First some news, followed by two poems - River Scenes and Heat - then links to video and music on the theme of Rivers.
Enjoy!
Best wishes, Louis
Louis’ News
Northants Creative Bursary. Thanks to a bursary recently awarded to me by Creative Northants, I am now busy making MP3 files of my poems lyrics, More details about this soon!
Here’s a taster, “Travelling to My Love”, link to Ernie Ball Current events Forum, click to listen. Tip: best listened to using headphones.http://www.ernieball.com/forums/current-events/50598-louis-mp3-files-poems-lyrics-comng-soon.html
Thank you Creative Northants for your generous support of my work.
http://www.creativenorthants.co.uk/
Updates to my Behance portfolio site. I updated my Behance site this week to add more information about myself. Take a look: http://www.behance.net/LJCasson
Tim Muddiman. Local guitar man Tim Muddiman is now back in Northampton briefly, prior to flying out on tour again with Gary Numan. Here’s a link to an interview with Tim, plus some pics. All the best Tim!
http://blog.dolphinmusic.co.uk/index.php/blog/view/interview_with_gary_numans_guitarist_tim_muddimanPoems.
Two pieces for this time of year: Heat and River Scenes.
River Scenes
i. Pond Skater
With a whir of wings;
dart left, dart right, dart out of sight.Pause again,
thread legs dimpling the water’s meniscus,
balancing body and wings atop.Below the surface,
A flash of accelerating stickleback snap.Move now for life,
Dart left, dart right, dart out of stickleback sight!
ii. Trout
I swim out smoothly lazy,
from the shaded willowed bank.Sun motes from the surface,
silhouette the dancing fly above.I rush, and snap my meal,
the ripples revealing I am here.Outside the river the angler casts,
too late to catch me this time.iii. Kingfisher
I was made from a handful of jewels and turquoise;
gems coalescing, sparkling, following my beak of coral.I have to eat small river fish,
their gloopy flesh keeps the jewels glued together.Shhhh – it’s a secret for us two, not others!
Heat
Corn is waving,Like bristles on Hog’s skin.
Goose-bumped by cool breezes, now and then in the heat.
August day, so heavy it’s got us all beat.
So heavy it’s got us all beat.
From the warm sticky train, the land’s folding and waxing,
Earth’s muscles flexing to let out a sigh.
As we ride in the freight, going by.Ride in the freight going by.
Thick rainless air, like Glycerin and water.
In the distance trees dancing; mother Cedar, Shrub daughter.Mouth dry and sticky, like a crick with no water.
Dry and sticky, like a crick with no water.
Stetson-headed the sheriff shumbles down Main Street,
Sweat kissing the dust on his boot in the heat.August day, so heavy it’s got us all beat.
So heavy it’s got us all beat.
River monsters, Jeremy Wade
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/river-monsters/Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkness-Penguin-Classics-Joseph-Conrad/dp/0141441674/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312272735&sr=1-1In the book Marlow sees an African Woman, regal and majestic...
Scroll down the screen a little the passages quoted are taken from Chapter 3, paragraph 13 (3,13 in the article text) NB: the commentary on this site belongs to the site alone, they are not my views or comments; I am merely using the link to this site to avoid retyping out chunks of text!
Langston Hughes “I’ve seen rivers...”
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/negro-speaks-of-rivers/Index of Langston Hughes poems on poemhunter:
http://www.poemhunter.com/langston-hughes/poems/page-1/Louis’ Digital Jukebox.
These are on my current “marvellous mashup” music listening list:
Courtney Pine, “I’ve known rivers” – based on the Langston Hughes poem. This is a new 4hero remix of the original track, to be found on the Courtney Pine Album “Modern Day Jazz Stories”,.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53z4LuhwJYEPaul Robeson “Ol Man River” (from Porgy & Bess):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blZacptWIpk& “Summertime”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5CieXP7L8&feature=relatedMiles Davis “Summertime” (a little diversion!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N090STPx-2M&feature=relatedLazy River, Hoagy Carmichael. Some fine piano work from Hoagy here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7yCYXfTA3g&feature=relatedThe River, Bruce Springsteen (with Sting):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDjQRgoOcpkSince covered by Michael Buble; this is Ella Fitzgerald’s version of, “Cry Me a River”. Note how the tempo and feel changes at least three times on this track, plus...scat vocals by Ella!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XggjVo3j-o&feature=related
This Blog content, Poems & Lyrics, Copyright Louis J. Casson 2011.
See more about Louis J. Casson on Behance: http://www.behance.net/LJCasson
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