ray pool

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF THE FAMOUS

by ray pool

Wednesday 2nd August 2017 10:35 pm

The autobiographies of the famous

are a kind of afterlife

that glory demands

and God is bribed by illusion.

The books of those lives

covers, spine, contents

are the pressed blood of works

dried but not forgotten

like bodies they are sealed systems

autopsies when opened

then the glory tumbles out

to inspire the aspirants.

Others with more furtive interests

come like vampires in the night

dwell on the shelved volumes

as upright they stand

and draw the blood out

so that they may live again

in the shadow of the famous.

🌷 (6)

◄ TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

PUBLIC AMENITIES ►

Comments

raypool

Sun 6th Aug 2017 23:07

Mark, celebrity used to be a blanket term for a kind of well known status reserved for film stars chiefly. Now in its abbreviated form of "celeb" I suppose it means those who feed the insatiable appetite for a pandemic of celebrity. The whole thing has been demeaned a bit like the honours list.

I'll get my coat.

M.C. Newberry

Sun 6th Aug 2017 17:38

Oops - quite right. It should have been "Jade" as you
pointed out. I recall the flak she got. Ouch!
The word "celebrity" is used far too freely and needs
looking at to give it proper value.

raypool

Sat 5th Aug 2017 16:56

Yes a good point about politicians' memoirs Mark. As they are supposed to be public servants I can't see where glory comes in except via inflated egos or delusions of grandeur.
I think you meant Jade not Jake Goody but does it really matter? We know it's a gender difference but anything goes anyway in that world. The more curiosity the more sales . I reckon Tony Blair gained little from his committing to print apart from the money of course which he doesn't need. (Blimey I sound like Ian Hislop!)
Thanks a lot.

Keith very nice that you picked out a line . Sometimes a line just pops out and feels right and others are indifferent.
That's the beauty of this trip we're on!
Thanks. David and Kevin, grateful for the additional likes cheers.

Ray

keith jeffries

Sat 5th Aug 2017 16:26

Ray, thank you for this. The line ¨and God is bribed by illusion ¨is perfect. Keith

M.C. Newberry

Sat 5th Aug 2017 15:34

I remember Jake Goody for various reasons...enough to
make the idea of reading any autobiography remote in the
extreme.
Interestingly, I also recall a well received political entry (or
rather three) from Labour MP Chris Mullin, whose volumes
garnered much praise for their forthright content. The
main problem in this field is the fear of upsetting one's
personal place in history or maybe betraying one's
erstwhile colleagues with awkward admissions that are
now regretted. Like a good catholic going to confession
perhaps? Politics is hardly about telling the truth at the time, is it?!

raypool

Fri 4th Aug 2017 23:23

well Suki, you have a point there, and in Katie's case two.
Who would buy a book like that ? what you would need is a manual surely.

Thanks for the comment!

suki spangles

Fri 4th Aug 2017 14:55

Hi Ray,

A few years ago Katie Price was asked about her autobiography. Candidly, she admitted that because of time commitments she hadn't time to read it, but she trusted her writer, so people should buy it.

Fair enough..

Suki

raypool

Fri 4th Aug 2017 12:18

Thanks one and all - this is one I wrote quite quickly , it sort of unrolled in front of me. (With a bit of probing and prodding into shape).
Ferris , I checked Kurt Cobain on WIki. I see that a read would have been hard given his problems. Songs often reach into dark corners I'm glad you liked this. Full on cynical at the beginning!.

Stu, the comments of a gentleman and a scholar thanks !

Thanks Mark. You obviously havn't read Jade Goody's autobiography then. You do have a good point to make. Some make interesting reading but I have found most tedious frankly. As for politicians.....

Jane, welcome and thank you.

Col, yes there are mountains of books and as many decisions. I just parted with my Reader's Digest book of the car. Exquisite paper and photos of how to change points and plugs and all the rest. It had to go - no mention of computerised systems.

Love to all, and thanks for the likers !!

<Deleted User> (13762)

Fri 4th Aug 2017 08:39

I've recently been volunteering some time at a local charity book store / warehouse - they have to move into smaller premises. Some of the books are being shipped out to one of the countries ending in 'stan to help set up a library I believe. A box of Trinny & Susannah's were put in the pile.

as I was sorting it got me thinking what was or wasn't appropriate to send to 'stan. Celeb biogs? Recipe books? Sex manuals? Christian worship? Disney? Jane Austen? I could think of reasons for not sending any of them but they had to go somewhere. I feel I have been complicit in causing irreparable damage to the good people of Wherever'stan! Yikes.

good poem Ray. All the best, Col.

Jane C. Steele

Thu 3rd Aug 2017 17:07

I love the analogy of the autobiography and a corpse. The contents being consumed by various parties.
I enjoyed this.

M.C. Newberry

Thu 3rd Aug 2017 16:03

The theme is entirely relevant to this modern "celebrity conscious" world.
Having grown up through the fifties and early sixties, I
was used to autobiographies written by those much older
than today's crop. These seem to think they have
something to tell us from their 20s and the short thereafter.
It's the money-making opportunism that marks today's
"yoof" fixated disposable society that I find easy to disregard.

Stu Buck

Thu 3rd Aug 2017 12:04

i love the imagery of a book spilling out blood and organs, secrets held within. brilliant.

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

Please consider supporting us

Donations from our supporters are essential to keep Write Out Loud going

Bringing poetry to people

Click here to donate now