Bearing Witness
Bearing Witness
Witnessing is an an act of Presence, a sensory noticing of something in the outer or inner world. To bear is to convey or take responsibility for something; to birth something new, or to turn in a specific direction. I believe these two words best describe how we transform experience into wisdom.
This collection of poems offers my own attempts at Bearing Witness, my own attempts to transform my experience into wisdom. It also serves as an invitation for you to do the same, in your own way, whether it be through poetry, painting, dancing, parenting, leadership or simply an expanded and more heart-based presence in life.
Congratulations to Nick LeForce on his new poetry collection Bearing Witness. Nick has long been one of my favorite poets. I read his poems in practically all of the seminars and workshops that I conduct around the world. What I find particularly impressive is the capacity of Nick’s works to consistently touch and inspire people of all cultures. Nick’s new collection are no exception. To me, his works carry the same impact as those of the other poets I choose to quote as inspirations for my own work as a trainer and seminar leader: T.S. Elliot, William Butler Yeats, David Whyte, Mary Oliver, Rumi, William Stafford and John O’Donohue. I like to say that, being half Irish, poetry is in my DNA. From that perspective, I find nick’s poems to be deep, stimulating and enriching. The subtitle of the collection is Transforming Experience Into Wisdom. And, in fact, Nick often refers to himself as a “transformational poet.” I find this a truly accurate characterization. Nick’s poems are powerful, profound and provocative. They stimulate reflection, insight and greater awareness, appreciation and understanding. May you find them as transformational as I have.
— Robert Dilts