Beatnik Poetry Slam – Ice

Today’s Music: Stan Getz – Autumn Leaves

You can see his inner Beatnik hidden in the ruffles.

Tonight’s special guest Marvin Suggs, resplendent in a very sparkly vest, stands behind the Mupphaphone, mallet at the ready.
Who knows what excitement giddy-ifies his brain? No one can tell from his expression, as he is a consummate performer.

The stage goes dark. A single burning diamond white LED picks out El Guapo as he strides to the microphone, his beret cutting a swirling path through the cloud from his clove cigarette.

Ice

The desolate wind
*ow*
blows
through my
*ow*
soul.
*OW*
The scrub trees of the plain
*ow OW Ow*
shiver
*owowow*
with remorse.
*Owwwwww*
I huddle deep
*OOOoowwwwWWW*
within
*ouch*
my
*oh*
own skin.
*oWowOW*
Even though it
*owwwww*
is
*ow*
Spring.
*OWowOW*
The wind is a reflection
*owOWow*
of the dark.
*OwOwOw*
The polite
*ooooow*
considerate
*owow*
dark…
*Owwwwowowow*
I
*ow*
blame
*OW*
Canada.
*OWOWOWOowowoW*

Coooooool…

And for those of you unfamiliar with the Muppaphone:

Beatnik Poetry Slam: Revolution

Today’s Music: Cassandra Wilson – You Move Me
Note On Today’s Music: This might not be to everyones taste (heavy jazz), but man, does she know how to set a mood! Hope you like it.

Dig it, Daddio.

The lights dim as our beatnik poet shuffles across the stage, lime green spotlight highlighting his clove cigarette and Ramones t-shirt (with Jessica Simpsons face decaled over the band members and a tag line “Irony: It’s what’s for dinner” on the bottom).

In the corner, noted South American drummer Cervez Cerveza holds court over a wide array of noisemakers, stainless steel brushes held at the ready.

The first slam “cigarette drag” of the new year. All about *cough* the resolution *wheeze*. And the Revol*hack*ution. *wheezehackcough*.
So lets ge*hackwheezecough*t hip to the scene, cool cats! *wheezecoughcoughcoughhack*
Medic!

*The yellow spot pierces the haze of patchouli to light up our beatnik. Soft greens soften the hulking image of Cervaz*

Revolution

We live together for years
Same old, same old…
tshk tshk
We
cook
tshhhhhhhhh
We
clean
tshhhhhh bang
We
laugh
fwa boom
But trouble lurks beneath.
*maraca rattle*

It starts in the eyes
A tightening, a darkening, a stare
fshhhhhhTOK
Something is not right.

Another night
We undress for bed
ssssstsh
Clothes in the laundry bag gently placed.
The floor clear.
Except
For
My
Socks
ting
“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?
BADUM
The revolution has begun.
*shaking rain stick*

Beatnik Poetry Slam – Infinite Mystery

Today’s Music: Tony Bennet & Diana Krall – I’ve Got The World On A String

Note – Tonight’s Beatnik Poetry Slam ans nothing to do with Lynne at Free Penny Press who is hosting take-it-to-the-street-poetry.
Because Beats don’t join clubs like that.
Unless there’s dark coffee.
And angst.

A black curtain, speckled with bright white LEDs
Drummer Moe Green with the brushes plays the Hi Hat (Ka-Tshhhh) under a dark blue backlight.

A warm pinpoint spot slowly widens on the black-turtle necked torso of El Guapo, clove cigarette dangling languidly from his lips, mirrored Wayfarers reflecting the infinity of space…

Like jewels
Glimmering in deepest darkest dirt
I blink
Ka-Tshhhh
rocket past a star.
Photons
Ka-Tshhhh
illuminate my pores
Meteors
orbit near and far
(exhale of smoke scents the room with clove)

The universe
asks me who what I want
Traveling
Byond
in darkness and in light
My answer
Ka-Tshhhh
echoes out beyond.
Baby,
Ka-Tshhhh
Is there any booze
available on this flight?

(Fast tattoo on the Hi Hat)

Aaaand fade…

*Note – El Guapo does not condone the use of turtlenecks or clove cigarettes. Ray Ban Wayfarers, however, are just plain cool.

Beatnik Poetry Slam – Control

Today’s Music: Sonny and Cher – The Beat Goes On
Days Til Spring: 66

Dark stage, single pinpoint spot, slowly widening…
You could have my heart
*snap*
If you hadn’t taken it already
*snap snap*
You can walk my path
*clap clap*
straight, true and steady
*snap*
You can take all I own
*swirls drink*
word and song
*puts on Ray Bans*
If it feels so right
*soft whistle*
it can’t be wrong
*adjusts beret*
Do what you do
*long exhale*
in any shape form or kind
*cigarette drag*
but I just have to tell you,
*steely glare*
the remote control is MINE.

Fade
Dig it.

Yeah man...

Beatnik Poetry Slam – Regret

Today’s Music: Mongo and Loyd Daddyo- Java Hot

Regret

The place we shared is empty.
You said you won’t come back.
You said that I am just as bad
As every Tom, and Dick and Jack

You said I went from good to bad
From bad to worse to worst,
But I thought we’d be together
To the last, as from the first.

You cried and yelled,
And pushed and railed,
But still I would not change.

I guess I did it to myself,
Though still I find it strange

And now I’m here all by myself
My heart left ripped and beat

If only I could have remembered then
To put down the toilet seat.

Yeah, man