Penn Kemp
Poet/ performer Penn Kemp has published twenty-five books of poetry and drama, had six plays and ten CDs of Sound Opera produced as well as several award-winning videopoems: www.mytown.ca/pennkemp. Penn was the Canada Council Writer-in-Residence at UWO for 2009-10. Her project was the DVD, Luminous Entrance: a Sound Opera for Climate Change Action (Pendas Productions, 2010). Five Sound Operas have been performed at London’s Aeolian Hall Summer Soirees; UWO and festivals in Glastonbury, India and Brazil. She hosts the eclectic literary Gathering Voices, on CHRWradio.com/talk/gatheringvoices. The League of Poets proclaimed Penn one of ten foremothers of Canadian poetry; the Writers’ Union newsletter called her “a one-woman literary industry”. She is delighted and honoured to be London’s inaugural Poet Laureate.
Click the link below for a one minute mp3 of “Heart to Art to Heart again and again”, the last chorus of “Gathering Good Company” from Penn’s sound opera, Dream Sequins. Many thanks to musicians Bill Gilliam and Brenda McMorrow.
The Heart of Community
Come join our movable feast in joy
of joining, weaving, braiding a way,
knitting a wave, waving a welcome,
well come in then. Here. Hear!
Creating community, fusion delights
this spacious collective, call elect
if creating community collective.
Community-minded, in spirit ensouled
sole and together, gathered at the full.
We are held in London’s warm bowl
within the wide valley of Antler River.
Community our vocation, invoking
the vocative pro vocative, calling us,
calling on us, call sure, culture, meeting
many cultures, collected passion.
The Graces are present, spirits high.
Lift the cup and dance, sing, spin, say,
weave, win over, wave, write welcome.
Weaving together, whatever
the weather, we conjure com pose
paeans of praise to possibility
for civic pride, for civil action.
We appreciate, how we appreciate
one other, different and the same,
celebrating diversity in verse and by pros.
When we are in good company
when we start in good company,
in chorus a meeting of media,
the hub at the heart of connection.
O may the best manifest
fest if all festivity
best of all company.
Cheer and exult.
Hail and salute!
Here, here!
