Thursday 6 October 2016

Poetry and Performance


Spoken word poetry, slam poetry, rapping. It all comes under the same thing and is just as beautiful and powerful as reading what is written on the page.

 
The differences, apart from the obvious, are that a poem can be laid out in a wonderful picture that helps to enhance the reading experience and gives the piece a certain edge; this cannot be done when you hear a poem being read. But, it is done by the voice and energy of the person reading the piece., which is usually the author itself.

 

Spoken word poetry gives a wonderful insight into the power of the poem directly from the person who wrote it; it offers a glimpse into the writer’s head  and exactly what they were meaning when it was written, something which cannot be done when a printed poem is performed by someone else, it is their interpretation.

Therefore, as part of my entry into the poetry world, I am going to print a poem below, and then will read it aloud on my blog next week, and if anyone has any comments, please do leave them below, as I would be most interested to know what you think the differences are and where you think punctuation comes into its own.

 

The poem is called Bandits and Flies, and goes something like this:

 

Bluebottle flies and wild bandits on the run from the law;

As a heart dies, we tear into the waves on the shore.

Wet trunks do not contain any fear, only here,

With a kite flying high can we see forever.

 

If only there was more time, then those bandits would

Not need to run, but have fun, and shun

The clever briny sea.

Heart sinks like a stone in a pool; or a ship with a hole.

Those dreaded bluebottles see red and  batter the senses

Like spitfires in a dogfight with meschersmitts; and spits

Of rain, tenderly fall through the sky.

The bandits cannot see the flies,

Only time, and with that the never ending

Search for truth. For what is truth?

Nothing but the sea and sky can be true,

And so rich in blue when you deliver the

Final command. Be tender to each other,

Don’t run for your lives like bandits and flies.

Be still, and the world can be one with you.

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