Dear friends of Magic & Poetry
*
Dear friends of Magic & Poetry
The Links Project sprang from the short poem 'Undestined I listen to his beautiful words, carried by the winds they are saying nothing, they are undestined, tempting the empty.' Five lines that wanted to behold the world, and liberate it. Why shouldn't they? After all, I was 27.
In the span of two decades, The Links Project developed and progressed, and it is still changing today. Traveling with an eight second poem over a time span of twenty years is bound to change your life and personality. As poetic as such a journey sounds, there were times when it felt as if I was trapped in a poetic nightmare. Imagine what it would be like to look out for 544 persons between Ireland and Japan, just to have them recite the same few lines over and over again – for years. If it wasn't for The Great Adventure, I would certainly have stopped halfway, when I was out of means, out of luck, kidnapped, molested, and even once arrested and put in jail. Together with my incidental fellow travellers, often taken along on the ride from wherever I made friends – I lost a few on the way as well.
If you like impossible dreams, you are invited to come along on a magic ride to all those places and the people that live or lived on the line; some of them aren't among us anymore – time goes by. 27 became 47, which leaves me with 20 added reasons to complete and present the Links Project, and take it to the next level. It was always the plan to eventually give it back to the people who are The Links Project. Therefore we will create an international platform for participants and those interested in the project. You can join by creating your own profile in The Links Community here. Finally, the idea is to create a traveling exhibition and develop programs for lectures in schools and universities. You can read more abot this here.
To support us financially, you can either donate, or contact us for adopting educational programs and exhibits.
**
Crossing borders
In its first life, 'Undestined' was a visual poem, the meaning of which anyone can surely figure out – just match the symbols to the words. However, ultimately, a catchy visual poem like that is nothing else than the next bunch of 'beautiful words'. Basically, that is the limit of language: words are only words, they can't act in themselves, or change anything. And yet... by taking 'Undestined' from Ireland to Japan, and having it recited (in the local dialect) in each single village and city along the way, the audiovisual poem crosses borders, and denies their existence – even if some borders become painfully clear.
The Links Project is the living poem 'Undestined', as presented here in its entirety. In its audiovisual form, the poem is the first to ever have crossed the physical limits of language: it shows something in itself, rather than pretending something. Instead of being mere words, it is a self contained act.
I'd like to say that I am an idealist aiming to change the world, which is what the newspapers and television reporters in various countries tried to make of me. I am not. The world is fine as it is. I wouldn't want to change it if I could. However... The Links Project might want to change you. The only message of it besides showing that people have always been united regardless borders, religious leaders and politicians, is to not let anything in this world discourage you in following your dreams. Everything is possible.
One fine day we will touch the stars, for sure.
I hope to meet you all there,
The poet.
