I feel a little like the white rabbit at the moment, late for something, rushing to arrive. No post this Tuesday, for this reason, sorry. Do you have periods like this? I suspect so, we all do.
Anyway, during the mad whirl that constitutes my life at the moment, there was a moment of calm. I finally met up with Oscar Sparrow (http://oscarsparrow.wordpress.com/ ), best selling poet, video artist, and all round good bloke. It was one of those really relaxed meals when the talk ranges far and wide. We met to discuss the forthcoming anthology that he is at the helm of. I can assure you it is going to be worth a read.
I think for me the world has changed beyond recognition over the last ten years, then I would not have believed that I would be talking with people all over the place without ever meeting them. Now I take an interest in the weekly writings of people half a globe away.
For a virtual immigrant, like myself, the possibilities that this amazing medium holds is beyond my dreams. There I was at table with like minded creative humans that I had met through the web. I would guess that the majority of you reading this are people I have never met: Hello, glad to meet you.
I know others have said this before and far more eloquently but that does not remove the wonder- nor should it. We live incredibly privileged lives, and I for one give thanks for that.
On another tack, I have been struggling since my return from Catalunya, with a poem that I began to write in my head as I walked around Barcelona.
he gleans his barri
a cart of waste metal
this is his city
so different to mine
he is near the edge
each day we are all closer
welcome to your future
A word of explanation. Barri is Catalan for neighbourhood. I kept noticing people pushing supermarket trolleys from recycling point to recycling point, loaded with metal. I assume they will sell this for scrap. Since the bankers made a pigs ear of all our economies this is people's realities, not the bankers of course, just yours and mine. I had these lines knocking round my head:
I did not want to see the first
So counter to my image of this city
Which transformed into
I decide not to let the first
Question my image of this city
Close but still no cigar. Then I realised that I was not the centre of the poem. That enabled me to put the idea into its present form. What do you think?
I will leave you with a brief word about the post's title. It references Louis Malle's film My Dinner With Andre. It is not his best film, but technically it is a tour de force, being as the title says a film of the narrators dinner with Andre. His best film is Au revoir, les enfants (1987), is a haunting true tale of his school days in Occupied France.
Anyway, before I do that male thing of making a list of Louis Malle's ten best film (it's half formed in my head already...) back to the title. I was reminded of Malle's film when watching Community the other night. I am new to Greendale College and am only up to the beginning of Season Three. If you have not seen it try and do so, its not only very funny but the amount of films they reference will set your head spinning.
Here is the start of Louis Malle's film- enjoy.
I can definitely relate to periods like this, but the good thing is that you're still creating. I enjoyed your poem about the streets of Barcelona. I'd like to travel there one day. I've been to the UK, but not to any surrounding countries.
ReplyDeleteI do however, enjoy speaking to people from different parts of the world, as it helps broaden my perspective.
If you get the chance Barcelona is well worth a visit. Yes speaking to people from around the world really gives you a broader perspective.
DeleteIt's amazing the people you can get to know online. There are a lot of interesting individuals from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI definitely have periods where I'm feeling like the white rabbit. Time seems to fly these days.
I still feel like the white rabbit myself. I agree there are lots of interesting people on line.
DeleteHi Paul, looks like I missed your post but I have been hiding in the back of the cave, trying to write something rather commercial that just won't come. Like you I do feel so fortunate to be alive at a time when so many things are possible and so many connections can be made. It was such a pleasure to meet you and completely fail to ham up any blokey football chat. Next time I'll see if I can fail to ham up any blokey golf chat.(You have no idea how much I dread the testoterball trivia socialising). I like your poem very much. The poor in the shadow of splendour is an element of our cities. As for the film I have started to watch it and loved it. I think I have a mainly unwatched box set of Malle's films that Amazon sold me late at night when the brandy was very smooth. Thanks for the video plug above. soon I'll have enough sales for another pack of ASDA lager.
ReplyDeleteAh, Oscar, golf a good walk interrupted as Mark Twain said. I just look blankly at them when they start talking about football. I wonder at times if I am missing anything but lifes too short to worry.
Deletehmm... which malle film would you recommend watching first?
ReplyDeleteDepends really:
DeleteAu Revoir Les Enfants, My Dinner with Andre, Lacombe Lucien, Atlantic City, Vanya on 42nd St, The Lovers,Lift to the scaffold, Murmur of the Heart- some of these are the English titles, I've just looked at IMDB to get the names. Happy watching.