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StreetPoetry Poetry by the people for the people! STREET POETRY brought to you by STREET GIRL "poetry for the people by the people" The LobsterBoy Revue By the people at Galapagos Art Space 6/24/04 Edited By Claudia Alick From "Dada & Surrealist Art," by William S. Rubin, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York 1968 Among Surrealist techniques exploiting the mystique of accident was a kind of collective collage of words or images called the cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse). Based on an old parlor game, it was played by several people, each of whom would write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal part of it, and pass it on to the next player for his contribution. The technique got its name from results obtained in initial playing, "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau" (The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine). Other examples are: "The dormitory of friable little girls puts the odious box right" and "The Senegal oyster will eat the tricolor bread." These poetic fragments were felt to reveal what Nicolas Calas characterized as the "unconscious reality in the personality of the group" resulting from a process of what Ernst called "mental contagion." At the same time, they represented the transposition of Lautramont's classic verbal collage to a collective level, in effect fulfilling his injunction-- frequently cited in Surrealist texts--that "poetry must be made by all and not by one." Editors note: This poem was written on a breezy summer evening near a reflective pool of dark water in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Warm candlelight flickered off the brick walls while a waitress hurried to and fro delivering drinks to the intimate crowd of hipsters. A pretty lady made up like a cigarette girl passed out pixie sticks, gum, and (as a favor to streetgirl) gummy fish from a white and pink bustier purse. On stage and back stage frolicked (and sometimes contributed to the poem), an ancient magician, trixie little with feathers and pasties, the evil tap dancing hate monkey, a four breasted prom queen, a shark, a sexy baton twirler, a lobster, a geeky geek, and various up for it audience members. Each person was allowed to view the previous line. All other lines were covered by a folder. Each person was allowed only to write one line. Spelling has been corrected. Some changes in case and punctuation. Recipe: Start with surrealist form of poetry. Flip it. Take a bunch of people put them on the same road or place them in the same space. Add one black woman with a pen and a notepad and an idea. Serve with creativity, good nature and patience. 1. SEXY SEXY LOBSTER 2. Chicken with head cut off 3. Splurts! Splurts! Splurts! Girl-Girls! 4. Stickier than the floor of ShowWorld on Christmas day 5. and sweeter than the candy in my pillowcase during Halloween 6. candy left over from Halloween, the unified theory of everything 7. had nothing to do with the price of tea in Brooklyn, though 8. the trees swayed and whipped in the hurricane 9. the birds stopped singing 10. I personally laid an egg! 11. I fried the egg and ate it 12. Guess that’s one more child avoided 13. Is the tallest midget taller that the shortest man? 14. the shortest man in the room… 15. sat rather uncomfortably on a broom 16. knowing not from where it came 17. words to live by-NEVER buy what you do not want 18. unless you think it will make you look cool 19. the yellow bird was a turd! 20. what a great show! 21. you look beautiful 22. my shrimp is bountiful—for you 23. and so is my poo 24. against the breakers, she falls, opens her arms 25. and breaths 26. like swinging monkey trees 27. scintillating lineaments 28. a spark in the dark with a pepp-o-mint 29. I am at a loss 30. for I am an ugly bird in search of a nest 31. soaring, dry and damaged above the hills 32. she fell gracefully back to the earth, a smile across her face 33. and said Damn, am I in my own place? brought to you by STREET GIRL "poetry for the people by the people" Cheryl Boyce-Taylor's Birthday Celebration By the people at Bowery Poetry Club Edited By Claudia Alick From "Dada & Surrealist Art," by William S. Rubin, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Among Surrealist techniques exploiting the mystique of accident was a kind of collective collage of words or images called the cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse). Based on an old parlor game, it was played by several people, each of whom would write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal part of it, and pass it on to the next player for his contribution. The technique got its name from results obtained in initial playing, "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau" (The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine). Other examples are: "The dormitory of friable little girls puts the odious box right" and "The Senegal oyster will eat the tricolor bread." These poetic fragments were felt to reveal what Nicolas Calas characterized as the "unconscious reality in the personality of the group" resulting from a process of what Ernst called "mental contagion." At the same time, they represented the transposition of Lautramont's classic verbal collage to a collective level, in effect fulfilling his injunction-- frequently cited in Surrealist texts--that "poetry must be made by all and not by one." Editors note: This poem was written on a cold day in December in the warm embrace of The Bowery Poetry Club. Poets, students, and audience all gathered to celebrate the birth of Cheryl Boyce-Taylor. Performers read their own work with Cheryl's work and the atmosphere was one of love and poetry. Each person was allowed to view the previous line. All other lines were covered by a folder. Each person was allowed only to write one line. Spelling has been corrected. Some changes in case and punctuation. Recipe: Start with surrealist form of poetry. Flip it. Take a bunch of people put them on the same road or place them in the same space. Add one black woman with a pen and a notepad and an idea. Serve with creativity, good nature and patience. 1. Another year 2. I am brand Woman, Moongirl, Mango Pretty, Yes! Yes! Yes! 3. Sharing the years of joyful words 4. A date of commemoration- a dot in a line of years 5. crisis is the doorway to opportunity- open it wide! 6. Life was, is to be enjoyed, and you enjoy it well 7. through the Fires of steel pan drum 8. and the texture of your husbands hand rolled pasta 9. Why does Love have so many meanings and hurt 10. Why do we fight to live- yet, live to die 11. when we should enjoy what we have peaceably 12. stole 13. away 14. to, to the states to warm it with you 15. but there is a cold that at times we carry deep within 16. forcing deafening screams from the mind while silencing the soul 17. He walks through the park with his agonies in tow 18. with thoughts of our quick but passionate encounter 19. bred thick with the stinking expectation 20. She imagines the scents of yesterday mingling their rejections 21. Rumbles into pockets of Sunday sin 22. You make me cry 23. all over the pot of gold goat stew 24. whilst washing it all down with wines and roses 25. Tamarind seeding bursting like sunrise in my mouth 26. The best thing in life is free, and it's love 27. believe this and the disappointment will eventually rot at you like leprosy 28. but like Jesus of Nazareth my words perform miracles of healing 29. You see, it was your words that touched me and no I can see- 30. can see into a horizon of real ass hope where you painted you part |
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