How can it be that twelve people can so enjoy a meal celebrating the life and work of a Scottish poet who died 214 years ago? So unexpected, but once again, we did. Conversation was lively. The food was delicious. We toasted Burns, read some of his poems, and ate haggis. We spent almost four hours eating and drinking, talking and toasting, and reading and singing and listening to Robert Burns’ poems.
Toasting the haggis
People were involved. This is vital for a literary event. When a group gathers for an event that involves poems, songs, or some other literary focus, it’s not meant to be a performance. To be sure, as the chairman and memorizer of much Burns, I took an active role. Still, from singing some songs (Green Grow the Rashes and Auld Lang Syne), plus reading various Burns poems (several guests brought their own selections to read), and our round robin reading of Tam O’ Shanter, everybody participated.
I also have come to recognize the power of a poem, read or recited directly to a person or a small group of people. Somehow, speaking a poem among others infuses whoever is in earshot with something, a jolt of energy or peace or fun (or maybe a bit of each). It’s a powerful experience that re-confirmed my commitment to conducting literary events as one part of a life lived literarily.
