Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Well ,poets, you feeling lucky?

HEADLIGHTS OUT'A HERE

I know what you're thinking — " Will he set six tasks or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But, being this is an almond flavoured Magnum the most powerful ice-cream in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, poet? Go ahead make my day dudes ,join in with the next trip of the light fantastic otherwise known as TFE's global poetry extravaganza par excellence in the community, a trans global 'if the kids are united they will never be divided' peace and harmony project funded entirely from the sale of Jimmy the Butlers (confiscated) soft porn collection on ebay. Yesterdays response was gratifying in the extreme which is a strange phenomenon for me-again.Being some half-arsed class of clown who somewhat pretentiously strives to be something akin to somebody who writes stuff,I am of course incredibly egotistical, it's all about ME,why else would I blog? For world peace? I don't think so. And yet here I am all excited about what YOUS have written and the buzz is no longer ,'look what I've written, aren't i the great little fecker altogether', but look what THEY have written (albeit still with a muted' aren't I a great little fecker altogether for prompting them') So very well done to all of ye and thanks a million for joining in. For this weeks task I thought it might be interesting to see what happens if we did exactly the same exercise but this time all listen to the same piece of music. I've chosen(Oh, the sweet intoxication of POWER) 'My Hometown' by Bruce Springsteen, the final track on his 'Born in the USA' album. Now everybody in the world has this album and if you don't ,apart from wondering how you could have gone so horribly wrong in your life thus far, I am posting not only a you tube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvNUOElgmnk but a copy of the lyrics

was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
Id sit on his lap in that big old buick and steer as we drove through town
Hed tousle my hair and say son take a good look around
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown

In `65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown
My hometown, my hometown, my hometown

Now main streets whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there aint nobody wants to come down here no more
Theyre closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they aint coming back to
Your hometown, your hometown, your hometown, your hometown

Last night me and kate we laid in bed talking about getting out
Packing up our bags maybe heading south
Im thirty-five we got a boy of our own now
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel and said son take a good
Look around
This is your hometown

for you to peruse.The song is salt, you are water,rational thought is the membrane through which, by the process of osmosis, you will absorb inspiration and produce your own masterpiece. Home, what is it,where is it, does it exist, is it where we are born ,where we live,where the heart is, within us -or without us,do we ever truly find it at all?These are the thoughts but the song is the catalyst.Write about home ,write about the song, write about a bird on the wire,a bird in the cage, write about quantum physics, a penny chew,Che Guevara, Aldi prices,botulism,Hippos..whatever comes to ya , JUST WRITE- Well poets, you feeling Lucky?

24 comments:

NanU said...

Like they say, you make your own luck.
So yeah, I'll just whip some up and show you who's the great little fecker! The trick is to have enough of that attitude but not so much that people start throwing bad tomatos at you.

Great choice of song!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Bruce Springstein? Who he?
Good lyric though and a good idea for a poem - my hometown etc.etc. Shall do!

Could you have possibly made some sort of cock-up with your linking?
I only ask because all day I have been receiving every comment made to Titus the dog's blog on my e mails. I can't imagine how this could happen unless some kind of link has gone wrong. My computer knowledge is very basic - I can do what I can do - I can't do everything else.
Good poems, weren't they = and yes - you can take all the credit for giving us the inspiration.

Kat Mortensen said...

You're doing a DAILY prompt now? How am supposed to get ANYTHING done?

Kat

Niamh B said...

You not only are inspiring us all, but actually have led some of us to read each others stuff a bit more, leading to some great new reading... As Poetikat says - how are we supposed to get anything done?
But yeah, take a bow mister - you great uniter, cross pollinator, communicator genius...

Mad Aunt Bernard said...

Ah, I've never paid much attention to Springsteen but I'll listen to that song again with fresh ears now. Thankyou.
I also popped in to let you know that after dropping Superman off at Mum's, I put an extra object in with him. It is a bobbin from my sewing machine, so you can look at it on a 'bobbins' day - especially important when you go out and everybody looks weird or someone falls over and you start smirking to yourself, then giggling.

Totalfeckineejit said...

So that's the secret!Glad you like the song, NanU ,should help da pome?

Totalfeckineejit said...

Hello, Weaver.Bruce Springsteen is my uncle.Don't know what's wrong with the computer have you tried hitting it with a shoe? Always used to work with the telly.Do you remeber hitting the telly? nobody does that any more,I used to love hitting the telly,they should make special tellys that you can hit just for fun,I'd buy one.By the way Bruce isn't really my uncle that was a lie.He's my cousin.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Thanks Mrs Niamh.The was some good stuff to read wasn't there? Genius? Yes. A much bandied term but perfectly fitting in my case.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Kat,I'm a patient man,so far laid back I'm almost horizontal, but I'm going to have the WEEKLY instructions tattoed onto your arm if you don't watch out! :)

Totalfeckineejit said...

Auntie!Fresh ears? If I've asked you once ,I've asked you a million times to KEEP AWAY FROM THAT GRAVEYARD! Thanks a billion for the bobbin I'm looking forward to seeing it.Maybe each person should add something to the box? Great idea auntie!

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

TFE, you are a genius! This coming from one who has completely lost her mind, so apply that grain of salt. ; )

Home, yes, we all have at least one, don't we? Looking forward to poetically communing next Monday and reading the others, too. Now, if only I could find that lost mind....

wv: acial: TFE is an acial at facilitating the Monday Poetry Blogfest.

patricia said...

Your poem, written while listenig to Bruce Springstein recalls me Tracy Chapman´s "Fast Car", if I were to read it again, i´d listen chapman´s song at the same time. Crossroad of songs through words. Anyway, i´d picture again in my mind the image of the small towns and neighbourhoods of my own country, the same scene everywhere...

Rachel Fox said...

I've had brothers and boyfriends (keep them separate folks!) who've liked Springsteen but have mainly avoided him myself. Not any more it seems.
x

Batteson.Ind said...

bruce springstien!?..... *dangles head and shakes it sadly......
Mind you, i'm up for the challenge since I missed this Monday's.. shall endeavor to 'move with the bruce'...... somehow! :-D

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

Love that song - big up to the Springsteen machine (note desperate bid to cheer self up on a tuesday morning by talking drivel)

Yep - great song: certainly will try and write something for Monday taking no more than the usual allocated time.

Padhraig Nolan said...

Heyyyy, feckit - monday's task slipped me by this week - will try to be boss-wired for next Monday. Gyaaargh. Hnunnnngh. And suchlike.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Homeward bound Jeanne and salt laden Much o tanx

Totalfeckineejit said...

aleph,thanks and you've given me an idea! Love tracy Chapman's song-where is she now I wonder?

Totalfeckineejit said...

Mmm, Rachel, this is not good and something I hadn't considered-worry not, help is at hand another two songs will be available pronto!

Totalfeckineejit said...

Glad you're back Katz, more songs coming up.

Totalfeckineejit said...

DFTP NO TIME LIMIT !! Delighted you like the song-looks like we might be in the minority here though,glad too you're joining in.Pip, Pip!

Rachel Fox said...

No, I'm quite happy to try the task with Bruce. It might bring me to a greater appreciation of his appeal/talents. Plus I've already started thinking about what to write for 'Home Town'. I like the idea of everyone trying to work around the one song.
x

Totalfeckineejit said...

Good man P Nolan, the way you're going at the mo you'll probs sell it to a mag!

Totalfeckineejit said...

That's the spirit Rachel you is a plucky poet!