動筆寫詩的悸動
最近，我開始善加利用人工智能的科技，有了Google的AI搜尋模式和手機軟件Chatgpt，我能按自己的需要和興趣找到自己想讀的風格、題材、體裁、內容的書，只要你告訴她對甚麼類型的書感興趣，舉個例子，她就會羅列你可能感興趣的書。
雖然英國的圖書館對讀者來說藏書量太少、開放時間太少、空間太少、書種太少、廁所雜誌期刊欠奉，管理又欠佳，但英文書是普遍比中文書平宜的，我猜大概是因為紙質的問題吧；不管是二手書還是新書，網上購買都很方便。
但我是想以最經濟的方法去看到我想看的書，於是就只好先跟AI聊聊，然後在我所在的巿政府圖書館館藏搜尋想看的書，看看區內的圖書館裏哪一間有，然後搜到了，就去不同的圖書館借。因為總是要開車，雖然車程不遠，但是時間、汽油都是成本，所以通常是一借就借好幾本，其實是有館際互借互還的制度，但是如果要在乙圖書館預約甲圖書館的書，要收取手續費，所以還是自己開車去比較好。
這樣的看書評、搜書、找書、借書、看書、還書、寫讀後感是我作為一個愛書人和讀者的一種生活樂趣。
我在《愛書人》一書上看到The Poet X的介紹，知道作者牙買加移美後代的作者，書封雖然介紹這是"A Novel by Elizabeth Acevedo"，但書的體裁卻是詩，雖然是以詩的形式書寫，但當中又有日記體和書信體，甚至以詩記錄了她的功課，可以說是"Free Verse"。
書是以第一人身書以詩書寫一個十五歲的女孩的經歷，她父母的關係、她媽媽對於宗教的敬虔、她對堅信禮的一些看法、戀愛、交友、弟弟的同性傾向。她開始發現自己寫詩方面的才華，參加了詩社。
從她弟弟送了她一本筆記本開始，她就把自己的心事都寫成了詩，但在媽媽發現了她的詩後，她遭受到一些管教，她媽媽甚至把她的詩全部焚燒。
讀到她的詩被化為灰燼的部分時，我能想像到那種痛。大人總是不理解成長中的孩子，總是以自己的價值觀去審判孩子……..
她後來有了公開讀詩的機會，詩開啟了她的人生，也肯定了她的寫作才華。
文字淺白流暢，當中也有用到西班牙的用語和詞𢑥。是一本感人和真摯的作品。
她的書讓我想起我初中開始寫詩的歲月，從被老師鼓勵創作與投稿開始，然後與朋友組織詩社，以詩會友，一起創作詩集那段青春時光。
摘錄一些我喜歡的詩和詩句作為分享。
When You're Born to Old Parents
Who'd given up hope for children
and then are suddenly gifted with twins,
you will be hailed a miracle.
An answered prayer.
A symbol of God's love.
The neighbours will make the sign of the cross
when they see you,
thankful you were not a tumor
in your mother's belly
like the whole barrio feared.
Father Sean
Leads the confirmation class.
He's been the head priest at La Consagrada Iglesia
as long as I been alive,
which means he's been around forever.
Last year, during youth Bible study, he wasn't so strict.
He talked to us in his soft West Indian accent,
coaxing us toward the light.
Or maybe I just didn't notice his strictness
because the older kids were always telling jokes,
or asking the important questions
we really wanted to know the answers to:
“Why should we wait for marriage?”
“What if we want to smoke weed?”
“Is masturbation a sin?”
But confirmation class is different.
Father Sean tells us we're going to deepen
our relationship with God.
"Of your own volition you will acept him into your lives.
You will be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And this is a serious matter."
That whole first class,
I touch my tongue to the word volition,
like it's a fruit I've never tased
that's already gone sour in my mouth.
關於詩的詩句，寫得很精警：
"I read the poems so often and edit so much
that I begin memorizing them by accident
until my head is full of words and stories,
until I'm practicing the poems in my dreams.
And the more I write the braver I become."
"And I know that I'm ready to slam.
That my poetry has become something I'm proud of.
The way the words say what I mean,
how they twist and turn language,
how they connect with people.
How they build community."
這是詩的力量，這是文字和語言的魅力，是以文學，仍是值得我們去努力經營的。