence
a grand-mother of wisdom and patience
a soul of harmony and lenience

by your side, always!

Feminine by Soar, soaring-words.com, 2017. Picture credits: private source.

#soar, #soaringwords, #poetry, #womensday, #feminine, #love, #hope.

Its done, the undone
with a rebound of life
where an unconditional soul
clung between the doings of
sometimes and hope
for no other reason than
the biggest love of all

stared at in silence
judged with no temperance
balmed on the wounds from others
used to enhance confidence
admired at the whims of chance
and stored
in a black box of porcelain

while she got dressed in the scars he had
upon his path
where present turned too easily into past
and future wasnt too much to expect
yet it guided her faith
towards the unknown fate
paid each time with coins of confidence

and there at the layer of patience
melted into the thick fog of recurrence
the undone was impertinently waiting
calling for the nothingness
to rewind the doings of causes and effects,
to obliviate their remembrances
and annihilate all happenings

yet the doings had a secret essence
which rose awareness every night to find
their mate care and to produce delays on the circuits of haste
calling off pride for the aftermath
and adding up uniqueness on the strings of facts
so that the undone could never initiate
and the doings could mend all that was needed

for the magic to perpetuate.

(2016, Soar, soaring-words.com, Picture credits: private source.)
#poetry, #storytelling, #soar, #soaringwords, #undone, #doings, #truth, #love, #life.

(POEM)

To make a poem right
all you need is DISTRACTION and WATER
to flow and entangle your thoughts
into drops of feelings
pouring out as if they never existed before
at full speed and intensity
reaching to some sort of confusional awareness
in the bewilderment of the moment
while water runs loose and keeps the noise constant
dragging you along while you try
to stop
something you want to go on
to take over the pre-set logic of the mind
running for the dress code of the metaphors
raw and virgin in your palms
it flows
before you have a chance to put down
or at least to remember
through key words and broken lines
that uniqueness to define
with unabashed FOCUS and STILLNESS of time
a poemmade out right.

(Picture credits: Jeremy Mann, soaring-words.com)

‪#‎soar‬, ‪#‎soaringwords‬, ‪#‎poetry‬, ‪#‎storytelling‬, ‪#‎inspiration‬, ‪#‎art‬, ‪#‎jeremymann‬.

(POEM)

Something changed
on that display
where a grin popped up
on the other side
at the touch screen producing memories
and she gazed in
lost in the Pierian meaning
of a sacred sin.

Something could have changed
though she couldnt tell
the why, the what or how
for she thought love was about remaining
the same
while different in the game
and that, heart by heart
or pixel by pixel,
love would come around.

Had anything been changed
in her versatile ways to indulge
the prescience of deeper senses
and to revere the little things
of all that there was and would have been,
then those grins over time
would have been home to both
if only for the care of their origin.

She looked at the display anew
sunk into the colours of the frolic and the playful
while hiding the dark background of the sacrifice
her main atout
as she chose the third option out of two
only to see it through
and be able to see on that pixelated screen
sentiments, floating between her and him.

Nothing changed
at any time one face reflected the counterpart
with the same mimic of the satisfied
while that mirror called display
furtively immortalized
a zoomed out quiddity
of the unchanged that changed
so that they remain the same.

(July 2016, Soar, soaring-words.com. Picture courtesy: LePrive)
#poetry, #storytelling, #soar, #soaringwords, #truth, #love, #life, #care.

A book for a puzzle

Win one of my books (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3iJOoiZ1A) if you solve this puzzle. Send your answers to info@soaring-words.com.

I am very excited for your replies:-) Here it goes:

“We were five. All of us as one, trying to coexist in the best of times. In the worst scenarios it was hard.

One of them was tiring me out. Always. I could resist him for 30 minutes tops. Yet I needed him like a key to the hole of a whole I aspired to in my existence. But I didnt want to just exist. I wanted to live!
Then there was this woman; she looked old, like centuries. No way I could escape her, for she got under my skin…deeply. So I observed her, strict and unrelenting, or else she would break, the essence of my existence.
The other guy, part of my clique, was just too careless and carefree. My very first love and my last one too. With him all the f words sounded just right; deep…in meaning and easy going at the same time. Whichever I would think fit. No blush needed despite my blushy tendency.

Oh, forgive my French, but the next in line betrayed me. She played for a long time the damsel in distress and yes she had me, but all she ever was, was just a pompous face with swaying attitude. Big disappointment, minute loss. Apparently a needed part of the experience to quench my thirst…or search for the ultimate grail of my purpose. What a waste….just common sense my careless guy would say.

And finally, last not by choice but by alignment…of thoughts. Another she. Very similar to me, but I still varied here and there and in the middle. Thank god! For she talked a lot and she could also get loud. Many a time I rode along, but sometimes I just parted. Because she was too much. Yet, when I needed her, my god….fire along! No one could replace her, even if they tried to emulate and even dye their hair just to be like her. I dont know if shes ever been faithful…but I am grateful.
We still are five. In the worst scenarios and the best of times.”

(c) Soar, 2016.

(Poem)

with every smile and frown gazing at my soul,
I try to find new pieces
in my struggle to redefine
the cosy mirror of my eyes
set for so long to show
if only to find when lost
my unconditional truth

you
but your shards scattered in the composure
become mosaics of playful reflection
as though they were unfaithful replicas
of a carpe diem motto
which dissipate
before the rise of a new tomorrow
and I cant see myself through

them
changing perspectives and laughing
at my courage of loyal essence,
praising you boldly,
as I fall for your hopes and wear your flaws
so that you dont have to suffer from
imperfection and they wont ever have to know
what I fight and purge in

me
in order to preserve the best cut
from broken moulds and foggy sceneries
you were left with in reality
before the sun of my visions
that you met
on a platter of trust
while courting destiny with faith

once
as chance brought me there
along with my care
avowed to you
beyond the limits of compare
and I called you wonderful
while you, glazing my fascination,
showed me from within

innocence
so eagerly hidden
that it would smell only to the genuine
and ever since, every time you look at me,
I make sparkles from shards
and cracks become beams
with carpe vita indulgence
so that you remain complete
in the iris of my beliefs – perfect to me,

always.

#poetry, #soar, #soaringwords, #mirror, #mirrors, #justintimberlake, #me, #you, #them, #loyalty, #soul, #care, #diamond, #bestfriendship, #reflection, #flaws, #forgiveness, #love.

Picture Credits: Love-for-Life, By Ryan Woodward.
2015 Soar, www.soaring-words.com

This is the work of a year, comprising my most devoted message of love and hope. Thank you to everyone who helped me shape it in sound and motion.

Listen, feel, enjoy and cherish: Empire State of Love

Merry Christmas and serene holidays!

Soar

(“Empire State of Love” is the first animated poem from the “Poetry in Motion” project initiated by Soar in 2014 and it was initially published in “Yours, poetically”, 2014. (c) www.soaring-words.com)

(POEM)

Outside the rain pours down with memories
within, where all the tears dried out;
his kiss shelters the best corner of her feelings,
where she keeps the flow of its imprint,
the essence running through her veins,
becoming one with the pulses of her breathing;
yet she remembers he was different
when her eyes first gazed at him
and he was playing the card of their chance to win
something they never defined
for silence spoke to them recurrently?
she, enthusiasm of heart,
he, the soother of the nights,
together, even when afar,
to prove in care what is closest to a smile,
losing track of moments
when they forgot to measure the size
of the room where habits and newness mixed up
and love took over the corner of confidence;
there she awaits him,
keeping his faith in her hand
like an unused perfume
she doesn?t want it to evaporate
but rather herald with it the theme of spring
in the landscape of their significance,
where hope is dancing on the ceiling
and art has put its sisters to work,
decorating the walls
with little things ? his favourites
and her deep gestures of beauty.
Her eyes frame the rain again
which shivers on the pane of purity,
abundantly bleeding with past before her senses,
which she won?t let infiltrate
within the tenderness she keeps for him,
close to the embers and a tea
she prepared late in the night,
for his return
so that it makes a dawn out of her life,
or simply win over the drops outside,
like a magician of her happiness
who draws a rainbow on the same spot,
where the rain had cried and longed each time
for him to come back.

(? Yours, poetically, Soar, Epubli Berlin, 2014)

This is the story of a note from a boy to a girl, written a very long time ago, when love was courted with smiles, when experience was platonically attired and when sharings were limited to blushing, quotes and songs. The unsure handwriting confessed:

I would lie to you if I told you that my body loves you, but I dont lie to you when I tell you I love you in a special way that only those like me can understand. I hope you do too.

No one knows the ending of this story, but it was remembered that the girl did not understand the boys secret affection, almost slapped him in the moment when the kiss was meant to flourish (she had a thing about slapping boys in such particular moments) and that the boy was too mature about his immaturity, or too proud for loves modesty.

So she didn’t meet him when he came out of the military. Yet, years after, when she heard on the line of a phone I should have never let you go, she understood the meaning of that note.

And when they both realized the chance was passing them by, they decided to never say good bye. Maybe thats why no one knows how the story ends…because it doesn’t have one.

It will go on, if only to let us know that if love doesn’t give us anything at all, at least it stays, just to regenerate from dusk to dawn. Always.

A story about redemption and hope.

(Note story, Soar, 2014. www.soaring-words.com. Picture source: private.)