Author: Maja Todorovic

is a leadership coach and writer. Business in Rhyme is her creative corner where she blogs and teaches about beautiful uses of poetry and poetic techniques for improving writing, personal growth and creativity.

Why is poetry (and writing) so important – as seen through the words of writers

by Maja Todorovic, posted in Business in Rhyme, Read, write, lead!, Write, create, innovate!

Here are three inspirational videos that I believe, if you ever doubted why should you write – will for ever clear up things for you. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have 🙂

Scott Griffin is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for founding the Griffin Poetry Prize, one of the world’s most generous poetry awards in 2000, and Poetry In Voice, a recitation competition for Canadian high schools. He is also the Chancellor of Bishop’s University. Chancellor Griffin sits on several NGO boards, as a director of Canadian Executive Services Overseas (CESO), a volunteer advisor to CESO, and a director of African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Canada. In 2006, Chancellor Griffin published a memoir entitled My Heart is Africa that recounted his two-year aviation adventure starting in 1996, working for the Flying Doctors Service in Africa. He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in December, 2012. His talk explores the importance of poetry in society.

Daniel Tysdal has been a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at UTSC since 2009. He is the author of three books of poetry and the poetry textbook, The Writing Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating Poems (Oxford University Press 2014). He is the recipient of multiple awards for his work and his research interests include creative writing and poetry. In his talk,  he is going to show you that you are the poet and will walk you through his writing process to showcase the Power of Poetry: to help us remember, grieve and celebrate.

Jarred McGinnis will share his passion for stories and demonstrate the power of words from Speech Act Theory to the genius that is the children’s book ‘That’s Not My Pirate’. Jarred is an American living in London, and the co-founder of the literary variety night, The Special Relationship. His fiction has been commissioned for BBC Radio 4, and appeared in journals in the UK, USA and Ireland. He is wickedtomocktheafflicted.com. In addition to writing fiction, he holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.

If you liked this post and you are interested in getting more inspiration for your creativity, sign up for our free bimonthly newsletter.

Your name

by Maja Todorovic, posted in My personal rhyme - from time to time

Wears its own fame.

Starting with B.

I like how B blows out of my mouth.

Like a playful Boo!

child’s ambush from

a hidden corner

or

your surprise from behind,

hands eclipsing my eyes

and kiss in the neck,

wistful sighs.

 

R likes to roll on my tongue.

Wants to get out –

doesn’t want to get out.

Jumps, bounce of my teeth

and rolls like a train speeding its feet.

 

S likes to become shhhhh…

when I put my heavy, tired head on your

chest, nest.

All vowels and consonants

are disciplined solders, creating brigades of

syllables,

always ready to march,

when desire knocks on the door of my mouth.

Hurrying deep south.

Maja S. Todorovic

Also published here.

The Duke of Burgundy

by Maja Todorovic, posted in My personal rhyme - from time to time

You know how I love it:

tie me up with your purple silk scarf,

cold glide that tights my skin,

pull my hair with your fingers

and lay down my head on a wooden pillow.

 

Turn off the moon:

invite darkness,

leave two holes above my nose

so I can breathe in freshens of the night.

 

Place my feet

in a rectangular position:

let them linger just a bit

as you wrap me in the song of

night owls and chirping crickets,

my breasts kiss the feathered leaves

scattered like ornaments around my chest.

 

Lock me up in the trunk of your soul,

empty tunnel echoing my heart beat

as I bath in the burgundy light of your eyes.

 

Use me, accuse me, lose me,

amuse me, confuse me, seduce me:

 

that’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.

Maja S. Todorovic