Q&A with poet M.T. Ness, author of Glimpses and echoes from Nothing

1. What are your poems about and why do you write them?

My poems are about life and especially what life is not. Since my childhood, I have been wondering about what human beings are doing and why they act like they do. I tried to figure this out and felt very stupid and like all adults are so clever. I was furthermore interested in the meaning of life.

I can still not figure out adults, but I’ve become more understanding why they do as they do. I am an adult too and have been looking into “some big black holes” in life. Since my teenage time, I have been reading lot of psychology and philosophy, which gave me lot of hope. I have considered many ideas and patterns. I have been very interested in Buddhism and I have through decades gone to lot of meetings and practiced meditation.

I have taught and written books about mindfulness. Most of my time as professional I have been working with people that are mentally ill, drug addicts, as well as criminals in jail. I can see when people have been training the mind, and when they know about philosophy and spirituality, it creates meaning for most drug addicts and criminals. They have too a hunger to see life from different perspectives, like I personally had from my youth. Why do I write poems? I think it suddenly just started. I haven´t viewed myself as someone who was writing poems.

2. What is the greatest spiritual lesson you have learned about yourself as a result of writing your poems?

I have experienced that some wisdom has been manifested in me, and that I have particularly studied The Advaita Vedanta from both Ramana Maharshi and Robert Adams (an American Saint, who I find very easy to understand, because of his western background – I can recommend everybody to read his absolutely amazing book “Silence of the heart”)
The Advaita Vedanta have brought me to the best understanding of consciousness, being and nonduality. The poems are making resonance when I send them out in the world. There are a lot of people that are relating to the poems. I have concluded that what I have learned and want to inspire others with is helpful some way or another

3. Where do you find inspiration for your poems and life in general?

I find, as told, inspiration in the Advaita Vedanta as well as daily life. When I meet people and when I meet my Self, I can connect to it and recognize it in all people.

4. How do you incorporate humor into your poems?

I have learned to be “easy going”. To not take things too seriously and that humor is good medicine as an “icebreaker” and to connect to others. The kind sort of humor.

5. What is the most inspiring poem you have read and why?

I think Rumi, in general, is the most inspiring poet I have read and I like many of his poems very much

6. Anything else?

I think that awareness of philosophy and spirituality is very important in daily life and not making it as a taboo point. My experience is that human beings need to take the question “Who am I” serious and being aware of just to be in no matter situation we experience in our life