Poems for the Speed of Life

Zhuangzhu was a Chinese philosopher who lived in or around the 4th Century BC.

Virtually nothing is known about his life, but he is held to have written the text that bears his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of the primary foundational texts of the Chinese set of philosophies, traditions and religions known as Taoism.

Taoism emphasizes living in harmony with the "Tao", the way or path to which we are called.

This piece, one of the stories included in the Zhuangzi, is a tiny little thought experiment.

If I might dream to be something else, how might I know that I am not now dreaming of my present reality?

It asks the question: how do we know what’s real? This question has taxed the minds of philosophers for thousands of years.

We can see in modern technological philosophy too, like the simulation theory, which suggests that technology is progressing so rapidly, and technolgy produces life-life simulations, and simulations are increasingly more and more life-like, that there must be a strong likelihood that were are currently living in some simulation created by some technology that exists outside of what we consider as real.

Anyway, enough of that crazy talk, if it is crazy talk.

For me, the one thing that jumps out here is the encouragement to really look around, to touch, to feel, to see, to taste, everything that’s around us, because if anything is truly real and vital, what is around us must be as close as it gets.

The Butterfly Dream, by Zhuangzhu

“Once upon a time, I, Zhuangzhu*, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly.*

I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Zhuangzi. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again.

Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.

You can read the poem here

For a related poem, you might find "The Mayo Tao" by Derek Mahon of interest.

You can find that in Episode 88 (on Spotify here).

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here.

Subscribe to or follow the show for free wherever you listen to podcasts.

To leave the show a review:

On Spotify. Open the Spotify app (iOS or Android), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Apple. Open your Apple Podcasts app, find the show and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Podchaser. Open the Podchaser website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

This poem has been on my to-read list for this podcast for a while.

I kept passing it over.

Why?

Eventually I realised that for some reason it scared me. What right did I, a white Irishman, have to read this poem by a flag-bearer of black American feminism?

Then I realised, that’s no reason not to read it here.

In fact, isn’t it all the more reason to read it here?

Yes, it seems like cultural appropriation is a thing, where some people take on the mantle of cultures and histories that are not theirs.

But equally, if we’re to learn from each other, share with each other, we have to be able to step into one another’s places and cultures and histories.

In this podcast I’ve read poems written by men and women from all over the world.

Most of them are about the individual — the poet, the narrator, the narrative voice. Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise is also that, but it’s more than that too. Because it’s about a whole race and a whole sex — black women in an America that is still coming to terms with its past.

So maybe I have no right, as a white Irishman, to read this poem.

But that might mean nobody but white Irishmen have a right to read Samuel Beckett or James Joyce, and I know that to be completely wrong.

So let’s read other, listen to each other, learn from each other.

Keep an open mind, because that’s where all progress comes from.

You can read the poem here

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here.

Subscribe to or follow the show for free wherever you listen to podcasts.

To leave the show a review:

On Spotify. Open the Spotify app (iOS or Android), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Apple. Open your Apple Podcasts app, find the show and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Podchaser. Open the Podchaser website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

⁠You can read the text here⁠

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠Twitter here⁠, ⁠Instagram here⁠ and ⁠Facebook here⁠.

Subscribe to or follow the show for free wherever you listen to podcasts.

To leave the show a review:

On Spotify. Open the Spotify app (iOS or Android), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Apple. Open your Apple Podcasts app, find the show and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Podchaser. Open the Podchaser website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠

Hello and welcome back. Welcome to September!

The every-weekday podcast has been on a break for the summer months, when I’ve been publishing an occasional series of three poems on a theme. But it’s September now, and here we go!

If this is your first time here, you’re very welcome. My name is Shane Breslin and words matter to me. I’m a writer, and my day to day work is with businesses who want to craft words for their brands. In the age of ChatGPT and words written by humans are under some form of threat, or at least evolution. For me the most important thing about words, though, is not that how they communicate information. It’s how they can carry what lies in the human heart. Call me a Luddite, but I’m not sure a machine — no matter how well trained — will ever be able to write words that carry the deep meaning of the human heart. This podcast, Poems for the Speed of Life, is my personal commitment to keeping words of the human heart alive in the world.

If this is your first time here, I recommend finding and listening to Episode 100. In that episode, I outline some of the reasons this podcast exists.

Okay, on with today’s show. The poem is “I wanted” by Roque Dalton, translated from the Spanish by American poet and essayist Anne Boyer. Roque Dalton was a poet, essayist, bohemian, romantic and Communist revolutionary from El Salvador.

In the words of Claribel Alegria, Dalton had “a profound conviction that the poet can and must, in his life as well as in his work, serve as the finely-honed scalpel of change, both in word and deed, when he lives in a profoundly unjust, stagnant society.”

Imprisoned and sentenced to death in his homeland, and then exiled all before the age of 26 for inciting revolt, he spent most of his time thereafter in the Cuba of Fidel Castra and Che Guevara, but also maintained links with his homeland, including joining El Salvador’s Communist guerrila army the ERP, or People’s Revolutionary Army, in 1973.

Never one to hold back, he fell out with the leader of the ERP, Alejandro Rivas Mira, and was executed in 1975, a few days short of his 40th birthday.

This poem, I wanted, takes the form of a litany, an incomplete, unordered, even disordered list of things the poet wanted to do with his life, including a foreshadowing of his death.

You can read the poem here

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here.

Subscribe to or follow the show for free wherever you listen to podcasts.

To leave the show a review:

On Spotify. Open the Spotify app (iOS or Android), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Apple. Open your Apple Podcasts app, find the show and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Podchaser. Open the Podchaser website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Welcome to another episode in the summer series of Poems for the Speed of Life. My name is Shane Breslin and if this is your first time here, two quick things. First, you’re welcome. In the first eight months of this podcast, since Episode 1 back in December 2022, this podcast has had listeners in 85 countries around the world. This is staggering to me. It’s clear that people all over the world find enjoyment, and maybe nourishment, in poetry. Second, if you’d like an introduction for the goal of what this podcast is or tries to be, please find Episode 100 in your podcast player. It’s titled “Why Poems for the Speed of Life?”

While the Monday through Friday regular shows are on a break for July and August, I’ve been putting together a short weekly series of “Three poems on…” from the archives.

This episode is “Three poems on prayer”.

Prayer is a strange thing. Maybe even stranger than poetry.

People all over the world, from all faiths and creeds, have prayed.

These three poems give some insights, I think, into why we do this.

None of the three poems are explicitly religious. The one that comes closest is the poem by Kaveh Akbar, “How Prayer Works”.

There’s a big difference, I believe, between organised religion and what we might call religious experiences. Transcendence is possible for everyone, no matter what religion you were born into, no matter whether you consider yourself devout, or atheist, or agnostic.

These three pieces — one by a Muslim immigrant to the United States, one by a former Catholic Scottish poet who became atheist when she was 15, one by a Hollywood star who has spoken openly about his Christian faith — walk us through the experience and the power of prayer in three completely different ways.

All of these poems were included in previous episodes of this podcast. If you would like to go back you can listen to them, and their own introductions, in Episodes 36, 46 and 141.

Some other links that might of interest:

Hello and welcome to another episode in the summer series of Poems for the Speed of Life.

If this is your first time listening to the show, welcome. My name is Shane Breslin and I really hope this podcast meets and exceeds your expectations.

Poems for the Speed of Life is, for most of the year, a Monday to Friday podcast, where I introduce and read one poem that, I think, contains some meaning and value in our journey through life, in our quest to live it to the very best of our abilities.

The weekday shows are on a break for July and August, and in place of them, I’m bringing occasional episodes which bring together three poems on a theme.

In today’s episode, the poetic triply is on the theme of grief and loss.

None of us escape grief or loss in our lifetimes. In fact, it may be said that grief and loss are essential elements of a full, contented and happy life.

That doesn’t make it any easier to bear when we experience it, and these three poems — or two poems and a song lyric — do an amazing job of describing that experience, and maybe holding us by the hand and accompanying through those experiences.

Of course, grief and loss can come at the end of a loved one’s life, but it comes in other forms too, such as the pain we feel at the end of a relationship.

The poems are:

All these poems were included in earlier episodes of the podcast. You can scroll through the archive in your podcast player to find Tom French in Episode 111, John O’Donohue in Episode 95 and Andy Irvine in Episode 47.

The regular five times a week poems will return in September.

Thank you for listening.

Welcome to this episode of the summer series. Today’s episode includes three poems about nature, and more specifically, about how our engagement with the natural world can make the world of people maybe more bearable, certainly more beautiful.

The three poems are:

Each of them, in their own unique way, shows the poet as he contemplates nature and what it provides for us, either as an antidote to despair, as an escape from the tumult of the built world, as a blessing received from the bark of a beech tree.

The three poems here were all included in earlier episodes of the podcast, where they got their own introduction.

You can listen back to those by finding "The Peace of Wild Things" in Episode 70, "Hideout" in Episode 50, and "Blessings" in Episode 104.

Welcome to the second episode of the Summer 2023 series of Poems for the Speed of Life, where each episode brings you three poems connected by some thread or theme.

The theme for this episode is male experiences.

The poems are:

Please search in the archives to listen to the original episodes, each of which contains an introduction to each poem and each poet.

You will find Pat Boran in Episode 99, Seamus Heaney in Episode 54 and Norman MacCaig in Episode 42.

Welcome to the first episode of the Summer 2023 series of Poems for the Speed of Life, where each episode brings you three poems connected by some thread or theme.

The theme for this episode is ageing.

The poems are:

Please search in the archives to listen to the original episodes, each of which contains an introduction to each poem and each poet.

You will find Billy Collins in Episode 28, Gailmarie Pahmeier in Episode 92 and Clive James in Episode 110.

Welcome to the final episode of the current series of Poems for the Speed of Life.

My name is Shane Breslin, and I live in the Irish countryside, where I’ve spent most of my life.

When I stepped out on this podcast journey December 2022, I had no real idea what I was doing, or why. I just felt compelled to read more poetry, to read it aloud and to share it with whoever might seek it out or stumble across it in the great intangible expanse of the Internet.

After several dozen short episodes I learned a bit more about why I was doing this. In Episode 100, I explained some of those reasons, to try to outline why poetry is so essential, why it can be so transformative in our lives, and why poetry is much, much more than just lines on a page.

For July and August 2023, the podcast will be a weekly show, with each episode containing a selection of three poems from the archives of the show linked by some magical thread. That will start next week, and if you already follow or subscribe to this podcast in your favourite podcast player those episodes will show up in your feed.

Today’s poem, and the final one of the current five-times-a-week series, is "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver.

It’s a fitting way to end this series.

For one, Mary Oliver is truly extraordinary. She died in 2019, but her work, mostly in poetry but in other forms of writing too, will is timeless and will live on for as long as humans go seeking words to read.

For another, this is a poem that grabs and bottles life itself. It’s a poem about the desperation that every now and then overcomes us. A poem about how we need one another, even when we’re separated by endless time and depthless space. Maybe more than anything else, it’s a poem about how we might go about rediscovering the true speed of life, and live accordingly.

Thank you for listening to the show. I hope you enjoy the summer series going out weekly, and all going well I aim to be back for more Monday to Friday shows from September.

You can read “Wild Geese” here

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here.

Subscribe to or follow the show for free wherever you listen to podcasts.

To leave the show a review:

On Spotify. Open the Spotify app (iOS or Android), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Apple. Open your Apple Podcasts app, find the show and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)On Podchaser. Open the Podchaser website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠find the show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tap to rate five-stars. (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Details here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com