Michael asked that I post this entire text, so here goes:

“Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” – Buddha

It’s raining outside as I write this. One of my best friends is moving completely across the North American continent today. I was talking with another friend about that the other day, and she asked me if I will miss him. I told her that it would depend on how our relationship evolves once he gets to his destination. Embedded in that is my concern about what will remain in the wake of this change. No matter what happens, “good” or “bad”, something will remain. A few weeks ago I went to this migrating friend’s lawn sale. I bought a charming little variegated spider plant in a red pot with a yellow water overflow dish. They match the color scheme of the tablecloth next to the window where the plant will grow. He told me while I chose the plant that the plants he had there for his sale were the first he had not “killed” in his career as an apartment container gardener. I am determined that this plant will not only thrive, but grow spider plant “babies” as well.

Anyone who has grown a spider plant knows that those babies can be separated from the main plant and grown independently. One thing that can be done with them is to pass them on to another person to grow. I chose to buy this plant because it can provide something that someone else can grow. How I treat the plant will affect whether I can pass something viable. The remains of this change with my friend will forever affect what I pass on to others. It will likely affect him the same way. It’s up to us to choose and enact just what that will be. This brings me to this global project of 100 Thousand Poets for Change (100 TPC.)
Words have power, and I’ve been thinking about the power of the words 100 Thousand Poets for Change. It struck me that it’s somewhat humorous to declare oneself to be for change. It’s like being for the rotation of the earth on its axis and its orbit around the sun. What would my power be to oppose those phenomena? It’s totally out of my hands. So is change. That’s no new, deep philosophical concept to any of you. You’re intelligent people. So I, and you if you choose to participate, have to decide, to choose, what we’re going to grow and pass on with this project. And maybe beyond that project in our daily lives. What will we do with those powerful, feel-good words, Poets for Change? The 100 Thousand feels pretty good too. It’s nice to feel relatedness and empowered by connection. I’m thinking abstractly about Buddha’s saying. If things don’t change, we have stagnation. In fluid dynamics, there’s a condition called stagnation point. Among other things, it’s a component of aerodynamics. Basically it means that there’s no exchange of material, no fluidity. No energy transformations occur, except pushback from the force of the flow brought to rest by an object. Somehow though, and I’m no aerodynamic engineer, that has something to do with the loft created that lifts an aircraft into the air. The combination of flow and pushback, chaos, create something as close to a miracle as I will ever need to see.

No matter what change we as individuals and as poets for change pursue, expect some pushback. Without it, we can’t identify how we want our plants and ideas to grow, and what it will take to do that. Without it, our ideas and actions won’t fly. Obstacles are necessary to formulate a navigation plan. They provide the pushback that gives us an opportunity to lift ourselves to someplace higher than ourselves, our conditions, our nations, our identities, our affiliations. My list can stop there, though it’s not exhaustive. You have your own lists. I’m giving you a one of my spider babies so you can choose how, where and why to grow it, and whether to pass it on.

Change is inevitable and very often out of our control. If nothing goes anywhere or changes, by definition there can be no remains. The earth doesn’t orbit around the sun. Nothing is left behind. No spider plant is sold and left behind, and no spider babies are transferred. No connections and exchanges happen. Ideas and efforts don’t take off and fly. I’m thinking about our focus here in Buffalo, NY, USA on healing as a force and result of change. I will think more here about how change itself and what’s left behind as a result of change heal. I will also think about how enacting healing, behaving in a healing manner, and leaving things behind brings about change. And the pushback that is as inevitable as change.

Links from Bloggers about the event:

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2011/06/100-thousand-poets-for-change-september-24/

http://poetsonline.blogspot.com/2011/07/100-thousand-poets-for-change.html

Those joining the reading circle in the daytime might consider bringing blankets or lawn chairs. No furniture is provided by the college.

THE WEATHER FORECAST HAS WORSENED AND FORCED US INDOORS TO THE BULGER COMMUNICATION CENTER. THE POETRY CIRCLE WILL FORM IN THE ATRIUM ON THE THIRD FLOOR AT 11:30 AND CONTINUE ALL DAY, PERHAPS EVEN INTO THE EVENING.

EVENING EVENTS FOR 100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE:
(ALL EVENTS IN THE BULGER COMMUNICATION CENTER ON THE BUFFALO STATE CAMPUS)
[1] ON THE FIRST FLOOR, BEGINNING AT 6:30 IN EITHER N OR S, VARIOUS SONG, DANCE, AND MUSIC EVENTS PERFORMED BY DANIELLE, SISTER CAROLINE, REVEREND JOHN BELL, JUDITH MANN, PASTOR JEREMIAH SNELL, THERESA BALDWIN AND OTHERS.
[2] ON THE THIRD FLOOR, BEGINNING AT 6:30 IN A ROOM TO BE DETERMINED, STORYTELLERS ROBERT MINKOFF, LORNA CZARNOTA, “AUNT MAY,” AND DAN HILL.
[3] ON THE THIRD FLOOR, BEGINNING AT 6:30 IN ROOM W 2, MUSIC BY:
GUBB (COOPER), JACK (FEUERSTEIN), AND KEVIN (CONNORS)
JIM IAROCCI, CARL THIEL, AND DAVE WITTMAN
JOHNNY RYDER MUNT AND DAN ERICKSON
ROBB NESBITT.
[4] ON THE THIRD FLOOR, BEGINNING AT 7:00 IN THE ATRIUM, DAN KOLB ON SOLO GUITAR IMPROVISING TO POEMS BY SEVERAL WRITERS.