Let's Hear It For The Poets

[Piscator]

Let's hear you Piscator!! lol

I apologize for low volume, very much a newbie.

Acid Reflux

"Am I too handsome for my height?'"
Lewis would ask the faceless mannequin
as we tripped through the department store
and he swore they sometimes replied
and the answer was always "Yes".
Then out into the night and that
John Lee Hooker concert where
paranoia came on with the vulpine
ladies of the night hanging from the
first balcony and we had to get out
fast and did just in time to fade into
another night on the farm, before Ken's
pot field was ripped off, when we sat on the
roof watching the colours flash across
the heavens, waiting for the alien landing
that never came, although the paper next
day noted an intense Aurora Borealis that night
and finally that bizarre party at the university
press convention, where everyone was on
acid, save for an older guy who was only drunk
and sat playing Moonlight Sonata on the piano
while icicles ran up and down my spine.
"They always have Beethoven at church camps."
Off once more into a snow filled night, where the
lights of the airplanes, coming in low over the lake
made them look like flying saucers,
but "We won't get fooled again."'

Later in the 70's, adulthood precipitated; most
everyone got serious and went on to become
"Doctors, and Lawyers and Business Executives."
But no ticky-tacky for us, we went for luxury
German touring sedans and single malt became
the reality shield of choice.

But not for everyone.
Tony died in a single car crash.
Tom whom I lost touch with after the
hash deal fell through, died in his
sleep in a house trailer fire.
Paul who used to play ragas on
his banjo just for fun was shot
suicide, a drug deal gone bad or both.
Lewis was institutionalized with paranoid
schizophrenia and was never the same.
I still accept his ranting phone calls even
though I have call display and could block him.
But I never give him my ex-girlfriend's
sister's phone number because
she’s now my wife.

 

[champagne1982]

damned adulting anyway!

Good poem and thank you!

 

[Piscator]

damned adulting anyway!

Good poem and thank you!

Thanks champ and as a wiser person than me said "adulting/aging is better than the alternative." However to quote a potato chip add on the screen these days, "Growing up is overrated."

 

[Lyricalli]

Love In The Time Of Covid-19

How did I not respond to this when I was here last time? Everything about this is just beautiful.

I apologize for low volume, very much a newbie.

Acid Reflux

I really enjoyed listening to you read this. I hope you'll consider recording again sometime.

 

[Piscator]

Looking

Looking for a line that’s never been taken
Looking for a story that’s never been told
Looking for some coffee for my lover to awaken
Looking for a passion that will never grow old

Looking for that neverland where all is forgiven
Looking for a soulmate but will settle for a smile
Looking for that time before our ties were riven
Looking for forever but will settle for a while

Looking for some blue sky through clouds of grey
Looking for some potion to make me immune
Looking for an instrument on which I might play
Looking for some notes to make this rhyme a tune

Looking for that neverland where all is forgiven
Looking for a soulmate but will settle for a smile
Looking for that time before our ties were riven
Looking for forever but will settle for a while

Looking for a future where there ai’nt no killing
Looking for a people who know right from wrong
Looking for a planet on the right side of chilling
Looking for the time when we come together strong

Looking for that neverland where all is forgiven
Looking for a soulmate but will settle for a smile
Looking for that time before our ties were riven
Looking for forever but will settle for a while

 

[Lyricalli]

Looking

Ask and ye shall receive, I see. Or perhaps just a coincidence. Either way, I'm sorry I didn't check back here sooner. This is a lovely read, and I like the cadence of your reading. It just lets you float along with it while listening. Glad you posted this one.

https://soundcloud.com/todski28/id-burn-it-all-to-the-ground

I'd Burn It All To The Ground For A Night With You

This one was just begging to be read, inspired from a song the way it is. Damn fine poem, and one of your best readings, I think.

 

[Piscator]

re: Looking

Much better reading this time clear and well paced reading piscator, what form poem is this? The repeats and rhythm when you read through played hypnotically and your voice is resonant and bassy it’s a better piece spoken than when I read it originally thanks for the read

Thanks Tod, practice helps, as does reading the Audacity "Quick Help" and "Manual" and learning how to adjust recording volume.

Basically, it's a quatrain with alternate rhyming lines and a repeated second verse (refrain). Another way of maintaining flow without coming up with new words.

Ask and ye shall receive, I see. Or perhaps just a coincidence. Either way, I'm sorry I didn't check back here sooner. This is a lovely read, and I like the cadence of your reading. It just lets you float along with it while listening. Glad you posted this one.

Thanks calli, good to see you're visiting here from time to time. It ebbs and flows but there's always a current under it all.

 

[champagne1982]

Me reading Todski's Bull's Eye


Bull's Eye by todski28

drunk alone through the eye of a straw
swallowed it's piquant burn
taste fire and brimstone
as ash drops from the glowing white coil
of breakfast
whiskey-laced coffee and nicotine

admit that you want to confess your addictions
but the mouth won't move
a walking billboard sign
through the betrayal of neurons
the stutter twitch

the tick

the tick

the tick

that tocks to it's off set gyroscope rhythm
a cadence that unsettles the heart beat
rhythm
and theres a rhythm to the repeats
repeated
in their insane spiral

and how do we know how we would deal with you and your
schemes predicated to the end of rambled words
that draw slick as a gunslinger
aiming with eyes closed
at moving targets

all the hallmark greetings in the world
don't give enough to stop

the tick

the tick

the tick

that tocks.

(appended by me)

 

[Lyricalli]

Me reading Todski's Bull's Eye

Absolutely love what you did with this. The changes in rhythm, particularly in the section that was about rhythm, brought this to life in a way I wouldn't have even imagined reading it. The bit you added as a repeat at the end was a perfect end, I think. Todski's right, the way you read this elevated it off the page and made it more than it appeared to be.

 

[Lyricalli]

https://soundcloud.com/todski28/whiskey-fixes-everythin

Whiskey Fixes Everythin

You did pretty good, too. Another solid read.

 

[Piscator]

The Dark Side

Sorry, but there ain't no
John William's sound tract
light sabres flashing
kick ass Storm Troopers
or Death Star looming.

Not like that at all,
just the feeling
nothing matters
and if it did
I don't have
the energy
anyhow.

Dark cloud descending,
sucking up my light,
leaving a vacuum
to steal my
oxygen.

Resistance futile
and I don't
resist.

But with
the sound of
and the touch of
my loved ones a glint
escapes the event horizon
of the black hole of my mind.

Black turns
to grey and is
enough for today.

 

[Piscator]

Finding by Inner C&W 1

Southside of Tomorrow

We’ll meet one last time tomorrow
to sign upon that dotted line
and what God once joined together
will be forever unentwined.

It’s the south side of tomorrow
no more friction, no more strife
break apart to come together
time to start a brand new life.

Still I think about our first year
when all our eggs were sun side up
and your morning smile made it clear
we more that filled our loving cup

It’s the south side of tomorrow
no more friction, no more strife
break apart to come together
time to start a brand new life.

Though the papers say no fault dear
we both know that’s not quite true
each affairs would end with makeup tears
but we had new dreams to pursue.

It’s the south side of tomorrow
no more friction, no more strife
break apart to come together
time to start a brand new life.

We’ll meet one last time tomorrow
to sign upon that dotted line
and what God once joined together
will be forever unentwined.

 

[Tzara]

This is me reading todski's "Intoxicating Aroma." The source text is here.

Thanks to todski for letting me try reading one of his poems. It was fun.

 

[champagne1982]

This is me reading todski's "Intoxicating Aroma." The source text is here.

Thanks to todski for letting me try reading one of his poems. It was fun.

That was incredible! Did you intend to make your listener squirm?

You did though, regardless of intent. Thank you!

 

[Lyricalli]

This is me reading todski's "Intoxicating Aroma." The source text is here.

Thanks to todski for letting me try reading one of his poems. It was fun.

This was fun to listen to. Definitely different from the way Todd would read it, which is part of what makes it so interesting. He definitely gave you something wildly sexual to read, and you brought your own style of sexy to it. Glad you suggested this.

 

[todski28]

https://soundcloud.com/todski28/three-dreams-about-sex/s-tqdbGIKQDt1

Three Dreams About Sex, by Tzara

1.
I lie on my back and look up
into the envelope of dark, where
your body appears like an inverted sea.

My eyes trace the gentle swell
of belly, of thigh, the tight
ripple where the bare crease of labia
meet between your legs.
I wish only to cast
my lips and tongue
over that still pacific surface

so I may settle in before the storm.


2.
You are not you in this dream.

You are a tiny woman in a thin white shift
that rides high over your hips.
We have only spoken once
at a great distance, yet
you offer your breasts to me
with both hands.

There is no need for talk
and this woman does not speak, although
my ears are pressed and pierced
by her animal sound.

You are not you in this dream,
yet is this you.


3.
There is
no third dream, just
wistfulness.

I am in chains, like Prometheus.
It is not an eagle that eats my liver
but want

and held fast in its dull agony
I cannot return to sleep.

 

[Piscator]

This is me reading todski's "Intoxicating Aroma."
Thanks to todski for letting me try reading one of his poems. It was fun.

Well done, it's interesting how a different voice, different inflections change things

 

[todski28]

.........

 

[Lyricalli]

The Dark Side

Southside of Tomorrow

How in the world I saw Tzara's and completely missed yours, I don't know. So sorry to leave them sitting there unmentioned.

The first one was nice, and I really like the second one. You have a pleasant singing voice, by the way, and hearing it as a song completely lifted the poem off the page for me. I'm glad you decided to sing for us.

 

[todski28]

How in the world I saw Tzara's and completely missed yours, I don't know. So sorry to leave them sitting there unmentioned.

The first one was nice, and I really like the second one. You have a pleasant singing voice, by the way, and hearing it as a song completely lifted the poem off the page for me. I'm glad you decided to sing for us.

I second this comment, I was pleasantly surprised by your singing, at first I frowned than I got into the song, Thank You

 

[Piscator]

How in the world I saw Tzara's and completely missed yours, I don't know. So sorry to leave them sitting there unmentioned.

The first one was nice, and I really like the second one. You have a pleasant singing voice, by the way, and hearing it as a song completely lifted the poem off the page for me. I'm glad you decided to sing for us.

I second this comment, I was pleasantly surprised by your singing, at first I frowned than I got into the song, Thank You

Thanks calli and tod, For me the line between song and poetry is a bit vague, they may flow into one another, although I think repetition is more important in songs, once you have a hook, set and use it.

Southside and She Don't like to Sleep Alone were written as C&W hurting songs and I threw them onto Soundcloud to see if someone else might come up with the music and we'd all become stars. But it hasn't happened yet

calli I'd be honoured if you'd have a look at Big Sue's Song and either recite of sing as you see fit.

cheers

p'tor

 

[Lyricalli]

calli I'd be honoured if you'd have a look at Big Sue's Song and either recite of sing as you see fit.

cheers

p'tor

Well, I'm honored that you asked. Reciting, I can do. Not sure how drunk I'd have to be to record myself singing...

 

[champagne1982]

This has been like an orgy of poet voices. Wonderful!!

 

[todski28]

https://soundcloud.com/todski28/poem-for-carolyn

Poem for Carolyn,
Imagined as a Roman Statue, By Tzara

We now are both old, but
Your body is still lovely.

Even in its infirm curves,
I can recall your younger self—

You were so beautiful
I would have bound my soul

Into servitude just to enjoy
An afternoon with you, unclothed,

Even if that meant I only looked
At you like a sculpture

Of some nymph or perfect being.
That you were real only meant

The agony in my hands, not
Being allowed to touch you, stroke

Your perfect thighs, meant
I thought of your skin as marble,

Chiseled smooth by a master sculptor,
Too delicate and perfect for my touch.

Now that age has finally weathered
The burnished stone of that monument,

Your body, may I, supplicant, at last approach
And touch you as in worship, or duty,

Or in some kind of devotion like love,
And have you at least remain calm, indifferent

To my touch, as if a fly had landed,
Unnoticed, on your bare shoulder?

 

[Lyricalli]

And the orgy continues. I wanted to get in on some of the Todd action and record one of his pieces, too. I really enjoyed one of his more recent poems, and thought it might be fun read in a woman's voice. He was kind enough to agree to let me have my way with it.

I'd Burn it All to the Ground for a Night with You

The text is already in the thread, and you can find that here.