Woaha, it's late...

I haven't had one of these long, staying-up-late-on-the-net moments in a while..! It has been quite exciting having time off and being on 'holidays'. One thing it has allowed me to do is to read... maybe too much... I finally read Shelley's Frankenstein, which was a surprise to read- I was not expecting it to be a moral lesson about chasing after scientific pursuits. And C.S. Lewis!

But what I have really loved is being able to read the bible... the last two months i've managed to get through Romans, Acts, 1 corinthians and now i'm working my way through 2 Corithians and Galatians. It's so exciting getting the full or big picture- so often verses are misquoted and theology is thrown all over the place... it's amazing to be able to see how all the books fit together. Yes, I know there is a way to go !

I think what has hit me the most is the application of living for God after Jesus goes back to heaven. Paul is so passionate about telling people to live through and in  the spirit, not by the old "law". But the plot thickens- Paul was actually someone who was PERSECUTING the early church- and God turned him around- so one of the biggest threats became one of the leading pioneers in establishing and guiding the early church. Wow.  I guess it shows how much God can do through, with, and in us and that it is not by our strict adherence to laws- or do's and don'ts or by our own devices- but through God's grace.

It's really quite incredible..

Poetry Book

I am quite excited, in the last week I have published my first poetry book! And I've done three amazing poetry readings!

The first one was to open the exhibition Petite . I was quite nervous as I wrote the poem I read out a couple of hours before as I saw the artwork for the first time. It was an incredible experience, seeing the work of The ARt Tree's artists all come together, and to finally meet the artists. I am extremely excited about the future (aka past when I finish my education, finally!) because I can see some wonderful collaborations happening between the artists and their art, with my poetry. (It's still odd saying 'my poetry', I think I am still in denial that I can now call myself a 'published poet'...). The opening night was Tuesday, and today we had a 'meet the artists' do, and I read two poems from my book. (It is also strange saying 'my book'.) However, because I am an incredibly organised person and missed my bus to get to the event today, my lovely neighbours Sue and Hannah were able to come and give me a lift. Phew!

The second exhibition was for the Manly Lagoon Festival, where artists were invited to 'create' an artwork on the day of the lagoon. So I was invited to write a poem about the lagoon and the festival. This was my first official poetry 'gig', ( a few weeks ago now...) so reading that poem felt like a rite of passage in itself. Once again, the artists there were amazing and I made so many contacts! I also discovered I now need a business card to give to people. It would make life a lot easier.

So three down, one to go! I'm still pinching myself!

Also if you are interested in purchasing a book, entitled Petite, (A collection of poetry if you couldn't guess!) please give me an email at emily_mcintyre@yahoo.com. Or even if you want to say hi!

I find the following poem by Shelley quite cheeky, but charming. I suppose it may be a reflection of how I've been feeling lately!

LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY

The Fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single,
All things by a law devine
In one another's being mingle -
Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdain'd its brother:
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea -
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

-P.B. Shelley from this website