Reinvention: Poems
Poetry from beloved lead guitarist of the multi-platinum record selling legendary band Triumph

Reinvention is a largely autobiographical collection of poetry — a project that followed on the heels of Rik Emmett retiring from a touring musician’s and college educator’s life in early 2019. Inside all of the slashes that define him — singer/songwriter/guitarist/rock star/teacher/columnist — writing has always been his strongest avocation, and the poetic style of “Ultra Talk,” in particular, offered a welcome spark for a songwriter’s freedom of expression. This creative license is organized under seven headings – The Humanities, Life & Death, There’s Politics in Everything, Double Helix, Soapbox Sermonettes, Time Time Time, and Ars Nova 2020.

Rik’s poetry (literally) reinvents his own retirement, and it’s not just some aging dilettante’s bucket list fancy. He discovered a sincere way to tie up a lot of loose ends, fulfill dormant promise, and eschew show biz tangents. Reinvention, his first book, makes some sense of a life that always went in a lot of different directions at once. Finally, he’s given himself permission to chase a mode of self-expression with less commercial potential ... than jazz guitar recordings.
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Reinvention: Poems
Poetry from beloved lead guitarist of the multi-platinum record selling legendary band Triumph

Reinvention is a largely autobiographical collection of poetry — a project that followed on the heels of Rik Emmett retiring from a touring musician’s and college educator’s life in early 2019. Inside all of the slashes that define him — singer/songwriter/guitarist/rock star/teacher/columnist — writing has always been his strongest avocation, and the poetic style of “Ultra Talk,” in particular, offered a welcome spark for a songwriter’s freedom of expression. This creative license is organized under seven headings – The Humanities, Life & Death, There’s Politics in Everything, Double Helix, Soapbox Sermonettes, Time Time Time, and Ars Nova 2020.

Rik’s poetry (literally) reinvents his own retirement, and it’s not just some aging dilettante’s bucket list fancy. He discovered a sincere way to tie up a lot of loose ends, fulfill dormant promise, and eschew show biz tangents. Reinvention, his first book, makes some sense of a life that always went in a lot of different directions at once. Finally, he’s given himself permission to chase a mode of self-expression with less commercial potential ... than jazz guitar recordings.
19.95 In Stock
Reinvention: Poems

Reinvention: Poems

by Rik Emmett
Reinvention: Poems

Reinvention: Poems

by Rik Emmett

Paperback(No Edition)

$19.95 
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Overview

Poetry from beloved lead guitarist of the multi-platinum record selling legendary band Triumph

Reinvention is a largely autobiographical collection of poetry — a project that followed on the heels of Rik Emmett retiring from a touring musician’s and college educator’s life in early 2019. Inside all of the slashes that define him — singer/songwriter/guitarist/rock star/teacher/columnist — writing has always been his strongest avocation, and the poetic style of “Ultra Talk,” in particular, offered a welcome spark for a songwriter’s freedom of expression. This creative license is organized under seven headings – The Humanities, Life & Death, There’s Politics in Everything, Double Helix, Soapbox Sermonettes, Time Time Time, and Ars Nova 2020.

Rik’s poetry (literally) reinvents his own retirement, and it’s not just some aging dilettante’s bucket list fancy. He discovered a sincere way to tie up a lot of loose ends, fulfill dormant promise, and eschew show biz tangents. Reinvention, his first book, makes some sense of a life that always went in a lot of different directions at once. Finally, he’s given himself permission to chase a mode of self-expression with less commercial potential ... than jazz guitar recordings.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781770416277
Publisher: ECW Press
Publication date: 09/14/2021
Edition description: No Edition
Pages: 120
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Rik Emmett is in three Canadian “Halls” and two “Walks of Fame.” After 12 platinum LPs in his Triumph years, Rik produced 20 indie projects, from rock and blues to jazz, folk, and classical. His latest release is Folk Songs for the Farewell Bonfire. An avowed family man, he’s been married for 45 years; he was also a Guitar Player magazine columnist for more than a dozen years and an educator for a few decades at Humber College. Rik is Artistic Director Emeritus of the SongStudio Workshop, and a published poet and cartoonist. He lives in Burlington, Ontario.

Read an Excerpt

Reinvention (Four)

So, this happened: the rise of grunge
and the fall of an arena rock / corporate house of cards cartoon character.
Then nine years into the inevitable transition
(for the only constant is Change),
an original muse strung in nylon invited me back to the start,
to reconnect to the sharing
of simple, humble gifts.

“Too talented for his own damn good.”
Never talented enough for his own sacred yearnings.

What is the point?
In a world full of percentage points,
penetration points into demographic pie slices
one eventually trains their courage of convictions
on the pull of their own magnetic north.

How long does it take for you to learn to trust your gut?

Shakespeare’s Polonius remarks “to thine own self be true”,
but George Bernard Shaw says life isn’t about finding yourself,
it’s about creating yourself.
Yes.
And then recreating. And reinventing.

Ah, artists... with their Groucho Marx perversion,
refusing to belong to a club
that would have the likes of them as a member.
Organize artists? Like trying to herd cats.

Still the wheel keeps on turning
the river keeps on running
the tide keeps on ebbing and flowing
even magnetic north keeps moving.
Why, in the last 150 years, the pole has wandered about 685 miles.

So go.
Go with the motion.
Honour your humble gifts.
Respect them and do them justice.
Choose what feels sacred.
Serve others.
Strive to be virtuous.
Pass along the flame of Prometheus.
And leave the campsite better than you found it.

Table of Contents

Preface - Recreational Therapy 1

Part 1 The Humanities 3

The Search Is Sacred 4

These Be the Attitudes 6

Self-Confession: Uncommonly Reasonable Secular Agnostic Common Prayer 8

Angels 10

Love Is the Answer 11

Part 2 Life and Death 13

Have a Good Day 14

Dear Diary 16

Game Changer 17

Four Stanzas 19

Ticket to Ride 21

Loss, Grief, Ritual 23

Born to Pay 24

Definitions, Perspective and Choices 26

The Examined Life Is Worth Living 28

Courage of Convictions 29

Part 3 There's Politics in Everything 31

There's Politics in Everything 32

Genders Strangers Foreigners Lovers 33

Hands Up, Hands Down 34

Code Blue 36

Tail Wags the Dog 37

The Impossible Temper of Our Times (Part One) 38

The Impossible Temper of Our Times (Part Two) 40

Part 4 Double Helix 41

Eleven Eleven Eleven Twelve 42

Go Leafs Go 44

Motivation 47

Geologia Hominum Huius Temporis 48

Forgiveness 50

Self-Invention (1) 52

Reinvention (2) 54

Reinvention (3) 56

Reinvention (4) 58

Not So Little Brother and His Insatiable Appetite for Life 60

Remembering Russell 65

Part 5 Soapbox Sermonettes 71

So Much, So Little 72

Look 73

How Are You? Thanks for Asking 74

Rallying Cry 76

Conquistadors 78

Power Up & Down 81

Maybe I've Got This Wrong 83

Binary Code 84

The Non-Secrets of Life (Part 1): Work, Failure: Gravity, Balance 86

The Non-Secrets of Life (Part 2): Coming to Terms 88

The Non-Secrets of Life (Part 3): Time Time Time 89

Part 6 Time Time Time 91

When Time Is Beautiful 92

When Time Is Ugly 93

The Future in The Present: A Change in the Weather 95

The Present Can Be a Gift 97

Part 7 Ars Nova 2020 99

Do Heals Make Noise? 100

Txtng 101

Like 102

The World of Song 104

Ultra-Talk! 105

Snowflakes 107

Dream #23,475 109

Oh Canada 110

Grateful Acknowledgements 111

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