Anna Meryt Writings: 2025

CHAOS THEORY

Chaos theory

It's how tiny changes in anything can build into massive effects. Like a butterfly's wing flapping in Mexico can build into a tornado in Taiwan (that's the popular understanding). A better example is how tiny changes in atmospheric conditions can make accurate long-term weather forecasting almost impossible.

'Small differences amplify over time, making prediction hard.' That quote is from ChatGPT - and I think it's the easiest-to-understand explanation.

You see it in Back to the Future movies quite a bit. McFly has to be careful what he does if he goes back to the past, because if he meddles with events, the future he returns to can change drastically - not always for the better.

I was telling my cousin/niece about a friend and saying this person had a chaotic lifestyle. 'They sound great', she said. 'I love chaos, I even love the word 'chaos'.

I turned and looked at her in surprise. Most of us claim to prefer peace and quiet. We meditate to be mindful and calm. We moan to our friends when our lives descend into chaos. But here she was saying the opposite. She clearly liked the excitement and drama of chaos. Her life is often chaotic. She faces challenges that most of us would avoid at all costs - her partner has a life-threatening condition. Daily, they live on the edge. Her daughter and grandchildren are neurodivergent and very challenging to deal with sometimes. It runs through the family. So I guess for them chaos is normal.

Chaos also means unpredictable; you never know what's going to happen next. The rest of us though, think we can pin things down, keep everything the same, to keep chaos away from us. Another friend told me about her house hunting and my attempt to get her to think more positively about her chances of finding just what she wants - 'Yes but that's not reality is it? The reality is .... blah blah blah.

I tried to get her to stop predicting the all bad future and think maybe the property she wants is going to come to her, very soon. She's had a difficult few months and tends to predict the future based on the past. Which is what we all do sometimes, isn't it? But stop. Think about it. How many times have your nay-saying, doom and gloom predictions suddenly switched and a different scenario that you hadn't expected at all suddenly appeared? Just when you'd given up all hope?

Daily life is totally unpredictable, isn't it? So maybe my cousin's right, we should embrace chaos in our lives and stop trying to force things to be predictable. We're all going to die, aren't we? And yet we spend our lives ignoring, denying and pushing away that rather large piece in the jigsaw of our lives. One great Buddhist teacher used to make his followers go meditate in the charnel grounds (in India), that's the place where bodies are burnt on large, elaborate funeral pyres. It was his attempt to get them to face the most unpredictable event of our lives over which we have virtually no control. Look death in the face and tell me you want your life to be predictable.

Here's a poem I wrote about this topic a year or 2 ago. When you approach 70, you realise that most of your life is over and you have to start thinking about how much longer you've got. This one is relating to that -

When it’s my turn

When they come knocking

I think I’ll be surprised

I think I’ll answer the door

and say ‘Oh is it time already?

I think I’ll say ‘but I’ve still got things to do.

I have to finish a project or two.

Are you sure I have to go now?

Are you saying it’s too late?

Are you saying it has to be now?

Not any other time in the future?

You’re not joking are you?

This isn’t some scam?

You actually mean now.

But my friends will be upset

My daughters will be upset

My grandsons will be upset.

I don’t think I want to go now.

What do you mean ‘no choice’?

But where will I go? Who will I see?

Oh my Dad, my gran, even my Mum

will be waiting for me?

My beloved friends Val and Steph

will be waiting for me

They will hold my invisible hands

and guide me through the transition?

But hang on a minute ….

______________________________________

I'm not trying to depress you. It's just that my beloved cousin/niece got me thinking about chaos and all our futile attempts to push it away from us. She who lives in the middle of struggle and chaos seems to have found a way to embrace it, even to enjoy it. Life is unpredictable, isn't it? That's reality.

*Catching the Breeze: A poetry collection: Amazon.co.uk: Meryt, Anna: 9781916369771: Books

CROUCH END FESTIVAL - POETRY EVENT JUNE 15th 5-7 pm

CROUCH END FESTIVAL

15th June 2025 - Crouch End/Hornsey Library

5pm to 7pm

Poets Line up:

5pm: Anna Meryt - Event Intro

Listed poets:

Two young poets

Anna Meryt

Viv Fogel

David Floyd

Martyn Crucefix

Christine Evangelou

Mozibur Ullah

Ayshe Gül

Hannah Geraldine Dyson

Ayfer Orhan

Adriana Polifrone

Christine Vial

Abe Gibson

Thanks - Ayfer Orhan

NABW session ends: 6:45 pm

NOT A BAD WORD Tues June 17th 7.30 pm The Old Dairy, Stroud Green, London, N4

Here's the poet line-up for next Tues 17th June and I think you'll agree there's some fascinating and diverse talent. And of course there's YOU, our lovely amazing and always interesting Open mic performers - it'll be a blast as always.

Shanta Acharya is launching her latest poetry collection. She already has many publishing accolades to her name, so we're delighted to have her in Not A Bad Word.

Shanta Acharya has the rare achievement of being published in fields as diverse as poetry, literary criticism, fiction and finance. Educated in India, the UK and the USA, she has lived and worked in all three countries. Widely travelled, Shanta brings a global perspective to her work.

Ian Johnson (born 1961),^[1] known by his Dharma name Maitreyabandhu, is a British Buddhist writer and poet who lives and works at the London Buddhist Centre.^[2] He has written a number of books on Buddhism. His poetry has been published by Bloodaxe and awarded the Keats-Shelley Prize^[3] and the Geoffrey Dearmer Award.^[1]

Sue Johns originates from Cornwall where she started performing as a punk poet, in the 1980’s. Publications include Hush (Morgan’s Eye Press 2011), Rented, Poems on Prostitution and Dependency (Palewell Press, 2018) and Track Record (Dempsey & Windle, 2021)

About – Sue Johns Poet & Performer

Grace Farren poet - model, singer, poet and fashion stylist; Grace Farren. She seems to rock absolutely every item of Raised in a Circus apparel that we put her in and is amazing at styling the most stunning looks. If you want to get in touch with her you can do so via Instagram @graceelenafarren

Book Launch - Catching the Breeze - Fri 9th May 2025

I'm delighted to invite you to the launch of my brand new poetry collection - Catching the Breeze which is happening tomorrow Friday 9th May at the All Good Bookshop, 35 Turnpike Lane, London, N8 0EP at 7 pm.

What to expect

Live poetry readings, bookshop orders, signed copies, good company and conversation,.

I'll be thrilled to see you there and to celebrate this launch together. Please feel free to bring a friend (or a bottle) there'll be some wine available, but do bring some or whatever you like to drink.

Oh and share this with anyone who loves poetry.

Warm wishes

Anna Meryt

NOT A BAD WORD - POETRY AND MUSIC EVENT - APRIL 15TH 2025

What a night!

Our NOT A BAD WORD poetry event last night in Stroud Green, North London was a beautiful success — full house, warm energy, and powerful voices.

We had 12 great Open Mic-ers including well known poets like Martyn Crucefix, Viv Fogel, David Floyd (always so droll), Christine Vial and others of all levels of experience. It was full of varied and interesting poetry performances and a generations old song from Buddhist friend Sumana.

In the second half ( experienced, booked poets), Maggie Butts opened with her new collection book launch 'Wish', followed by lovely nature poems from Joan Curtis, a short story from Frenchman Bernard Golfier and Stuart Handysides, a former GP, performing an interesting poem called A Memory of Water. Ayfer Orhan, co-host for the event read a lovely poem about a robin, and I did a couple of poems too - one about the day I saw a whale - The Leviathan - soon to be published in my new collection - Catching the Breeze (Tambourine Press) launch day May 9@ The All Good Bookshop Turnpike Lane, 7 pm.

This morning Maggie Butt sent me this lovely comment about the eve -

'This has to be the most lovely and welcoming poetry venue in north London.'

How kind.

Thank you to everyone who came, listened, performed, and supported. Events like these remind us why we write, why we share, and why words matter.

#PoetryEvent #MaggieButt #SpokenWord #EventSuccess #PoetryCommunity #WritersLife