Meet our March 2008
Featured Poet

Christopher John Horne

Christopher John Horne was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1976. A quiet child who often was content to be left alone. At the age of 18 months and 3 years he was found lifeless at the bottom of the family pool and rescued. He past through his childhood years reading while other children played and would often disappear for hours to read books on history and the world. In his early to late teens he began develop a keen sense of self and took up active sports such as rowing, football, tennis while exploring musical interests such as the guitar, clarinet and even attempted for six months to learn to play the bagpipes!

After completing school Chris worked in his family business for six years until his fathers death at 56 from cancer four years ago. Shortly after his father's funeral - he again, had a brush with death following a motorcycle accident which left him in intensive care with multiple broken bones and internal bleeding. He spent a couple of days in the hospital - the first day in intensive care and leaving at the end of the second day. Strapped up, heavily sedated and although lacking coherency, he insisted on leaving. The doctors were more than amazed. They couldn't believe it when they found out he had left. The head surgeon apparently stated, 'That boy had an Angel with him when he crashed, he should have been dead.' Apart from a few surgical scars, he recovered to full health and is intensely aware of how lucky he has been.

After Horne's family sold their business, Chris tried his skills in an office work environment which dealt with finance and collections. Unfortunately, he found the work situation to be despicable at best: " although highly successful at it, because I empathize well with people, I resigned this past Monday without another job ready just to detoxify myself from that negativity. Hence, I leave in order to remain true to myself."

Chris plans to travel and work in London for a couple of years or so - and also plans on backpacking across Europe, Asia and South America. He wishes to search the globe for experience of what he calls: "The great diversity of our humanity. So little is shown to our eyes, through others. I want to see, hear, smell and touch the living history of our earth."

Through it all, Horne will most likely find an atmosphere of sensation in which to move his wings; feeling quite confident, he writes: "I know absolutely that I will be drawn into the right place."

His writing ~

Christopher Horne has just recently began writing poetry - and yet, his passion enables him to express himself boldly at great speed. It's truly amazing how he's driven to compose quickly, and even before one poem is completed, is busy working on another: "I could write each night and can pour out whenever I switch it on. It's not a thought process, it's more of an emotional clearance. I edit and revise in short spaces because after a day or two - I get an urge for a new one. This is why I am so intense, so rushed, time is nice, but dedication to task is paramount!!" and adds: "My greatest hmm attribute, and probably flaw, is my intensity."

When I inquired if he had any favourite poet, or what was the source of his inspirations - his reply reflects well on his autonomous nature:

" To draw from others would negate my own emotions coming through. I want everything I put down to be from me, as I think of it as taking a piece of my soul, a gift and sharing it. I hope this makes sense! My inspiration / intensity comes purely from empathy drawn from my own experiences and view of the world. I have experienced more in my youth than most have in old age. Perhaps I aged quickly or developed a keen sense of humanity as a result. All people have a story to tell, a life lived and living on. I like to hear about it, whether sad or hopeful, these things, these lives should have value, and to listen even in kindness, adds a meaning to a persons story. A storage place in my mind where these things live on. Perhaps this is my inspiration."

"I will sit down, and wonder at the clouds on a clear summer day, or smile at the rain on the roof in winter... I think this might be fairly unique to me, I haven't any friends who pause and absorb their surroundings or reflect on the purpose or take pleasure in the unique timeless moments we have each day. I think this is due to my past. I do value the snapshots of life in our minds as we pass the day. A smell drawing an image from memory, a sigh at childhood tryst with the image brought up from a face or a name. These little things, I value. Someone once told me I wear my heart on my sleeve, which is close, I live my hearts life! I wouldn't trade places with anyone for this intense bond I have with my soul. It isn't for everyone, and for them, those who deny themselves true and free emotion, I feel sorry."

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