People Poems are dedicated to people who, for one reason or another, have distinguished themselves in my life. People Poem 2 is dedicated to Pearl Kirkby who persuaded me — in one sentence — to change my signature from that of a backward looking former academic to that of a forward looking creative writer. ID, from Granite Ship rewritten as Land of Rocks and Saints, and liked by Pearl, reminds me of my time in academia. However, the final image of the USB states clearly the forward-looking aspect of my creativity. I am now a full-time creative writer. Thank you, Pearl, for pointing this out to me. Please accept this poem and this bouquet of e-flowers as my tribute and acknowledgement of my debt to you.
ID
Within this bookstore are many books, yet none
with my name on the cover or my life blood inside.
Deeper I dig, and deeper. Now here is a name I know,
and there in the bibliography, at last, I find my name:
two books, a dozen or so articles, a thesis, and I am
vindicated. All that study, that work, has led to this:
my name in a foreign book in a foreign bookstore. Nice
work: now I know that wherever I go, I can establish
my identity, set myself free from anonymity’s pangs.
Plug in the computer, turn it on, and there I am on the web,
smiling back at me. There is no better passport, no better
sense of being, of identity, than that contained in these
images of self, these self-reproductions that I carry with
me, always, in a memory stick looped round my neck.
Plaza de Santa Teresa
26 VII 2005
rogermoorepoet 
(p.s. those are very nearly the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever received 🙂 )
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It’s a Mixtec hand, in a suit, with my imitation Picasso floral bouquet … I am very proud of my inability to draw or paint, yet I still love my colours and my art!
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“…I’m very proud of my inability to draw or paint…” 😀 😀
I actually made it into a background image for my laptop!!
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Now that’s hilarious …. and a totally new direction for me … way to go, Pearl … I’ll have to think about second merit awards … that’s certainly a first for me. They are nice red flowers though!
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Oh Roger that’s the most touching sentiment I’ve ever received…I’m smiling and sobbing all at once…
I always feel an extra smile at the end of your emails when I note, all over again, the changed signature. You life as an academic defined you, I’m certain…but also led you to this wonderful creator that you became, whom we all take joy in!
I missed seeing this the other day (I work backwards, you see, rather than picking up where I left off), but seeing it tonight finished a perfect day!
Thank you. You can’t imagine how touched I am😔😌😊😂
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So glad you liked the poem and the tribute. As I said in my e-mail, you arrived when I was at a tipping point and your words turned my life around. You deserve a very honorable mention for that! So thank you.
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(…speechless again 🙂 )
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What a lovely thing to do! Beautiful, Roger!
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Glad you like it, Tanya. I was pleased with the idea of the e-flowers and the e-bouquet. I am wondering about an e-cake and e-chockies. I’ll see what I can come up with for drawings / cartoons. Plenty of friends in need of recognition! We need to stick together in the face of an often hostile indifference!
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Indifference is one of the most hostile evils out there, I think…Lol
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Your feet in so many worlds, Roger. I love that you are identifying yourself as a writer. It seems a natural culmination to your years in academia. As I sat between two gentleman on my flight to Shannon, one of them asked what I did for work and I hesitated but I said, “I am a writer.” It was the first time I identified myself that way. It felt strange but wonderful! What a lovely tribute to Pearl.
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Thanks, Meg! I should have added the verbal floral bouquet tribute for you, too, but the idea only came to me this morning. I’ll do all the people poems that way in future. You have set a good precedent. Academia was good to me until I changed and academia didn’t. Never mind: that’s all water under the bridge now. Pearl inspired me by saying “… their loss is our gain …” and that’s when I decided to change my signature and re-focus my life. And I am so glad I did.
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Thank you Roger! I concur with Pearl and I am glad you did, too!
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I have updated People Poem 1 and offered you a bouquet of e-flowers!
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Fabulous! I love it!
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