Seize the Day

Tuesday 27th January 2009 7:12 pm

The audio version of this poem has been produced by Manchester's 'Digital Smudge'
See: www.myspace.com/digitalsmudge for more details.

As you will hear, two of my poems (which appear in their original form, written below) have been chopped and spliced along with some music to make something which may or may not be poetry. You decide! I had no input into this process, so was quite amused and pleased with the final outcome. It's completely different to anything I could have produced and is quite a new way for me to present my work, so do let me know what you think. Is this poetry? Discuss....

Killing Time

Seize the day!

Grab it

by its skinny, grey, neck

and drag it

into

the bushes.

Slit its throat,

then drop its limp, tepid body

into

the river.

Later,

haul its bloated, stinking corpse

out of the silt

and throw it back

into the trite mouthed face

of the one who said,

“Seize the day!”

I Hate...

A lady delighting in the dispersal

of hackneyed clichés

trilled, "Life's not a rehearsal!"

to me....

I could only reply

to this stagnant emission

with, "If life is a show,

then you failed the audition...

love."

Comments

winston plowes

Tue 27th Jan 2009 23:36

You said - "do you have to sing song lyrics in order for them to be song lyrics?" Yes absolutely. There are some songs where the lyrics are weak nonesence scribbled on a fag packet during a recording session and would not stand up as poetry. And yet due to the music, somehow, the resulting song is brilliant and a big hit. A Poet is not afforded this possibility of improvement but don't get me started on that. lol Winston

Helen Thomas

Tue 27th Jan 2009 23:22

Oh it's me reading the poem, but 'Digital Smudge' chopped it up and added the music. I think the question re. poetry vs. lyrics is an interesting one. Obviously, lyrics on a page are simply poetry, but then again do you have to sing song lyrics in order for them to be song lyrics? Personally, I would like to think that it all comes under the very inclusive umbrella of 'poetry' which is by its very nature subjective; open to interpretation and ever changing. It also falls victim to fads and fashions, but don't get me started on that.
Thanks for reading / listening!
HT

winston plowes

Tue 27th Jan 2009 21:58

Hi Helen.
Well , What to make of this project. First of all just to say I am really interested in others reading my stuff and I have recently had a successful (On both sides I think) poem swap experiment with Cayne White, when we read each others poems in our own style. I am also regularly involved in long discussions about lyrics v poetry. (Are they the same thing / different / similarities) In Your example it certainly gives things a new twist. Interesting choice of mood in the music for these words. (I think I would have chosen something less ambient) Actually I don't think this is poetry now but being able to say why is the reason my recent debates have been long ones! lol. Very interesting. Have a search for "Glimpse of god" in Cayne's blogs. Its in many ways the opposite end to his style as a punk poet dude ! In April we are having an evening of lyrics as poems at the Puzzle Poets in Sowerby Bridge. Winston

Helen Thomas

Tue 27th Jan 2009 20:35

Glad you like it Julian! It would never have occurred to me to splice it up and stick the original title on the end; I think it's quite interesting entrusting your writing to someone else and just letting them do what they will with it, and I love the fact that I sound like Max Headroom's Mrs. You're right about the pic though - I could do with a shave...

Julian (Admin)

Tue 27th Jan 2009 19:28

Not sure your photo does you justice though.

Julian (Admin)

Tue 27th Jan 2009 19:28

I love it Helen, and don't usually like poetry with music attached thereto. But I recently had some of my work cut up (without music) and respliced, as it were, and can see how this works really well.
With this, I like the effects created, it sort of dramatises the work, and the results are perhaps even more poetic than the originals; it gives it more rhythm somehow. Excellent, thank you!

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Seize the Day

Killing Time

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