For Sainkho Namtchylak and Claudia Schoenfeld
Experimenting mystic
at the junction of Cyberia’s culture
two notes/one sound
imitating nature’s call
Tuvan Khöömei youth
encounters Soviet Union
classical music education
creating a Lamaist jazz mantra:
I am the shaman of my life
rumbling spirit timbre emotes
through a seven octave range
the space of meaning and feelings
beat drives the insistent vocalizations
like wind echoing in Artic skies
forming the transformative art
of an intoned sense
groaning, guttural sound
grandmother city dweller
revisits the tundra of childhood
‘tender bird of timelessness
touches me with her wing’
intuiting secret sounds
that would not be taught
‘hidden chords of thought’
woman on the outside
even when looking within
bodhisattva cries as
‘my sleeping pulse awakens,
trembles in front of my eyes’
how can I keep from singing
resonating frequencies that pierce
illusory aspects of the self?
‘artificial addendum of the human voice’
making sense in this divine game
‘aural quintessence of the spiritual world’
giving voice to the sacred fire
developing the capacity to imagine
fullness arises from emptiness as
‘absolute harmony is born into silence’
*All quotes are Sainkho Namtchylak’s; Cyberia is the name of one of her albums
Chromapoetica 
Ah, the beauty of music…how it touches our souls…love ‘tender bird of timelessness
touches me with her wing’ Gorgeous 🙂
Yes, when I came across it in her writing I immediately thought of poetry :). Thanks Louise!
Music is a language unlike any other, especially the act of singing where we become the vibratory mechanism–always both electric and intellectual–loved this piece
So true, I often find myself transformed by the act of singing. Thanks Audrey, I’m so happy it resonated with you :).
nice, nice, nice!!! music is divine..touching, moving, breaking down walls, taking us to other spheres….fullness arises from emptiness as
absolute harmony is born into silence…. love this…in our loud world, we tend to forget…
I initially heard her singing a traditional wedding song/chant and then encountered her experimental jazz side and thought of you :). We tend to forget and so this is the great role of the musician/writer/artist/mystic, to remind us.
your poetry is the blooming perfection, as always..i so enjoyed ‘rumbling spirit timbre emotes
through a seven octave range..’ and the elevation within concluding lines. thank you for such beauty~
Thank you, Yelena for such a heart warming comment.
returned to re-read this one..just mesmerising your poetry is.
:D, lovely to see you again.
Music is a language of its own isn’t it. Filled with emotion, chaos, and harmony too. I can’t imagine not hearing it. This is beautiful Anna. Hope all is well with you.
Yes, one that speaks to our inner being. Thanks, I’m well and excited to read your work tonight.
Hi…yes music, but reading your poems make me think, work my matter because you write so well. It’s kinda hidden, all the octaves, is this opera? Thanks!
‘Your poems make me think’ is music to my ears :)!
Mystic and music seem as closely allied as the spellings, as portrayed here in your poem, Anna, and in meaning as well as sound.
Thanks for hosting tonight Joy; I loved your introduction and poem.
Music is a language of it’s own..it lifts us and inspires us…a beautiful write, Anna.
That lift is vital I feel, thanks Ayala!
I too am the shaman of my life. Beautiful.
Wonderful to hear and nice to meet you!
“You ask me why . . . ”
“I am the shaman of my life”
. . .
“like wind echoing in Artic skies
forming the transformative art
of an intoned sense”
. . .
“grandmother city dweller
revisits the tundra of childhood”
. . .
“how can I keep from singing
resonating frequencies that pierce
illusory aspects of the self?”
I am loving listening to the music do what you say it does, echoing the progress of your poem in my ears and taking me to where I “developing the capacity to imagine
fullness arises from emptiness”
I bow to you, I am glad you are back somewhat, gleeful that I took as much space as I wanted to comment. Big hug.
Susan, big hug to you too :). You are always more than welcome to take as much space to comment as you like! That the music and poem found a harmony is exciting to get feedback about as I wanted to entwine them well. I always enjoy your thoughtful responses.
hullo. beautiful. our world needs harmony so much.
Hullo! Yes it does, lovely to see you :).
Can’t help but love this. The mixing of music and poetry, and how the musical terms just blend right in.
That’s pretty great right there.
Thanks, I blend the areas in my life so it’s good to know it works in the poetry. Thank you!
Earlier this year I declared it the summer of music, to remind myself to take the time to listen, because we do forget. The music we love becomes part of who we are, it stays with us wherever we go. What a lovely poem, filled with perfect anna-isms co-mingled with her words.
Yes, as a composer and vocalist I’m always surprised at how little time I give myself to simply listen and explore. Oh dear, there are anna-isms :)!
Your poems always demand second and third readings, they are so layered. Love how you interpolated quotations from Sainkho Namtchylak throughout the exposition. Well done.
I love the process of layering. This poem was distilled from 10 pages of text and 8 songs. Sometimes I have 50+ pages of research for a poem and it becomes like a puzzle, figuring out how to get the words and phrases to blossom into something expansive. I deeply appreciate that you reread.
Anna, great to see you back tonight. Definitely been missing your work. This piece is packed with allusion, digging in was a delight. You never disappoint. Thanks
I’d researched this poem a few weeks ago so it felt ready to come together today. I will endeavor to keep this streak of never disappointing you as a reader alive :). Congratulations on joining the dVerse team, it’s well deserved!
Love this rendition in words.. both of the music and your response to it. Music is such a direct line to emotion for me and words, more circuitous.. I really enjoyed how you explored this relationship in your piece. Some outsanding phrases (as ever) – this a wonderful introductory summation:
a Lamaist jazz mantra
and this echoes my own ear response to the recording
like wind echoing in Artic skies
Thank you also for the introduction to this artist! 🙂 Lovely to see you on the trail once more btw
Becky! It is so lovely to see you here and with this feast of a comment. I’m glad the summation worked for you I’m trying to leave a better path for the reader :). The Tuvan throat singing often mirrors natural phenomenon so I was trying to weave a connection throughout. Women, of course, are not taught the shamanistic singing so Sainkho had to find her own path. I’m glad you enjoyed the introduction!
I love it when poems about music naturally take on their own rhythm. I especially felt this in the beginning. Nice job of integrating here, Anna.
Thanks Alex, I’ll have to find a way to carry that rhythm through :).
Again your many gifts merge into your poem. As you know my poetry grows from the music in me and the music I love..it is the basic source of my poetry and I see, feel, intuit, and process the same from this poem of yours. It is an extension perhaps an explosion out of the music itself. The feeling is cosmic not particular to song or person but it fills the mind with enlightenment.
Oooo, an explosion out of the music! Yes, it is meant to transcend a particular genre and the individual. Thank you Gay for your lovely feedback.
the sound and the poetry made me shamanic . . . its when i’m at my best . . .
i see dead people . . . and then I clean their houses! 😀
great write anna – awesome inspiration too!
Shamanic Ghost House Keeper, now there’s a new job title for you :D! Your poem gave me the oddest dreams. Yes, she’s a force of nature, a real wild one.
Beautiful – the tundra of childhood such a great phrase – great quotes well tied – being the shaman of my life – hard to keep that consciousness. k.
Thanks K., very nice to see you! I was sorry to hear about your mother’s health issues. I hope she recovers soon.
This is such an exquisite poem, Anna. The line that will hang with me (I noticed other agree) is “I am the shaman of my life.” That pretty well sums it up.
Victoria, thank you for your kind words!
Love this. Especially the second stanza, and….
“groaning, guttural sound
grandmother city dweller
revisits the tundra of childhood”
Thank you, I was drawn into your poem this week, so well done!