BEN VAN BERGEN

Table of Contents: Chapter One: Poetic Musings:
Lips Touch; Raven Woman; A Sacred Place; The Curse of the White Knight;
A Love Thought Past, Revisited; The Yoga Teacher; Unconditional; Silencio; Imagine; And Then there was Today; The Well; Five A.M. Cocktail Waitress; Goodbye, Hello; Bamboo and You;
No Clear Reason; The Ancient Stories of the Guaguanco; Ave!; I miss and I remember; Alive
and Well; Lady in Waiting; The Crippled Cat; Choices; A Look At Love; In Time Perhaps;
About a Night Not Long Ago; So Dear to me she is; The Inner Voice speaks; The Second Avenue
Twilight Girl; What is; The Question of the hour; The Winter Lives within me; The Wonder of
the girl; My Mind Knows; B-Flat; A call is just a call? Dear Lady; Goddess; The Muse; De Voet;
I am so surprised; Her Father's Cruelty;
Chapter two: Monologues (and other things):
Diane; Andrew; Melany; About Barry; Loner; Bert; Frank; Betty; About Gramps; Greg; Brokov;
Sarah; Dad; Terry; Officer Marcus; Letter To Maria; Dawn; Larr (ex.CEO); Kimberly; Chlamidia,
I thought it was a flower; Dad II; Clean Slate: Rosemary; Athena; Fidelity; Roommates; Ray;
Time; The Ozone Layer.
This 201 page book contains writings from the eighties through the 2000's.  Some of them were
from an 'Emo' period, some were obvervations of characters, some were sections of one of my
plays ("Three Blind Men")

 

Introduction

Most of the segments in this book were jumpstarted by a particular state, a state of unconditional love, which I would like to call “The state of writing”. This may be different for others, and perhaps different for me today, but at the time I wrote these things, that's what it was. And although the catalyst to some this at times was inspired by a certain woman or over time, by several women. In retrospect I must come to the conclusion that even though what was elicited by the female presence resonated very strongly within me, I was ready to let that 'state' exist within me. Not all of it is necessarily what we understand to be about 'love' between two human beings. Without doubt there is more to creating words in a string, in a sequence and how creative things, in any form relate to art. A real 'state of writing', perhaps a dreamlike state, or, as I see it in this instance is a state of 'love', and wonder and exploration, which I allowed to find myself in. Allowing me to be in this state, dictated certain words to me. As such, even though my response to these women was genuine. They could have been, at that time and place, and at least for part of this collection, anyone of the female gender. As it happened, they were the ones who elicited a strong response from me, and I wanted to see how far it would take me. To ride that wave. As part of this first part there are some 'other things', not necessarily about the state of loving, but more about observing. The second part of this booklet, the monologues, came about through observations of people I'd meet along the way. Their behavior, their words and their outward personas, but also what came out of them through those personas. Perhaps I tapped into that and in this state of wonder, embodied what it would be like to be them. So I wrote down some words in doing so. I wanted to experience how far I could allow myself to freely feel this, and to experience that state of being, if even temporarily. For that I'm grateful to all of them. And that state, that place, in my opinion, is worthwhile experiencing over and over again. Whether it is in the state of actual physically writing or painting or composing or sculpting. Whatever would generate this kind of response, whatever the artistic endeavor: it is worthwhile. For it is that which makes us human, it is that which sets us truly apart from the animal kingdom. And if, because of my temporary residence in this state, which channeled certain words onto the page, I am to move even one single person for a moment. And elicit the response I would hope for through any of these reflections. Hopefully encompassing not what is normally known as 'poetry' or poetic musings alone, but rather the broader genetic disposition of poetic and dramatic emotions which I (according to an old teacher) supposedly possess. If I even move to a minor extent one other person, I have fulfilled, in a minor way, to a minor extent that which I endeavor to aspire to in this life. That which is so elusive to most of us in our life time. Sharing and eliciting empathy and kinship to that 'other place'. That place away from the mundane. That place of relating. That place of 'calling forth'. That place of love of self, of life, of nature of others, warts and all. To all who read this: Blessed Be. You and yours. Perhaps at least portions of this booklet should be read aloud... But what do I know... I may just be in love with being 'in love'.

Ben van Bergen