To find my poems, as well as studying art, going for a walk, and remembering, I write from things that happen. For the next few posts I thought I would share the creation of a poem from an event that we attended and demonstrate how I take something like this and then translate it into something more creative.
STEP 1: Free Write – Journaling the event.
Gary is not seen before the concert.
He’s in the green room.
People wait in their seats
at the Baha’i Centre in Milton
unless they see someone they know
and get up to talk
and hug and kiss on both cheeks
and many of them speak in Persian
we see friends from years ago in Cairns
they saw Gary earlier today
in a market
and now they are beside us waiting
for the concert too.
And then it begins
but he is not on the stage
instead it is a video of a song
introducing the concert
and it is Gary singing with
others Be Ready
The audience are ready and
now Gary walks through the audience
to the front of house
wearing a sparkling jacket
and the audience cheer.
Gary Sterling is in town
and he is talking to us
and waving at people he knows
and ready to sing.
This is a collection of favourites
Lean on Me, Let it Be,
This is Gospel
This is Baha’i Gospel
This is Red Grammar classic
I think your wonderful
We sing along
We question and answer
We are coached with the words
One young man sings loud and strong
soon he is on stage with Gary
standing on a chair
with a microphone
a duet just like that.
There is a song for his gone
to a better place mum.
He is happy for her, and he
sings for her.
Be not sad, you know she is in the place
of Glory.
And the entertainer
sings us stories
tells us stories with a song chorus
tells us a story about
being stranded in Melbourne
and using the time to write a song
And William is the sound man,
and puts on the music.
Gary is performing with his portable
in a recording band.
He is building up soul,
and some songs have a heart
and a place
and invite us to arise in song.
Music is the upbeat
music is the left and the right wing
of the soul that wants to
ascend.
Gary has a surprise
he will sing a whole song in Persian
for the audience members
exiled from their homeland because of persecution
and right now I am thinking of also
what is happening in Yemen.
so weird to persecute people because they are
kind?
And also I am thinking of
the diversity of all the Baha’is
and how we are all one family
and we come from so many backgrounds
Gary is singing of Krishna, and Jesus
and he is a Baha’i Gospel
singer and my daughter later says how cool it
was to hear that style
applied to a song about
Baha’u’llah and progressive revelation
I watch her smiling
she has seen the diversity of expression
that can go hand in hand
with unity.
We don’t all have to be the same
to be part of the common ground.
I hope she will sing strong and loud
for it is her way to Praise the Glory.
And all too soon the concert is over.
The entertainer has given his all.
Now it’s time to purchase CDS
which well help him fly the next leg
of this journey.
The songs live on, after we are gone
and the spirit of this concert
lives on in us.
Self critique
This first journal type free write is very narrative driven.
Can I do more to build the audience atmosphere and Gary’s personality?
How can I use the spirit of the songs to also build this piece?
What do I want the creative piece to be about?
Is there more than one poem here?
(c) June Perkins
Ripple Poetry 