Tuesday, July 17, 2018

The Poets of Instagram: r.h. Sin and “I Hope This Reaches Her in Time”


I’ve watched a video on Facebook that I almost can’t stop watching. It’s produced byJay Shetty, a British relationship coach, host, former monk, and, as he says, someone who is all about “making wisdom go viral.” Just so you know, Shetty has 14 million followers on Facebook, one million followers on Instagram, and 800,000 subscribers on YouTube.  His web site has received more than a billion views.

What likely caught my eye about the video is that it’s filmed on a bridge I’ve walked many times – the Millennium Bridge over the Thames in London, which connects the Tate Modern on the South Bank and St. Paul’s Cathedral on the North Bank. The video tells the story of Jack and Louise, and it’s entitled “When You Bump into Your Ex.” (It’s not yet posted on YouTube; if it were, I’d include it here.) They meet by chance, and it’s clear they’re still in love with each other, but both misunderstand what the other is saying.

I find the video fascinating because it powerfully tells a story, a love story. And it didn’t help that I’d been reading I Hope This Reaches Her in Time, a new poetry collection by Instagram poet r.h. Sin, which could almost serve as the script for the video.

To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry.

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