Lucien Suel par cheswepes

We had such a wonderful poetry time in Amiens, Picardie. First of all, the cathedral of Amiens, a true mystic jewel. The display and space (biggest in France), the atone grey colour of the stone inside, idealizing the rose windows, the stained glasses; the old doors, the different levels, the labyrinth in the nave, an ancient pilgrimage for the people who couldn't afford a Jerusalem pilgrimage. Even if I was not a Catholic person I would go there on sundays to listen to the bishop, when it's filled with real people coming for a real purpose, the same as the one for which it was built in 1220, instead of tourists like me. It was a bit cold inside, colder than outside!

Later there was a screening of my documentary about French poetry in a brick house called La Briqueterie; every ancient house is made of brick in the old Amiens. We had a discussion with the public, who was polite and smart, making compliments first then gentle critics. I said « Why not making a film about poetry yourself? There is plenty of room in this deserted place full of voices. »

Then I was lucky to make a poetry reading with my friend the poet Ivar Ch'Vavar, who red chants from his last book « Titre », an epic taking place in Berck. Born in 1951, Ivar used to work under 111 pseudonyms. He's a living genius, one of the last poet who's working with his own voice, in a permanent reinvention of it. He's the writer of « Hölderlin au mirador », a previous epic in 27 chants. His last work was a 41 episodes poem for the poetry website Poezibao. There was also the immense poet (it's almost scary to read with giants) Lucien Suel, who finished his reading with his extraordinary poem Patismit, a souvenir of a Patti Smith concert... in the picard dialect!

Poets don't make money; they don't get recognition, they have no social status, this is why you can trust them: there is a unique sense of generosity in poetry.