LIFE OF A POET - HUMBIRD

This week, my friends, we are visiting Humbird, who writes at  The Sunbeam, and who regularly responds to our Mid-Week Motif, and links to the Pantry. I am interested to meet this poet, who hails from Russia, a country that has always intrigued me. Bring your travel mug and come along with me, as we swoop in to a fine landing at her front door.

SHERRY: Humbird, I am so happy to be meeting with you, at last! Thank you for allowing this visit.

HUMBIRD: I have so mixed feelings,  doing this 'fuss' about me...

SHERRY: Everyone does, kiddo. Let’s dive in! Where, on the globe, do you live? Am I right in surmising that English is your second language?

HUMBIRD: Yes, Russian is my first language. I was born in the Ukraine by the Black Sea, in the town of Odessa. I now live in Minnesota, and my very successful son is a meteorologist, working in New York.

Humbird and son

If you look thoroughly through my poems, you will find about 24 translations of  my favorite Russian poets:  Akhmatova, Pasternak, Fet, Doriso, Slutsky, Okudzhava, and also songs.

Odessa 

wordseals.eu

SHERRY: I have always felt a connection to Russia, and have read some of your wonderful writers, especially Solzhenitsyn. I am wondering how you felt, coming to America, and leaving your homeland behind? Has it been everything you dreamed? You must get homesick at times.

HUMBIRD: I'm thinking of one poem that might be appropriate for this question:

NEW HOME

my roots

have been

replanted

for more Earth

experiments

for this unique

life cycle

so lucky

to see

as old star seed

the different sides

of the planet Earth

between two worlds,

two homes

there are common ground

I've found -

the planet Earth

the north and south,

east and west,

above and below're

invited for quest

within me

my tenderness

isn't missed,

not dispelled

with those 7 winds

its kept here,

within me

in peace

my eyes're

lit up with

the love I find

to new home,

to the whole

new world

under the name "I"

Sherry: That is a perfect response to the question. We are all citizens of the planet, when it comes down to it. And we start over again so many times in one lifetime. Thank you so much!

Duke statue, Odessa

Humbird, on your banner, you have written: “unfolding creativity, changing life”, which  indicates you are living through a life transition. Would you like to explain this? And how blogging may be helping you to make and chart this journey?

Arcadia Beach, Odessa

orangesmile.com

HUMBIRD:  First of all, you maybe want to know that I've started with spiritual stories. I have the blog on wordpress,  Vibrate. Create. Resonate, about self-growth, self-development . 2011  was the year when I first started to write in English, as an expression of new feelings of unconditional love I got, after opening my chakras, after getting my Masters degree in Reiki. It was a spiritual awakening. 

You can find writing dedicated to my healing art at my blog Vibrate. Create. Resonate.  
3 Revelations About Reiki will tell you more about this.

SHERRY: I checked, and it reads, intriguingly, that you are an engineer, piano teacher, and Reiki Master.  That you take a holistic approach to life, enjoying synthesizing  art, literature, music, science, and medicine. And that you wish to experience  life as multi-dimensionally as possible. Cool, Humbird!

HUMBIRD: Soon after that awakening, I started my second blog ,  BETTERFLY, with short stories and articles with the purpose of helping people to balance energy, feel better.  Reiki opened a new world, new perspective, second breath and purpose...

SHERRY: It is wonderful that you found your purpose and your passion! That’s what makes life sing.

HUMBIRD: By this time, 2012, I was active on Twitter for 1 year, where I've noticed an interesting group of haiku writers, and these were my first short poems.  By now, you probably understand what words 'unfolding creativity, changing life' mean for me. ..When you're trying connect your inner voice, the soul, you develop intuition, start to notice how your body and  heart react to different things in your life. And try to act accordingly.

One of my poems, dedicated to my healing art is Healing Hands.

HEALING HANDS

Listening to my hands…

invisible worms – a million

run through..

Healing manna – inhaled

worry free, warm

energy cycle

Hold, hold until done

swirling ki, sipping by cells

sigh, life unfolding…

Sherry: Oh, I like that very much, Humbird! Do you have a writing process that you follow, or do your poems come spontaneously?

HUMBIRD: Sometimes I get the word, and it amuses me, I'm chewing it till get the poem. Another time, I just follow the idea, where always trying to keep rule of 3: exposition, culmination, denouement.  Couple time I was inspired by music, and just followed the rhythm of song , its phrases ( 'Unfamiliar guest' feb 17, 2012). Also I was trying auto-writing, which is hard mental task - the sounds just make you crazy...

So I do lots of humming when write... this is partly why I am Hum-bird :)

Sherry: How cute! I wondered how your name came about! Do you do a lot of revising or leave your poems as they arrive?

HUMBIRD: No! I don't like to look back, or rework old poems...Just recently I started to read them, and was surprised how differently they sound for today-me.

Sherry: I find the same thing.  Browsing around your site, I found this poem and knew I wanted to feature it here.

photo by Humbird

MANIFESTO

Why I write…

The fingers wander feverishly for extensions

stretching to decima – not enough,

the pensive soul accepts no refreshment,

played on the background so long half/half.

To run thru the keyboard-to discover

the thorns and the roses,

the joy, revelation while writhing in pain,

to dare to touch the stone of Moses,

don’t let soul sail get dissolved in a vain.

What threatens my writing life…

I nervous and gripping the pen

so then I’m not screaming

and shake in despair,

life steps on the heels

required pay bills

and this is what threaten

my writing passion…

Why I will continue to write against all odds…

I am into chasing the word

the English word sounds so cool to my ears

remember the time listening a song

but not understanding the lyrics…

We travel prolonged path

developing, nourish the spirit

so who will judge/blame us

when we learn to trust

our feelings and walk off a pier…

Sherry: That is a good manifesto, Humbird. Tell us about your field of employment.

HUMBIRD: I'm a piano teacher mainly. In the past I worked in Musical theater, where I also was a producer and directed a couple of children's plays.

Sherry: Poets are so often creative in other areas. I explored your wonderful artist page .........what came first, art or poetry?  Tell us a little about what completing a painting feels like. Do you stick with water colors, or explore other mediums?

Shoes

HUMBIRD: I'm always inspired by other poets/writers pieces, also - by Astrology, Tarot, and art/photo. Once I decided to try art as another area for expression. My art lessons were in pastels, and also drawing from observation. 

Cat

I was surprised what a rejection I met. (I was able to draw one picture in not more than 30 minutes, while the other experienced artists in class were working at the picture 3 and more hours.)... maybe because we have never been encouraged to try new things... My art teacher said we need to force ourselves to practice every day.  As a piano teacher, I understand that. Writing also requires everyday practice... 

When I say about practicing to draw, I have a 'Sketch Pad'  and pencil by my computer, to catch the happy moment to draw.

Leaves edited in Picasa

Sherry: I think art is a wonderful avenue of creative expression. I checked out your community projects page and am impressed with the food program you talk about there, Feed My Starving Children. Would you like to tell us a bit about this?

fmsc.org

HUMBIRD:  Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit. I wrote about them in this poem:

Hunger to Hope

Israelites, traveling in a desert,

were provided with

miracle meal -

manna...

...almost the same 'miracle' happened

to severely malnourished

and starving kids of Honduras,

received first box with formula...

Colleagues from companies

Cargill teamed up with

Pillsbury and General Mills,

fulfilled life roles,

developed nutritious

'fortified Rice Soy Casserole'

for malnourished children

age of 5

the formula's name

was changed

to 'MannaPack Rice'

...have you ever hold

the exhausted child of 13 pounds

weight? -

35 p. after 6 months

of eating the meal.

Volunteering, donating -

can we eliminate starvation

in children in the world?

Instill compassion in people

to hear and respond

to cries of those in need? 

['A single bag of food - which provides highly nutritious meals for six children -
costs around $1.32 to produce, and 92% of all donation to FMSC (Feed My Starving Children, the organization, founded in 1987 by MN businessman Richard Proudfit ) goes directly toward the food program.' www.FMSC.org]

Sherry: This is a wonderful program! So rewarding.

HUMBIRD: I have worked with my friends for a while, now – I am busy, having the students at this time. We had dancing/singing/playing drums with a  group of kids/teenagers from Africa. And we held  a concert, also demonstrating some crafts in the lobby. 

Sherry: Such satisfying work, Humbird. Way to go! Well, this has truly been a pleasure. Thank you so much for this visit. Is there anything else you'd like to say to Poets United?

HUMBIRD: When we connect with the group of writers, participating in the prompts, comment on each others' poems - we absorb the wisdom of collective mind, receiving our personal aha- moments, inspiring and getting inspired. I’m grateful for meeting all these talented people at Poets United, wish them to keep high our poetic torch to highlight for all the way of Love through the word.

Every week, another wonderful journey, life seen through another poet's eyes. I love what Humbird says about the wisdom of the collective mind, and sharing Love through our words. Do come back to see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!