Furies of Anne Gray Harvey:
#1
this sounds really weird as the poem should be in a female voice, hopefully addy or her sister will do a version of me, (i just wanted to make jack happy Big Grin ) my version.
[youtube]Z5hMbDQXiZE[/youtube]

addy's version:
[youtube]rTbQS-Jwl3I[/youtube]

Discover poetry at http://pigpenpoetry.com/


Furies of Anne Gray Harvey:

For you, my confessor,
from the garter-belt of my soul;
to the undergarments of my hell,
pressed upon the Hoffman.
Pressed within the steam of a child god.

The room cocoons me like a shroud
I'm a penguin out of water,
a fish out of oxygen;
facing the corner, crying poetry.
Feeling myself through cotton knickers.
You father, who thinks to sanitise me,
with your overbearing mouth.
You father, who wishes to own this parody of a sylph
you have always owned me.
I hate you for owning.

Words for you mother,
my words, bee stings that branded you.
Branded and stung you over and over,
Not lies but truths
hovering in your face, like a humming bird
sliding its tongue down that selfish throat.
You mother, who choked and gagged
like a toothless whore on them;
they were all of my own birthing
Mrs. Gray Harvey, my mother dear.

I see you loitering in my light,
like vampire moths ready to suck me,
ready to drink me; tête-a-tête.
I gave you poetry and you gave me what,
the catwalk, the dark catwalk
that gave you invisibility behind your garish flashbulbs?
why must it always be the dark, dark, dark.

My microphone; my husband's cock,
they listen like depraved monks
begging me to put out.
I live through them, wet with life and words.
Why do you, husband, force me? I feel alive and dead,
unsure which shoreline to follow.
Your grains of sand sharp and painful.

I know that much;
no don't touch me, I'm alone without hands,
to reach out, whom can I touch --
Myself?
I know that much;
left in my naked reality
under a blanket of dark
light and isolation. a thorazine queen
barefoot and belt-less.
Will you feel my breasts,
my spine, a calf, the crease of me?
Feel them.
Bring me back.
Light me a cigarette.
Is anyone there, hello?

I the canary sang
for you,
you who would allow me to be gassed
snuffed, like the flame of a paper match.
Even when you parted me I was alone;
ready to be impaled like a piece of pork
and left on the heat of dead coals.

And I?
I rest with help, the fumes of carbon plumes
put my anguished self to sleep, read on the third,
dead on the fourth. The irony of death,
smoke inhalation to the extreme.
Sing me a cigarette in stilettos.
Sing me a vodka with olive.
Sing me a bed with Linda, divine Linda,
child of my fucking loins.
Loin of my unhappy thrush, song-less
among the dying magnolia.

I know that much;
I know of a girl in a room
Locked away like a dangerous thought.
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#2
There is a new version up that was recorded by addy Smile thanks adelle Smile
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#3
Addy is way more gorgeous than you, billy.

Lovely Smile
It could be worse
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#4
At first I thought this was one of the "The Fury of..." poems you were simply reading. Then I realised it's an original work. I like both readings, and can hear Anne Sexton reading it in my head when I look at the words.
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#5
(10-26-2012, 05:03 PM)Leanne Wrote:  Addy is way more gorgeous than you, billy.

Lovely Smile
yes she was, and io shall beat her for it Smile
thanks leanne.

(10-26-2012, 09:31 PM)rowens Wrote:  At first I thought this was one of the "The Fury of..." poems you were simply reading. Then I realised it's an original work. I like both readings, and can hear Anne Sexton reading it in my head when I look at the words.
thanks for the kindness rowens. i will admit to being uncomfortable reading it Blush
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#6
This was the first poem of yours I ever read, many moons ago, and it's forever shaped my opinion of you as a poet -- so no matter how many pieces of shite you may have churned out between then and now, I will always know how high you can set the bar Big Grin

Having the lovely Adelle read it aloud was inspired. She sounds classy even when discussing cocks.
It could be worse
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#7
hehe, i was just one of a room full of monkeys that got lucky Big Grin

addy's mum wasn't too pleased, she took me off her friends list Smile
addy on the other hand seemed able to get her mouth round it Hysterical
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#8
Hysterical

I'll bet
It could be worse
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#9
This is a great way to showcase your poem Billy! I like your poem, powerful and with echos of Sexton and Plath. I have never written successfully from the point of view of a man - I'm jealous.
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#10
thanks jm...there are no real men left (apart from me Big Grin )
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#11
The third stanza was what made me think this was an actual Anne Sexton poem for a few minutes.
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#12
Wow, fantastic read and listening to Addy read this was even more powerful. ( Addy has managed to add another dimension in the inflection and emotion she coveys in her reading - amazingly good).
I salute your poetic prowess.

AJ
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#13
thanks for the kind words, and yeah addy did a great job of reading it L)
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#14
I'm not sure if it is ok if I just say I liked this. Because I did. As much as I like m own poems to be recited by women, in this case here I prefer Billy's voice. Listening to Adelle closed-eyed I also heard Sexton. Please don't get me wrong: I like her recital too. But still ...
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#15
in miscellaneous you can say what you like really Smile
also, if some usually gives a bit of constructive feedback in the forum, we're okay with an odd wow because it has a more genuine feel. thanks for the comment Smile
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#16
I love "odd wow" ;-)
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#17
(10-26-2012, 06:13 AM)billy Wrote:  this sounds really weird as the poem should be in a female voice, hopefully addy or her sister will do a version of me, (i just wanted to make jack happy Big Grin ) my version.
[youtube]Z5hMbDQXiZE[/youtube]

addy's version:
[youtube]rTbQS-Jwl3I[/youtube]

Discover poetry at http://pigpenpoetry.com/


Furies of Anne Gray Harvey:

For you, my confessor,
from the garter-belt of my soul;
to the undergarments of my hell,
pressed upon the Hoffman.
Pressed within the steam of a child god.

The room cocoons me like a shroud
I'm a penguin out of water,
a fish out of oxygen;
facing the corner, crying poetry.
Feeling myself through cotton knickers.
You father, who thinks to sanitise me,
with your overbearing mouth.
You father, who wishes to own this parody of a sylph
you have always owned me.
I hate you for owning.

Words for you mother,
my words, bee stings that branded you.
Branded and stung you over and over,
Not lies but truths
hovering in your face, like a humming bird
sliding its tongue down that selfish throat.
You mother, who choked and gagged
like a toothless whore on them;
they were all of my own birthing
Mrs. Gray Harvey, my mother dear.

I see you loitering in my light,
like vampire moths ready to suck me,
ready to drink me; tête-a-tête.
I gave you poetry and you gave me what,
the catwalk, the dark catwalk
that gave you invisibility behind your garish flashbulbs?
why must it always be the dark, dark, dark.

My microphone; my husband's cock,
they listen like depraved monks
begging me to put out.
I live through them, wet with life and words.
Why do you, husband, force me? I feel alive and dead,
unsure which shoreline to follow.
Your grains of sand sharp and painful.

I know that much;
no don't touch me, I'm alone without hands,
to reach out, whom can I touch --
Myself?
I know that much;
left in my naked reality
under a blanket of dark
light and isolation. a thorazine queen
barefoot and belt-less.
Will you feel my breasts,
my spine, a calf, the crease of me?
Feel them.
Bring me back.
Light me a cigarette.
Is anyone there, hello?

I the canary sang
for you,
you who would allow me to be gassed
snuffed, like the flame of a paper match.
Even when you parted me I was alone;
ready to be impaled like a piece of pork
and left on the heat of dead coals.

And I?
I rest with help, the fumes of carbon plumes
put my anguished self to sleep, read on the third,
dead on the fourth. The irony of death,
smoke inhalation to the extreme.
Sing me a cigarette in stilettos.
Sing me a vodka with olive.
Sing me a bed with Linda, divine Linda,
child of my fucking loins.
Loin of my unhappy thrush, song-less
among the dying magnolia.

I know that much;
I know of a girl in a room
Locked away like a dangerous thought.

I came on this by chance, billy. It is a quite remarkable piece of work. I heard it on youtube (whilst on another mission) and was overwhelmed. I always suggest that it is essential to read your work out loud and this emphasises the point. The extra dimension of "voice" gives the whole piece a chillingly intimate feel. Anne Sexton would be proud of you...I am, too.
I have no negative criticism at all but would have, and it would be to my shame, if I had read it before hearing it narrated. Sexton relied a good deal on the power of speech, and Ginsberg insisted on that process......hearing this I can see clearly how what may appear gratuitous on paper is quintessential in narration. Sometimes "shock" words ARE gratuitous when written, and like their infamous cousins, the cliches, are avoided more often than they should be......you have written a superbly brave piece here and you are to be congratulated. Shit....I have just started BOTH youtube versions, yours and addy's together. The do not synch forever but whilst they did the effect was quite startling. A good audio engineer could mix these together into a .....OK, a gimmic....but what the hell, I'm shallow like that.
Best,
tectak
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#18
Your voice is the perfect envelope for this poem.
I'll be there in a minute.
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#19
I've never read nor heard anything like this, though it has Anne Sexton's boldness I like this better. It's brilliant and I do believe Addy actually gave it life with her reading.
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#20
Bloody brilliant and how wonderous the depth of spoken word. TOMH

If your undies fer you've been smoking through em, don't peg em out
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