Really listening: a poetry network

How often do you just listen to someone reading aloud something they love?

Listening to another’s voice: tuning into their cadence, subtle shifts in tone and changing inflection is a lovely way to connect with another human being. I suspect many of us take it for granted much of the time. I know I do.

 

 

I read Leilani’s tweet this morning and it summarises why I’ve created this project. I believe it is ok to show the world who you really are, yet the fact we need to tell ourselves suggests it’s risky. Particularly in our public lives.

Ok then, try this. Take away the anxiety of sharing something too personal by choosing someone else’s words – a poem you like – and reading those. A few wonderful, fascinating people have already done me the honour of reading aloud a poem they chose and talking to me about why they like it. I’ve captured recordings and published them here.

 

Try listening, just to enjoy it

Most of our conversation is about achieving one goal or another. It’s not easy to share and hear things that hint at who we really are, we’re often too busy and too scared. Which is sad, because truly getting to know each other is a gift. It also helps us work together so we’re more likely to reach our goals.

 

Within every poem we’ve recorded is a moment of human connection. From lived experiences in military service training to the scariness of being the person who decides where you go in your life.

We’d love you to join in. We invite you to listen to poems we’ve recorded and / or contact me if you’re up for speaking a poem of your choice to go on the site and share a little of who you really are.