"susurrations" on Street Anatomy

My video poem "susurrations" was featured on Street Anatomy last week. Street Anatomy is one of my favourite blogs. Its curator, Vanessa Ruiz is "obsessed with the beauty and intrigue of human anatomy" as am I.

susurrations from Lia Pas on Vimeo.

The video is about 10 minutes long.

Transforium

The reading, unfolding, launching of “Transforium” by Tammy Lu and Mari-Lou Rowley (JackPine Press 2012). Thanks to Lia Pas for helping us decipher the poem-map.

Transforium Unfolded from Tammy Lu on Vimeo.

Crackers still Crisp

Yes, the crackers are back, revived and crisp and salty as ever.. Today we met at the Bessborough hotel lounge and had a nice little table beside a business man who bought our first round in exchange for watching his computer while he went for a smoke. It was minus 25 today so he wasn't gone long.

Speaking of exchange, some great show and tell, all with metaphysical/neo-surrealist themes..

From Hilary, two new books of poetry
Looms, by Camille Martin
Gravesend,  by Cole Swensen

From Fioncara (via Yvette Nolan) 
The Saint Plays, by Erik Ehn

From Lia
The Mystic in the Theatre --Elenora Duse, by Eva Le Gallienne

From Mari-Lou (via Matthew Hall)
tarpaulin sky by Juliana Spahr

Ashtavakra Gita

This week I began composing a choral arrangement of Chapter VI of the Ashtavakra Gita.

The arrangement will be sung in the original Sanskrit, but here is my re-writing of John Fisher's translation:

I am space. unbounded.

While the world is like a jar.

I know this as knowledge.

I do not deny this.

I do not accept this.

I do not stop this.

I am the ocean.

While the abundance of matter is like a wave.

I know this as knowledge.

I do not deny this.

I do not accept this.

I do not stop this.

I am mother-of-pearl.

While the envisioned world is like iridescence.

I know this as knowledge.

I do not deny this.

I do not accept this.

I do not stop this.

Again.

I am in all.

While all is in me.

I know this as knowledge.

I do not deny this.

I do not accept this.

I do not stop this.

Another needy poem

The Way We Need (for Paul)

i can't explain
the i
you
need to
the way you need
the way i feel
need to,
the needing way you feel
the need
i can't explain
the feeling i need,
your need to feel
i can't explain.


an old "needy" poem from a knife a rope a book (Underwhich Editions 1990)

when need comes near

Finished a piece for voice & piano started in 2007: when need comes near

when need comes near

I walk

away

when need comes near

I wait

in the open doorway

wait

to walk

away

waiting for a way

to be

away

when need comes near

I walk

I wait

I walk

away

Feral Verses

Sunday posting from Mari-Lou


From the back of the car Cicero thought he heard donkeys braying.

Hit me again and I’ll prorogue parliament the lawyer’s son said to the bully.

Once you study law you see the whole world differently.

I am a poet. I dream of aquatic plants sprouting from my leg.
Calf to be exact, right calf muscle where the Achilles tendon left off.

Achilles wasn’t afraid of anything, except hurting his heel. Thus he didn’t dance or wear flat sandals.

Tantrum prone, unlike Cicero who just couldn’t hold his tongue. Unlike the lawyer’s son who couldn’t tongue his hold.