Sunday, May 26, 2013

Smell as Sweet -27/05/2013

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I can see now why you're called "randy"
she hmmph-ed through folded arms

simultaneously I saw, for myself
why it is that I never remember
the names of people like her

keeping the observation to myself
saw no need to argue
my previously-available viewpoint
having disappeared somewhere


behind those folded arms.





_______________________







-Peace





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Friday, May 24, 2013

Last -(revised 26/05/2013)

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until they walk off
until the music stops
until the battery dies
the place shuts
and the breath mutters

until the empty wallet
until late until cold
until lights come up
and a candle goes out

until night shakes it's grip
on the hard high-ground
until huge with so-alone
until hands hit pockets
until mouth makes a fist
until eyes speak like teeth
until an empty cup slump
until the new stains growl
until old lies wash through

until the cannots and will-nots
swallowed hole and hitting bone
smashed until cracked up lips
until spent in hurt until
swelling up to bruises
until that proves it
across their contained faces
it crawls out until it goes
on

until it stops beating up
before breaking down again
until they fuck off
with their contained faces
until it's the last truth
until this is nothing but,
or just because
it's the only thing left to do


I'm staying here, until I find you





______________________________











-Peace







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"Knuckle Loved" -(2012 performance video clip from Slamalamadingdong) -25/05/2013

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(if you are not seeing a playable video click here for a direct YouTube link)


Another in the new series of clips we've gotten finished, this one filmed at Slamalamadingdong Poetry Slam, (Melbourne), back in mid-2012. (poem text follows below).





KNUCKLE LOVED

I made it hard on myself
with less than amazing grace
I have raged bleeding off pages 
head-cased on over a hundred stages
in front of complete strangers

scaring the shit out of them 
then having to hand it back 
in a stinking-stupid balancing act
apologising to the emotionally comatose 
living TV highlight life supported
on a bland diet of early nights

I have conquered entire words
swallowing my smile back 
fulcruming back my foolhardy 
into muscle and more muscle 

done push-ups on the sun up 
sweated the lead out 
cracked ribs while laughing 
and made midnight wince 
at seeing me again 

I fucked the holes in my story 

ate her out with knuckle loved hunger 
glared obnoxious at every curved part
that bodily separated us
from our true stories 

wanted her so bad 
that it was... bad 
punched that pain of that
into myself 
tried using the bruise 
to feel like maybe somehow
(ow) we really connected 

died of embarrassment 
to see if suicide is painless 
or just 
another of life's creative processes 
bargained believing in no pain no gain 
no matter how often 
I was subsequently short-changed 

I have paid my dues into black 
then demanded some bloody payback 
when it was my shout
voiced stereo to eleven 
screaming god-fucken-dammit 
right into the heart of heaven

read every religious book 
back to itself like a lullaby
believing
I had shed myself of every belief 

in spirited arguments 
with alcoholic ghosts 
broke the light bulb in my brain 
while beating my head
against every wall I could find 
out there to blame

to get this gravel in my voice
I travelled the world and girl

I made it hard on myself 
kept it up to die trying 
bell tolled with a taken cake 
but I'm telling it straight 

screwed the pooch
in a glass house 
blew my chances
given a toss 
gambled and lost
then went slept it off
shit where I've eaten 
to then eat shit
had to cut the crap 
boat rocked
judgement snapped
but in all that

I have never ever done anything 
anything that could stop me thinking 


about you."





____________________________







-Peace











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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Randy & the One Night Stanza with Anis Mojgani -THIS SUNDAY 26th May (+ a competition for you!)

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While I try keeping this blog as an outpost for my actual work and not just another arm to promote it, this Sunday I'm involved in something so fundamentally uh, fundamental to that work that it deserves a special mention:



This Sunday Anis Mojgani is doing a performing at a poetry event in Melbourne and I somehow begged, pleaded and threatened my way into getting on the lineup. And had them throw in Steve Smart with me for good measure. This is like if a boxer got to do a show fight with Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali. Though I fully expect to walk away with less bruises and both my ear lobes. Steve and I are that ambitious.




Below is the first clip of Anis Mojgani poetry I ever saw, years ago and back in those salad days when I still took slam oh-so seriously. I know Anis' work has moved on significantly since then, but I think this clip still illuminates why I'm excited to be seeing, let alone performing at, an event with this man:


(if you're not seeing a playable YouTube window above click here)


I'm also really excited to be part of/associated with Global Poetics tour again, who in 2011 brought out other slam poetry giants Ken Arkind and Jive Poetic (and I'm also really-really excited not to have to fly to Sydney, back from Thailand to be on the marquee this time, anyway...). As well as Anis Mojgani GP is also being back Ken Arkind, his friend Carrie Rudzinski, and backing them up with other local talents like Michelle Drabowski and Freya Dougan-Whaite. It's going to be a great fucking show, sho 'nuff.

On a more personal note, and reflecting back on the differences between now and 2011, I honestly feel a lot more ready for this. When I met the mighty Shane Koyczan, I was so intimidated that I went out of my way to show how not-intimidated I was, and yep, made a complete dick of myself off stage.

I don't flatter myself that the pendulous vagaries of my insecurity verses egocentricity, is much better under control, only that I do the duck-gliding-smoothly-on-water-while-paddling-furiously-below act a little better than I might have two years back.

SO I HAD THIS IDEA (AND THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN, READER):

I know I'm going to say something stupid to this Anis guy, like I did with Shane Koyzcan, like I still do every time I bump into Emilie Zoey Baker or someone else I'm a flat-out admirer of. So why not just accept this as given, resign myself to it and furthermore, have a bit of fun with this. So I'm putting this out to you, dear reader: give me a suggestion of what I can say, something heinously stupid, something self-sabotaging-ly awful, something completely random to say to Anis Mojgani when I meet him.


THE WINNER (BEST SUGGESTION I LIKE) GETS A FREE PRE-RELEASE COPY OF MY NEW ALBUM:




Try and get creative here, but punchy and short is the key.  I've already accused him directly on facebook of repeatedly sending me naked pictures of himself, so you've got a good head start right there.  Send your suggestions to: randallstephenspoetry@gmail.com


Meanwhile, I hope to see you in Footscray on Sunday, while Smarty and I are up there trying to lower the tone.  For a link to the facebook event click here.

(Though more importantly to book tickets for it click here)






__________________________________







-Peace






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Friday, May 17, 2013

BREASTS! -New Video performing at JamPar Poetry Brisbane (+ Conduit Arts gig TONIGHT!) -18/05/2013



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The infamous mammary glandular rant by Randy (text follows below -so you can sing along at home). Edited by Alex Scott. Performed as part of feature I did for the lovely folks up in Brisbane last year.



if you are not seeing a playable video window click here for a direct YouTube link



BREASTS!

breasts are the best oh yes
I'm talking about breasts
and the time has now come to confess
how impressed I am with their shape
their firmness
there's really no contest
for where else my eyes could get

(stuck)

and ah it's just my luck
to then get busted
staring at her bust
then lose her trust
oh now she's real suspicious
that I only think about what juts
out from her chest namely her
breasts

believe me I have tried my best
not to be some vile letch
but I am powerless
in resisting temptation
when in any given situation
if an opportunity should occur
of being able to ogle
over there at her breasts

it is for these
for which I continue for to quest
though it oft-times
seems utterly hopeless
as most women just think I'm a pest
to say nothing about
joining me to get undressed
where, I could get a better look at
yeah, her breasts

on the crest of a conquest
I want the bequest
to please be her guest
by all means make... a mess
all over her breasts

breasts, I do not jest
their shapes have become enmeshed
upon my very consciousness
threatening my equilibrium and wellness
my imagination gives me no rest
and on exposure to them now
my intellectual power plumm-ets
spiralling into an infinite regress

breasts!
damnable breasts I say
they're horrible monsters like Loch-Ness!
and like Captain Ahab chasing
the White Whale I too am obsessed
by those compelling and comely  breasts

now I have the onus
of saying to their owners
in the tone of this poem
I mean no disrespect in my intent
but my fellow human beings
It is so, so -hard-
to ignore what I've seen

I mean I really just could
spend whole days gazing
stunned and open-mouthed
'cause they're amazing
pondering those magnificent
works of art that are
so close to both our hearts


your breasts.



___________________________________________



I've been a bit quiet on the blog for the last few weeks for two reasons, firstly I've been getting the album ready for a major launch in Melbourne sometime in July, including getting a whole series of these videos done. Secondly because I've been performing (and will be performing a lot more in the next few weeks). There are some great gigs coming up. Please my good friend Benjamin Solah's site Melbourne Spoken Word (http://www.melbournespokenword.com)












Tonight for example (Saturday May 18th), I'm teaming up with Amanda Anastasi, Steve Smart, Benjamin Solah, Santo Cazzati and Kerry Loughrey for their first official msw.com gig, hosted in Conduit Arts, on Brunswick Street Fitzroy.



















It's gonna be a great gig, all-star line up, hope you can make it down!




















-Peace








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