From the Editor - Paradox for John Homan

March marks the first anniversary of the passing of a man whose poetry, compassion, and humor - plus generous efforts to provide his fellow poets an opportunity to share their poetry - should not be forgotten. John Homan founded the open mic Word Play in 2015, which met monthly in Elkhart. I was deeply moved to learn from John that hearing experiences expressed in poetry is a sacred activity because we are witnessing what we mean as human beings. Writing and performing is the way we discover who we are. He said, “WordPlay is a church for people without a church.” His work blessed many pages of PAN-O-PLY Michiana.

Paradox

for John Homan on March 25, 2023

by Cynthia Connell Davis with Fred Story

Not all of us can do Paradox.

Most of us do irony or hypocrisy

And cynicism – those dark sides of

that High Spirit.

Paradox, who knows endings – and Knows

which endings are not endings;

Knows that most words can’t do it.

Maybe the “Waffles” you shouted could.

The Great Pyramid of spirit?

You worked in its dark underbelly:

Corporate; the new carpet you found abhorrent.

You battled it all with Chlorine Dreams.

You loved Walt Whitman, who said,

“You say I contradict myself? Of course

I contradict myself; I contain multitudes.”

And: “Death is different than we think -- and luckier.”

Didn’t all those warm hugs ever bring you Close

enough? “That big teddy bear personality –

What was it hiding?” Fred asked.

You contained so much – so much luckier.

I hope, with my whole broken heart,

you are talking to Walt Whitman right now.

To read Homan’s poems find links at panoplymichiana.com in the Editor’s Note. Listen to John reciting Waffles at soundcloud.com/beatnik-for-jesus. In Paradox, the waffles, carpet and chlorine dreams (from swimming at the Y) are references to his poems.

Thanks for reading!

--Cynthia Connell Davis, Co-Editor