Recently I’ve been writing a series of blog-articles
about the Spoken Word scene for the All
Edinburgh Theatre website. I’ve written about some of the groups,
organisations and events on my blog before, but since I’ve been invited to do
a more comprehensive round-up (more comprehensive, perhaps, than has been done
previously) elsewhere, I’ll use my blog to shamelessly promote some of the
Edinburgh Events that I am involved in.
Besides the usual run of open-mic, and poetry-slam
events run by the likes of Inky Fingers
and Blind Poetics, I have read (or
performed) my work at the Antihoot Open
Stage, the Percy Poets, and Musselburgh Hot Pot. I also had my name
pulled out of the hat for an impromptu poem at the last Shore Poets (I went prepared as always with a poem in my head) but I
have yet to win the coveted Lemon drizzle cake.
At the end of this month, KALOPSIA COLLECTIVE are
holding an exhibition of art books. I have been invited to ‘display’ a pamphlet
of my poems and photos titled Walking on
the Water. I won’t be reading it, but many people will have seen me perform
the piece at Caesura and 10Red, interspersing the pictures and poems
with sung Gregorian plainchant. Needless to say, the pamphlet will be available for purchase. http://scottishbooktrust.com/events/octavo-fika-narrative
Another poetry performance may turn out
strangely memorable due to the location. Inky
Fingers have teamed up with Edinburgh Tours and, as part of the Previously... history festival, have
commissioned poets to write pieces to be performed to unsuspecting tourists. It’s
called “Poets on a Tour Bus” – and, yes, I’m one of them. Writing to a remit is
not particularly easy; I’m not sure my poems will last more than a single
journey.
When I submitted a wee story last year to Monster Zine, produced by an elusive
group called the Antisocial Writers Club, I was invited (as a grateful contributor)
to what was one of the best launch parties I’ve attended. Now I have become
more involved (on a purely anti-social level) and so will be performing
(ironically) someone else’s work at the coming launch. This year’s theme is Circus. It will be entertaining,
theatrical, and memorable. And there will be an elephant in the room. Perhaps.
This brings me to the real reason for today’s
bloggage. It is the 12th, and time for the next of my Twelve Tones of Blue poems. How do I tie
this in with the Spoken Word scene? That’s easy! At the last Rally & Broad spoken-word Cabaret,
amid the mayhem of music, dance, and wordsmithery, the audience threw paper
aeroplanes at each other. As you do.
Canto XI is all about regretting those things we
never did, and nostalgia for the paper planes we used to throw.
Twelve Tones of Blue
She made a paper plane to
remind herself of you,
that puerile time you both flew
planes from the landing on New
Year’s Day – as children do.
She tested it. It sailed through
the air. And landed too.
Then the cold wind blew.
Inside, the words she drew
said simply, “I love you.”
Concealing this with glue
she stuck the wings and threw
the thing. As if you knew,
she painted it blue.
“Room for 2?”
Join the Q.
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