Don with his Poetry Serenity

Don with his Poetry Serenity


Interviewed byNasra Al Adawi

Proofread by Abs

I don’t know where or how to begin describing Don Iannone. I first recall seeing his blog after he had written a little comment on my blog. On entering his blog, Conscious Living, and glancing at his photo portrait, a certain sense of spirituality took over me. Every page of his blog brought upon a certain element of serenity and calmness. If I were to be given a chance to explain about Don through his poetry, I’m not sure if it would be adequate enough. Don is a shining example of humbleness, spiritual poetry, all in one, with no equation exceeding the other.

I love the way he views his surroundings and their existence “We are "here" to help others. We help ourselves by helping others. We teach what we ourselves need to learn in life. Life is really very simple once we learn to get beyond ourselves.” Through his words you would be able to share with me, the vision of his simplicity. I would love to know what brings out the poetic Don. I’m sure sharing his side of the poet’s coin will be an extravagant experience for all of us. Don is not only a poet and spiritualist, but professionally he is also an economist, innovation specialist, educationist and an author in the United States. (Click Here to read his biography). Yes it did take me by surprise and I’m sure it will surprise all of you too.

John Ettorre, who is a Cleveland-based writer and editor, simplified this for me in his statement about Don “To the casual observer, my friend Don may appear to be the most unlikely poet imaginable. After all, he makes his living in an alternate universe, as an economic development consultant. This involves studying and writing about business developments and traveling around the country giving civic leaders and other interested parties advice on how to make their economies sizzle. It’s true that this is a field of endeavor not generally known as a prime launching pad for poets. On the other hand, you should know that a man named Wallace Stevens spent much of his working life beavering away in the insurance business, while also managing to produce some of the most memorable poetry of the 20th century.”

Don’s Life Vision Statement
By Donald T. Iannone

I believe—
in the infinite power
of the Law of Attraction
which says that those thoughts and feelings
that lie deepest inside me
bring about the reality
that I experience everyday.
I intend—
to use this law
to transform my life today.

My life is built upon
what my mind thinks and believes, and
what my heart and spirit feel deepest.
I will do my very best this day
to create a meaningful, loving, and abundant life
for myself, and
others I touch.
I will do my very best
during this day
to live in harmony and peace
with myself and others.

I will do my very best
during this day
to lead a uniquely rich
and richly unique life.
I will do my very best
during this day
to trust
that the Universe will provide for me
so long as I help other souls
find their way.

I trust in the infinite power of God Almighty
to work through me
to bring peace, meaning, wisdom, and healing
to what is an innately loving and intelligent world.
I trust myself
to be an unselfish vessel for good.
I promise to care for my mind, body, and spirit
during this day
so I am fully prepared to be this vessel.

I envision my life, during this day
as a balanced wheel
capable of moving in any direction
that I am called in.
I envision my life, during this day
as being filled with the right people
who genuinely need my help, and
those who can genuinely help me.
I trust that God
and the Universe
have a plan for me—
one that is tied to a higher purpose
and one that adds special value to the world.
I trust that this plan
will help me to be
all that I need to be
at any given moment.

Within me lies
a tiny piece of the Divine—
something truly magical and wonderful
that this world needs.
I will do my best during this day
to use this magic
to work those miracles
that make my life worthwhile—
to me and others.
I promise to use my life energies
to uphold this tiny piece of the Divine
above all things in my life.
I promise to allow this gift
to grow, and change
as it needs
to remain in harmony
with the larger whole of life.

I accept that my work
as a consultant and advisor,
poet and writer, and
teacher and healer
will align with my true loving nature.
I promise that during this day
I will see this work
as only a part of who I am.
I accept my callings
as a husband, father, son, brother,
friend, and professional colleague
and I vow to assume these life roles
with loving kindness, wisdom, and courage.
~To read the whole poem pls click Here~

After I read the poem I put my glasses on to portray the look of journalist and got the courage to face Don with my sets of questions

• The above poem brings many glimpses of your personality? Do you feel words or poetry can describe the person who wrote it? Would it justify, for instance, describing a person? Nasra, that is a very good question. As I think about it, my poetry accurately portrays who I am on the deepest level, perhaps even better than the work I do for a living. My deepest wish is that my poetry speaks what is in my heart. But as they say, it is hard at times to judge a book by its cover. I suppose the same could be said about a person’s poetry and what it reflects about him or her.

It gives me joy to write poetry, especially when a poem captures what I feel inside. I have been very fortunate in life being surrounded by so many people who have given me love. This love has made me who I am. Because of this, I feel gratitude about my life and the world. Poetry is just one small way to give something back to others.

Haiku Moment
By Don

Newborn
--born anew
----relearning who you are

· I found a statement of yours “Poetry has been an active part of that spiritual journey since the early 1990s.” I would like to know, where does poetry begin for you?

I began writing poetry in high school. My senior English teacher, Mr. Sharpe, gave me the opportunity to come to know poetry. The late 1960s were a time of great social and cultural change in the United States. Poetry seemed to connect me with this changing world and make me feel alive. I didn’t write much poetry for many years. Over time, I forgot how wonderful it feels to lip a really good poem.

I started writing poetry again in the late 1980s, which was a time of great personal change and transformation for me. I felt like my world was falling apart then, as my mother died of cancer, my father-in-law died very suddenly, my first marriage ended, my relationship with my two sons fell apart, I changed jobs, and I felt more and more like I didn’t know the person I had become. That was the beginning of a new leg of my journey to get to know my spirit. Literally, I felt like I was a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. It was very painful for a couple years, and then, I began to see light at the end of the tunnel.

In the early 1990s, many very different things began to happen in my life. I began reconnecting with old friends, including my best friend from my college days in Tucson, Arizona. I started having revealing dreams and life became more vivid for me. I began to develop a sense of who I really am. It was very powerful. My poetry was very helpful to me during those times.

· With a profession like yours where does poetry fall in your world? Many people ask this question, Nasra. I explain it this way: My day job is to run my economic development consulting business, and my night job is writing poetry. Of course, writing poetry is not really a job. It’s a blessing and feels like part of my calling in life.

· Is there a relation between poetry and economic development?
This question makes me laugh. No obvious relationship. Each is a language helping is access different aspects of life. That they share in common. Lots of places today are trying to capitalize on their artistic and creative sectors as sparks for economic development. Places need to be interesting to people. Poetry about places, like Tucson, Arizona, or Cleveland, Ohio, can help people see the aliveness of a place—that is the place’s soul. In that sense, I believe poetry and economic development can be friends.

Haiku Moment
By Don

early morning sun
shadows fall across the yard
blue sky through the trees



· What does spirituality mean to you? Is there a line where poetry and spirituality meet? For instance in photography, especially when capturing images of nature, some of us find spirituality in the sense that beauty does not come about as coincidence? What is your opinion? How did you find your spirituality? (e.g is it caused by incidence in your life or did you find miracles that led you to it?
Spirituality means simply that our true nature is spiritual. That is who we really are. Poetry is a way to express what I feel on a spiritual level. Not all poems take me there, but some do. The really good ones are those that feel powerful because they are so simple, clear, and true.
Everything and everybody in life is sacred. The aliveness in things and people is what makes them special. Everything is connected in life too. Nothing is separate. This teaches us responsibility for ourselves, our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Because it’s all connected, we must approach the world with respect and reverence.

As I mentioned earlier, hardship, pain, and suffering brought me to my knees and helped me see I had to get over myself and focus on where my spirit leads me. It’s about others and not us. Sometimes our world has to come crashing down before we can see the light.

· Some find poetry to voice out their sadness and some find poetry to voice their happiness. Where your poetic inspiration fuelled from?
I feel fortunate in the sense that more joy than sorrow ripples through my poetry. I’ve written some dark poems though. As they say, we need the dark to see the light. Much of poetry tries to speak to the mystery of life. Not that I know any more than anyone else, but I sense the mystery and how it seizes us. Nature is a real inspiration for my poetry. Lately the changing colors of autumn have captivated my attention, and so my poetry reflects what I see and feel about the fall season.


· “Poetry is a special language that I use to communicate with my soul. I write and read poetry on a regular basis.” Can poetry be a form of therapy? And for those who have a burning passion to write but are afraid, how do you think they should begin?
Yes, it is therapeutic. Anything that helps us remember who we are is therapeutic. Poetry does that for me.

My advice on writing is simple: Write! Don’t be afraid of what others think. Write for yourself, and in so doing, be true to yourself. When you do that, a person’s writing cannot be anything but successful.

· Do you need to be in specific mood to write poetry?
Good question, Nasra. My best poems either bubble up inside me or they seize me like a huge ocean wave. I write everyday—usually in the morning. Some days I just don’t feel like writing. I don’t feel like I have anything to say. That’s when I talk with my muse and ask her what she has on her mind.

· Is poetry is still alive in a fast moving world? Where does poetry survive in the century of internet and electronics?
Poetry will always be alive in the world as long as it is still alive in the heart! The Internet is a very good for poetry.

· I find you love writing Haiku intertwined with photography. How did it begin? Which one you do prefer to write in, Haiku or poetry?
Actually, I don’t follow the strict form of Haiku. Some days I wake up and fewer words seems better than a lot. On those days, the shorter Haiku-type poems seem right to me. I like using images with words because images speak to the unconscious part of our psyche and words speak more to the conscious side. Images help people connect and feel. That is a good thing, I think.

· How do you describe your writing theme of poetry? And which poet/writer inspires you?
My style is mostly free verse, but I use various other forms as well, such as a modified version of Haiku. I enjoy spiritual and inspirational poetry the most, but also like poetry about everyday life.

I am passionate about many different poets. Mary Oliver is a favorite comtemporary poet. Her words are magical. James Wright, who is from my hometown Martins Ferry, Ohio, is a favorite because of his willingness to say exactly what is on his mind. Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and many others have taken my breath away for many years. Rumi, the Persian mystic, is a favorite. Basho Matsuo, the great Haiku master, has always been a favorite. Finally, Maya Angelou is a favorite, who has inspired me over the years.

· When you write how much visualizing do you put into your writing?
That depends. Most of my poetry is sparked by a feeling, a quick image, or even a single word that takes over me. My spiritual poetry is hard to communicate without the use of metaphor. Therefore, I find myself thinking about different things are the same.

· In your opinion what are the tools of a poet? And can a writer or a poet be able to analyse the quality of his own work? (meaning that he wrote a very touching poem or a bad poem)? Can a poet judge on his own work?
A second, and even third, set of eyes is always important to a writer. Listen to what others say about your poetry. It will tell you a lot. The tools of a poet are: an imagination, the willingness to speak from the heart, a burning desire to use words, and a muse or two who can ignite the passion within you.

· Do you find that having a media like a website or a blogspot helps in promoting the work of a poet or does the work of the poet get lost as many similar poets and writers would not read yours if you don’t ready theirs?
Yes, the Web is a big help to me in connecting with others who share my passion. It has also helped me expand my network globally. After all, that is how you and I discovered each other. By the way, I love the way you write. Your passion is self-evident. Your writing frees things in me that were locked up before. There is a lot of power and love that comes though your poetry. You have great talent, but I think you have even a larger heart. That is a wonderful thing, Nasra. Thank you for your work and its contribution to life!


Thanksgiving Morning
By Don

Thanksgiving sunrise in Carefree,
Red boulders stretch toward a pale blue sky,
A morning fire paints yellow laughter on the casita walls,
Opaque shadows linger and dance across the room,
In the nearby junipers, the birds are awake,
Their sweet voices rise with the cherry orange sun,
In the distance, the mission church bells remind us...
To ring true to ourselves on this special day,
Deep inside we know...
Thanksgiving always blooms where grateful hearts abide.


· What moves you as poet?
The aliveness of the universe moves me. When I feel connected to it, my poetry seems to be on fire.

· You published your first poetry book in 2005, titled, ‘Stilling the Waters’. Tell us more about it, how was it accepted as you have been known to be an author who covered subjects like economy?
Stilling the Waters has been very well received. It has sold fairly well, but I tend to give copies away as gifts. It’s something personal I can give someone. It’s fun to surprise someone with a book of poetry, especially when they had no idea you were a poet. Most of my writing has been in the economic development field. I am working on a book on leadership right now. It will be a small book; less than 150 pages.

My second poetry book is coming out in early spring. Most of the content is ready. I am thinking about a name right now.

· The experience of publishing a poetry book (to some it can be called as opening a gentle side to them) what were the lessons that you gained from it? And would you publish another poetry book? The first thing is to work on the book everyday.

Write something every day and tuck it away for the book. I use my Conscious Living blog as a tool to discipline me to write. Probably the most important that I learned is how many people have an interest in poetry, and it helps them to see that you have published a book of your own. That encourages them to pursue whatever unfulfilled dream lives inside them. My second book of poetry is due out in early spring 2007. It will contain 125 poems or so. The title has not occurred to me yet, but it will.

· For those of us who like to read it where can we find it?

Just email me at: diannone@ix.netcom.com I plan to have Amazon.com distribute the book starting in 2007, and Amazon will do the same with my second book.

· Where would you like your poetry to reach. Do you aspire for your poetry to be more than publishing a book? My poetry will always be just one thing—a bridge connecting me with others, and nothing more.

· At the end of here tell about your future plans in Poetry. Is there a new book on the horizon?
Yes, my second book is coming out in early spring 2007. Please see above.

(Click Here to read more works of Don at Conscious Living)

*All photos are copyright of Don