Words, stories, and poetry will save us. Let’s look ahead!
Dear Reader,
A page in the history of the United States and the world is finally turning, and I believe that with the wonderful poem written and read by Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in history, we can all still hope and believe that the future will be better.
One thing is sure: words, stories, and poetry will make us all move forward and grow. So let’s keep writing and reading together!
Medium has recently introduced a new upgrade which should encourage discussion between readers and writers. …
I have a gift for time travel
Do you know that I have a gift? I am able, whenever I feel like it, to travel in 2007. It happened again the other night.
All I have to do is launch “Fields of Gold” from Sting and here I am standing behind the big mixing console of a small jazz club a stone’s throw from the Montparnasse Tower in Paris. It’s around 4 pm, and the sound engineer in residence, my trainer, starts the sound check for the concert that will take place around 9 pm.
Sting’s classic is his favorite title for setting up the console. The music resonates in the speakers suspended from the ceiling and the huge subwoofers hidden under the stage make the still-empty auditorium vibrate. I’m here for several months, a few days a week while the other days I’m training as a sound engineer. …
Let’s see what will happen
Dear Reader,
The vise is tightening a little more here in France, with a new curfew starting at 6 pm throughout France. I am afraid that third confinement will hang over us, and at the same time, I am one of those who believe that the strictest measures must be put in place if we want to overcome this pandemic.
As I expressed in my last haiku, I want to believe in an enchanting tomorrow, which I hope will not be long in coming. I am confident in the future, even more so when I read all the messages you send me by e-mail telling me how much you love the publication and what I have built with all of you over the years. …
And yet I have to get used to the idea of uncertain days ahead
Words fail me. There are days when nothing comes. Everything gets stuck in my head and I can’t even write two sentences in a row.
Is it the cold that froze everything in my body and in my heart? Yet I love the cold more than anything. When I leave home in the morning and the zero-degree attacks my face, I feel infinitely invigorated and I suddenly want to write again and again. So, have I already lost my breath at the beginning of this year, so much so that I can no longer free the words?
Even more so today, I wonder how to live. I was never taught how to live in times of Pandemic. I didn’t hear anything about this at school. And my grandparents are no longer there to tell me how they live during the war — they were in their mid-twenties in the middle of World War II. Although I doubt that a pandemic can be compared to a war, they may have felt similar things to how I feel today. …
Temperatures have dropped below zero here in France these last few days, and I love it. Does the cold inspire you too?
Dear Reader,
I pray that you keep faith in the future despite the madman who continues to relentlessly destroy everything he can before leaving the ship. I think you’ve guessed who I’m talking about… I was so shocked to see the images from the Capitol. Let’s hope that soon it will all be a distant memory.
I enjoyed reading here on Medium Barack Obama’s words about this event, and I confess that I can’t wait to start the first volume of his memoirs that recently weighed down one of my shelves.
Well, I was happy these last few days to read all your poems following my writing prompt. Thank you for your enthusiasm and your words, and for those who have not yet participated, know that you can do so until the end of the month. …
The meeting takes place in two days. In the meantime, I’m relaxing as much as I can by stretching
Tie or bow tie? Three-piece suit and shirt or jeans and t-shirt? Dress shoes or sneakers? Flashy or discreet watch?
At the time of the meeting, what form of politeness should be used? A reverence? Should I speak first, or should I wait until he invites me to speak? Should I sit down first, or should I wait until invited?
Once seated, how should I behave? Can I cross my legs, or should I hold them parallel with both feet flat on the floor? And my hands, where should I put them? Should I let them rest on my knees, or should I put them on the desk between me and him? …
Let’s make our words and our hearts allow 2021 to be sweeter
Dear Reader,
2021, here we are! I am so happy to start this new year by writing to you! I wish with all my heart that these first months of 2021 will bring you sweetness and happiness. After the year we’ve had, I think we all deserve a little peace and quiet. And you can count on me to continue to offer you a place where it is good to read, write, and breathe.
So much has been accomplished since the birth of the publication four years ago, and this new year promises to be even more exciting than the previous ones! …
