My first ‘Late Night Poetry Hour’ in the Little Andromeda Theatre Christchurch was a gift from my husband.
I teach Hungarian literature and grammar, and I love poetry. The expressive power of words can take you to depths and heights, and through poems, such unity can be found by connecting in the soul. Poetry helps us to live. To live life and survive the abysses. Words have a healing power. When you can put it into words, when you put it down on paper, it’s no longer just yours to carry it. It comes alive and touches others.
It was a great trust to bring me to an English-language poetry evening. Will I even understand? Poetry is another level of language. I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand all the poems. Some of them I understood completely, some I only missed words, others I only had an idea what they were about. But I felt them all.
It was a wonderful, immersive experience.
The event starts with an open mic and in the second part, two feature poets each perform a set. The artists in the first part stand up from the audience and go to the microphone. Ordinary people with deep feelings. Like you and me. Some are ‘veteran’ poets, and there are always people who are reading their poem for the first time in front of a crowd. So many different people, all sensitive and brave artists. There was acceptance, curiosity, respect in the room. Huge applause, laughs, appreciative whistles. Other times, sympathetic sighs, deep inhales and exhales.
I felt like I wanted to support this community. So I got in touch with the organiser Claudia Jardine and went to the next Late Night Poetry Hour with my camera. If you were one of the wonderful artists, feel free to ask me for more photos. Thank you all for this event, the organisers and the poets, it fulfilled my soul.
