A Journey of Perseverance
A Tribe Blog entry from 3rd February 2024
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This week has been a jam-packed one, which I always knew it was going to be. With a book launch, my birthday and some journeys to see friends and family, I'm proud of my capability to still get this post out to you all on-time.
Let's work through this week in chronological order.
The Setup
The start of this week had a lot to get done, with a new poem and accompanying video to have ready for early access and the book announcement to get done before heading off.
The poem itself, “Nightmares” was an older one, examining the mindset of the oligarchs in this world that are complicit in the destruction of humanity and - in particular - the harm done to children. It felt fitting to share again now given the current atrocities playing out in Gaza. I figured that at least there would be slightly less work seeing as the poem was already finished - or so I thought. I did actually make some minor word adjustments from the original version that was published on Over To The Youth, partly to improve flow when speaking and partly so it would fit on the print! Nonetheless I am happier with the new version than I am with the original.
With that and the video sorted, it was time to move on to the book announcement. There was a lot to line up with this one, including appropriate cross-posts on different socials. I also had to wait until the proof copy came before I could go ahead with the announcement, just so I knew the book was printing correctly. This didn’t arrive until Monday. Had I had it earlier, this week’s beginning could have been a lot less stressful, but alas, that was not the case.
I did persevere, however, and the book is now announced with a release date in stone. I’ll likely share one or two extra snippets before the book gets launched, but until then, there are still 3 poems from the book available in full on Substack.
The Execution
Poetry sorted, it was time for the adventure to begin.
Thursday saw me complete over 7 hours of driving, starting on the South Coast of the UK in the process of, firstly, taking a friend and mentor, David, from Chippenham in to Wales. Then to return to Bath ready to go see some live music in Bristol on Thursday night.
A big conversation theme for me in the first car journey (and at the house where he had been staying before we set off!) was in sacred masculinity (and femininity!) and the role of a mentor. David has a wealth of experience in understanding childhood traumas, the roles of men in society, the importance of ritual and many related areas.
It was a real blessing to spend time both with him as well as Dr Nick Thompson, one of the worlds leading holistic vets, and his wife Ellie, when I went to pick up David. Nick graciously gifted me a book detailing the principles around regenerative agriculture - something I am keen to explore more of, alongside holistic land management and how we live alongside nature. I talked a little about this last point in my last blog post, and I'll be keen to talk more about those first two points in a future post.
The legs of my journey by myself gave me ample time to listen to “Cannibals With Cutlery” by To Kill A King. To Kill A King were one of the first bands that I truly fell in love with as a teenager, and that were not just a band introduced to me by my parents. I deeply enjoy their music to this day, with excellent compositions blending acoustic folk/singer-songwriter elements with indie rock and orchestral arrangements.
I never got chance to see them live growing up. Thus, when they announced they were touring to celebrate 10 years of Cannibals With Cutlery, playing that album which I fell in love with and got as a 13th Birthday present in full, the day after my birthday, I knew I had to go.
So that's what I did. And they did not disappoint.
Something within me feels very honoured that I was able to provide this experience for both the current me and a past me who needed their music growing up. I was more than happy to pick up a T-shirt from them at the end and let Ralph, the lead singer, know what their music meant to me.
There were a few other events to occupy my time the following day too. In the afternoon, I travelled in to Bath to stop by the World Council For Health and catch up with them and their work. Then, a few other catch-ups with family and friends later, and my time in the Bristol/Bath area is bringing itself to a close. I'm just finishing writing this post up from the house of the friend I've been staying with, after which I shall be preparing to depart back home.
The Reflection
Perseverance was a common theme across this week. Perseverance in writing poetry for over a year now is what is allowing me to bring “Born Anew” to you. Perseverance in my love for To Kill A King's music has allowed me to fulfill one of the items on my life's bucket list in seeing them live. Perseverance is what is allowing so many of the people and organisations I have respect for - including the WCH - to reach people they might not have done otherwise.
To me, persevering is able to combine an element of living in the moment (we have to act here and now to maintain the perseverance) with a commitment to a higher, long-term goal that allows us to develop. It speaks to being the change we wish to see in the world and to a respect for the processes.
I'm still unpacking some of the rest of the experiences I have had this week, and I suspect I will have more to share on them in next week's blog post. So, in spirit of the theme, I am persevering in doing just that.
Until next time, my friend.