My creative fallow period continues. These things happen. I tell myself you have to take in before you can give out, experience before description or synthesis of events. I was looking for a poem for this week's post and I was reminded of a memory from childhood of going to the barbers. It prompted this.
A
MEMORY
the
choice of haircuts
in
that small northern town
was
either short back and sides
or
if common and prone to violence
a
crew-cut
neither
held grace
nor
needed skill to reproduce
it
was just assembly line hack work
on
the last day of the school holidays
in
and out of the barbers in ten minutes flat
my
reluctant footsteps took me there
and
embarrassment reddened
my
newly exposed neck and ears
as I
trudged back home
wondering
where the summer had fled
A minor poem at best, with echoes of a much earlier work. Back in the early 60s there were only two haircuts, it was something else The Beatles changed. Think yourself lucky if you did not have to live in such strictures. Here's a very old jotting.
in
this new city
I
hunt for poems
on
the faces
of
the people
walking
purposefully
watching
the traffic
crossing
roads
carrying
shopping bags
or
sipping coffee
on
this terrace
that
overlooks the square
I like to sit in sunny squares and watch the big parade of life flow by around me. It is good writing practice to try and capture the scene. Here's to warmer days.
A rewrite this post. I was looking over some poems from last year and I saw how I could improve this poem. You can read the earlier version here.
the
secrets of the sun
hide
in plain sight
but
you need asbestos eyes
to
clock the beauty
of
hydrogen becoming helium
some
have tried
Milton
for example went blind
hunting
solar flares at noon
through
a borrowed telescope
but
all you have to do
is
accept what you are given
welcome
the sun’s light on your skin
it really is as simple as that
Well, the last line of the first stanza stood out as being rather ungainly. Plus the conclusion seemed clunky. I think it reads better now and it may be there!
I confess the title of this post is a lie. I did not go swimming and the moon looked its normal size to me. However, the event did prompt this poem.
SWIMMING
WITH THE SUPER MOON
She
asks me if I can see it from where I am
a
balcony overlooking Meadfoot Beach
I
confess my ignorance of the whole event
and
no it is not visible from up here
She
walks to the tideline with her friends
and
they best foot it into the bay
their
laughter carries on the air
we
resume our conversation sip cava
Until
the pink speckled tardy moon
arises
from a bank of cloud
it
looks the usual size to me
the
water reflects its beauty
and
life does not get much better
Some poems, I think, are more like sketches of memories. That is certainly the case with this. An opportunity to celebrate something beautiful. Oh, cava [pronounced Ka-ba] is a sparkling wine from Catalunya , I am assured by Catalan friends that it at least rivals a good champagne. Here's a revision of one of the poems from last post.
listen,
I’m not maudlin
ever
since you ghosted me
I
don’t think of you that much
but
I thought I saw you today
by
where your office used to be
when
the sun was in my eyes
it
was only when they spoke
I
realised I was mistaken
that
it
was some other clown
in
last year’s suit
attempting
to be authentic
which
was a whole lot more
than
you’d ever done
It's still not there yet and quite frankly it may never arrive. Away it can go for a long while.
Yahia Lababidi has just started a new Youtube channel full of good poetry and recipes! You can watch it here.
I am ashamed to admit I missed the release of a new album by Lizzie Nunnery and Vidar Norheim. It sounds amazing. you can order it here.
A rewrite this post with many thanks to the Secret Poets for their help. I cannot stress enough the benefits of being part of a supportive collective of poets. I am lucky to have been a member of such a supportive group for many years.
What's changed in the poem is that the lines are tighter, more economical. More show, less tell, which as I harp on post after post is the secret of good poetry.
the steeling
it is a lazy narrative to gift water agency
the depths did not desire that thin gold
band
the sea did not take the ring of my mother
let me offer this instead
that I had decided on one final dip
as October ran towards winter
in the intense cold
blood retreated
capillaries contracted
and the ring
always a loose fit
was gone before I knew it
so that when I searched
below the relentless waves
the view was murk and weed
my numb fingers read the rocks
sieved the sand
hunted for that familiar
the autumn tide was high and wild
and if I could have ladled it all away
spoon by spoonful I would
I waited it out
returned each day
to search the empty beach
As you can see the poem even has a title! That is good work for me. Thank you Secrets. Here is a short piece written by Lizzie Nunnery and performed by Elinor Randle. Until next time.
Adrian Henri was one of those rare individuals who are gifted as a poet, painter and a visionary. He is forever entwined with Liverpool. Alongside Brian Patten and Roger McGough, he was featured in the best selling anthology The Mersey Sound. A collection that influenced me greatly when first published. Here is Henri's group The Liverpool Scene with Winter Poem.
The good news is that the sublimely talented Lizzie Nunnery and Vidar Norheim have joined forces with Martin Smith and Martin Heslop to produce a diamond of a production Horny Handed Tons of Soil. Combining poetry, live music and story telling with film by Tony Brunsden, Horny Handed Tons of Soil is inspired by Henri's poetic response to the urban geography of Liverpool. It explores themes of destruction, construction and memory within stories of what has been lost and found, in the re-sculpting of the Liverpool landscape over the past fifty years. If you are able to get to the Theatre Royal on the 7th June then go for it! This promises to be a wondrous evening. Lizzie and Vidar are no strangers to this blog. I have seen most of their shows over the past ten years and they are always thought provoking, offering an intensely humanistic perspective that celebrates the everyday and some cracking songs! What are you waiting for? Here is Lizzie singing Ellan Vannin.
Vidar Norheim is a multi-instrumentalist, singer song writer. He first came to my attention through his work with Lizzie Nunnery, he produced her two albums, arranging and playing on both. Live he was a sensitive and skilled professional who enabled Lizzie to concentrate on communicating with her audience. I'm going to cut to the chase here [and leave you to follow the link to his band Wave Machines], Vidar has just released his first ep and it is as good as you would expect from such a consummate musician. It sounds like nothing else around at the moment, melodic, organic and with a great delicacy, a lightness of touch to it that simply draws you in. Just what you would expect from a musician named Norway's most promising song writing talent in 2011. Every note on this ep feels like it has been placed in the correct position, it sounds so natural, it's a joy on the ear.
First up on the ep is the title track, Blind Carbon Copy which is a sublime piece of synth pop. Lizzie Nunnery provides an intriguing set of lyrics that add to the tension as the song unfolds. It is a lovely track and Vidar's accomplished vocals are perfect. Sirens is another piece of sophisticated pop that should be coming out of every speaker in the land. Vidar has produced a perfect synthesis of lyrics and music. 10 More Miles is an interesting love song with lyrics by Lizzie. Crystalised too is a lovely song.
What my poor descriptions of these four songs have not described is the quality of musicianship and the luscious soundscape that Vidar has created single handed. This guy has chops to spare. This ep is a triumph and ends with a brief instrumental that just perfect. Blind Carbon Copy is that rare artifract, a perfect piece of art. Thank you Vidar.
Two brief poems of praise this post. The first was written recently and is about the end of summer, the cycle of the seasons.
The rain surprised me,
ambushed
as I was
by
my own indolence.
The
summer, falling hot,
had
led me to believe
such
days as these
could
go on forever,
until
outside of Exeter,
the
rain began to freckle the train windows.
The
first intimation of what is to come,
the
axial tilt and the fall
towards
the shortest day.
There
is a symmetry here – rejoice.
The second is an older poem that I have been working on for a number of years. That is to say I have never felt that it worked and every so often I pull it out from the pile of half completed poems and fiddle with it some more. Here is the latest version:
now
my four hour drive is forgotten
this
winter afternoon
a
string of starlings circle the bridge
they
wheel and flow in beauty
I
praise The Creator
who
makes such things possible
I had driven back to Widnes from Taunton, a journey of usually three and a half hours, it had taken me over four and I was feeling fed up. In the afternoon light that winter's day I did see a murmuration of starlings and the journey was worth that moment.
I have been in a Mountain Goats frame of mind this week but I leave you with Vidar Norheim. He has an ep out on the 25th August. You may know him from his work with Lizzie Nunnery. You can read my interview with Lizzie here, and my review of their second album here and their last ep here. Until next time...
Another couple of revised poems this post. The first was written last year after I watched a firework display for free. I have changed the layout, it now has a line break that I think allows the poem to breathe. It is always worth spending time trying different layouts.
Gracie & Harry's Poem
5.11.15
Deal
percussion
it
draws you outdoors
echoes
across the houses
hollow
this
is how dolphins navigate
in
sonic sketches
we
are drawn to a street corner
with
other humans
to
watch fireworks for free
to
evaluate each blossom against our memories
it
is over too soon
This second poem has had the lines moved around and I think it works better. If you find yourself with a poem that is not quite working move some of the lines about and see if that helps or hinders. That is the beauty of using a computer. A word of warning- keep all the different drafts.
Surprise
made
in russia
my
analogue watch
much
repaired
by
chance
this
once
mirrors
the digital time projected on to the wall
it
will not last
gears
and entropy
will
do for it and for me
Entropy is a common theme for me. It probably comes from growing up in the 1960's and reading too much science fiction about the heat death of the universe. I blame Michael Moorcock myself! I leave you with Lizzie Nunnery and Vidar Norheim singing Company of Ghosts in 2015 in Glossop. Any chance of a new album chaps?
This week I am really pleased to interview Lizzie Nunnery, a
singer/songwriter and playwright. Lizzie’s debut album Company of Ghosts was, for me, one of the best albums of 2010. She
managed to capture slices of life with honesty and a simplicity in her lyrics that
was laced with an underlying humour. It
was a beguiling debut. Her appearance at Purbeck Folk Festival that year was a
high point. She is a fantastic performer, if you get the chance to see her
live, take it, you will not be disappointed.
But not only does Lizzie write excellent songs she is also an
accomplished playwright; Intemperance was given five stars by The Guardian, and
has had plays broadcast by radio 4 and a short film on Channel Four.
She is in the process of releasing her second album, and at the moment,
she is promoting her new single Poverty Knocks – all the proceeds from which go
to the charity for homeless people Crisis (http://www.crisis.org.uk/ ). On the single she is
joined by the Liverpool Socialist Singers, it is a great single and could be
yours for one pound (http://lizzienunnery.co.uk/ ).
Anyway, let’s here from Lizzie.
Where do the ideas
come from?
I'm always wary of
getting too self conscious about that, in case it means the ideas stop. A lot
of my song ideas come from things I've read and seen, or they're exaggerated
versions of things that have happened to me or people close to me. I write a
lot about my family in my songs and lately I'm increasingly inspired by
politics. The best things come when you're not really trying- when I'm out
running or in the shower. The enemy of a good idea is a blank piece of paper.
Who influences you?
If I'm honest it's a
pretty strange list... Neil Young, Patti Smith, Graham Coxon, Jonathan Swift,
Brian Friel, Henrik Ibsen, Leonard Cohen, Adrian Henri, Gill Scott Heron, Joni
Mitchell, Kate Bush, Arthur Miller, John Steinbeck, The National, Wes
Anderson, Sufjan Stevens, Belle and Sebastian, Peggy Seeger....
I don't think you can
necessarily hear any of those people in my music or my plays either- but in the
big swamp of ideas they're all in there somewhere.
Which comes first,
lyrics or music?
Usually a lyric and a
melody line come at once and I work from there but occasionally I'll just have
a load of words and I'll have to hunt out the tune. It always starts with
something I want to say.
How does being a Liverpudlian affect your work?
Liverpool's a great
city to make stuff in. It's busy without being overcrowded, vibrant and
inspiring without being expensive. There's a village-like inclusiveness to the
music scene which isn't overly defined by genre, and lots of talented musicians
and songwriters open to collaborating. I think there's something great about
living somewhere you feel real ownership over- everything becomes so familiar
you can dream on top of it, think around it, rather than being bombarded by new
information all the time. There's plenty of innovative stuff going on
creatively but the attitude of the place is nicely laid back and friendly. It's
a perfect little big city.
As a
playwright is your vision changed by interacting with the actors?
Definitely. I've been
lucky enough to work with some incredible actors and their energy and
understanding can really shift perspective on the words in brilliant ways. When
you're rehearsing a play it's always a balancing act between keeping hold of
the clarity of your intention and knowing when to let it go. On one hand a
writer knows the thing they've written better than anyone, but on the other
hand you can be so close to the script it's like snow blindness. The same goes
for songs within the recording process- sometimes there's nothing better than
an outside eye.
Is there anything you
would have done differently?
I wish I'd started to play the guitar at a younger age. And I
wish I'd stuck with piano lessons when I was seven, even though the teacher
made me cry. I regret that I'm not a more technical musician. Sometimes
instinct is all you need, but sometimes it isn't.
What advice would you
give to someone starting out?
Be creative as much as you like or want, but don't try and live
by being creative unless you love it so much you have no choice- unless it's
bursting out of you and nothing else can make you happy. It's not likely to
make you rich and it's very likely to make you tired, but if you love it, it
will be all you need.
What's in the
pipeline?
Loads. The new download single,Poverty Knockswas released via mywebsiteyesterday. It features the Liverpool Socialist
Singers and all profits go to Crisis, the national UK charity for single
homeless people. It's the most directly political song I've ever written but it
feels like the right time for it.
I've also been working on a co-written play calledLife for Beginnerswhich is on at
Theatre503 in London throughout September. The other writers are Alice Birch,
Rex Obano, Matt Hartley and Ben Ellis. (http://theatre503.com/whats-on/life-for-beginners).
It's a tangled comedy about birth, love, death and everything in between, and
it's been brilliant working on something cheerful for a change.
With the new album coming out soon I've got lots of great gigs
to look forward to. I'm so excited about being part ofThe Irish Sea Sessions
2012 in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and Belfast Waterfront Hall in
October. I get to perform as part of a super group of Irish and Liverpool
musicians... can't wait. http://irishseasessions.com/
When is the new album
out?
September 17th! It's calledBlack Hound Howlingand it's a
collaboration with Norwegian producer and multi-instrumentalist, Vidar Norheim.
There's are strings, there's a brass section, there's a choir on one track,
there are quiet little moments between me and a piano... It's much more
ambitious lyrically and sonically than anything I've ever worked on before and
I'm really proud of it. All the info about where to buy it will be up on my
site:www.lizzienunnery.co.uk
If you were a colour
what colour would you be and why?
I love blue because it's a calm colour. I aspire to be blue but
sometime I'm probably more of an angry orange.
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