| Author | Message | ||
     Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 941 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
This past Monday I was invited to be the guest poet for a poetry reading given by some Middle School students at an afterschool program at the St. Bridget's St. Theresa Church. The students are apparently required to attend because of behavioral and academic programs. The "Ol' Pro" dusted off some of his best stuff and went there hoping he would not be too far over the heads of the kids. Damn! Turns out these behavioral and academic problems had written their own poems and printed them up in chapbooks with covers they designed and painted themselves. In the time honored manner of poets (honored save, it seems, for 21st Century American Academy which requires you imagine you are a shepherd on a hillside in Ancient Greece)they wrote of their own time and place and heroes and problems--Tupac Shakur was a favorite. They showed mastery of forms such as the haiku. Furthermore, they dug my pieces, that were laced with jazz references (Trane, Birdland, Pithecanthropus Erectus) and musical terms (polymetric displacements) just fine. Our kids are bumrapped all the time but if somebody (Sister Pat, who runs the center and Debra MorrowLoving, who conducted the program) takes time with them they can bring out the best. | ||
| Kathleen_cross Veteran Poster Username: Kathleen_cross Post Number: 54 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
ChrisHayden, Thank you for sharing that experience. Your description of the students you encountered stands as an antithesis to the picture of our youth recently painted by a pudding spokesman who shall remain nameless. Made my heart smile to think of chapbooks and haiku | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 943 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
These are the pieces I did: GIVE JAZZ A CHANCE "If folks just keep listening they might give jazz a chance" Charles Mingus CHECK OUT The St. Looie All World Twenty-third Be Re Boppin Afrophonic Polyrythmic Freedom Hoodoo Street Gum-BO Sho nuff Deeee-eeee-eeeeep Black Classical Music Vol-ca-a-no-o MAN them cats be cookin' crazy DIG what their red hot musical Brain pudding B's puttin' down A thermodynamic Memphis Soul Stew a poppin and a sizzling like Elvin's skins n rims Take a taste of point and counterpoint solution Equal parts Peace and Revolution Ayler's Polyphonicatese Theoretical Trane Trax Chugg a lugg on down with E's Jazz poets drive moneychangers from the Temple with 360 degree High C's Lateef's chromatics Threadgill's diatomics Yo ask not for whom Rahsaan's bells toll for, as thy Pithecanthropus struts erectus THEY TOLL 4 THEE Then wingin past Birdland Comes a Love Supreme Weavin and a riffin Like a Bebop Dream Be still my heart Stroke not on the downbeat of no John Phillip Muzak NO Grow glow and GO O St. Looie All World Twenty third Be Re Boppin Afrophonic Polyrythmic Freedom Hoodoo Street Gum BO Sho nuff Deee-eeeee-eeeep Black Classical Music Volca-a-no-o Man them cats B cookin' crazy Like jive saintly chefs Caught up and ecstatic In their nontraditional harmonic variations In syncopated improvisations In polymetric displacements which defy imitation and notation In Down on the 1 Head arrangements Burnin brighter than 1000 Suns DIG INFINITY And TRUTH (karmic juju vibrations) TRUTH (Wiggin em out cross oceans and nations) Down falls Kaufman's Ancient Rain Jazz B blowin its top again In the keys to the Kingdom The House that is Yardbird's skull Check out The St. Looie All World Twenty third Be Re Boppin Afrophonic Polyrythmic Freedom Hoodoo Street Gum BO Sho nuff Deee-eeee—EEEP Black Classical Music Volca-a-no-o Dig TRUTH Lawd! Git up and dance Give Jazz a chance Copyright Chris Hayden 2005 RIVER CITY DANCE Part VI. A city aint just concrete and stone It aint material thangs alone It's people knowing who they are and where they come from praying shouting singing playing writing striving Soul and Spirit--those last Those --and dat River City Dance All up in the A to Z Folk wit Odede Flava Loc'd out St. Looie dudes and dudettes goin crazy Who each morning peeped, rising over the hills Of East Boogie Belleville and beyond The Sun Glowing like a golden ankh Shining on the jade green towers of Central High Mad Cool--they cooed and sighed And props to Vampure types who only spread Their wings and flew like bats When the sun sped West past Kansas City Skittered and twittered high in the darkling sky Twinkling twinkling little bats People mind and body Come on say "AMEN" somebody! Eidolons Icons Totemic magic in their very names Say Annie Malone, Homer Phillips, Wendell Pruitt, Julia Davis Say Mama Esther Dig that flick of the black firefighter Carrying the little white baby from the flames Trying to save and revive her Color struck lies shatter like glass Say People Good people all the same Not history but OURstory OURS! And the people are like a sable background of black velvet The stories glitterin on it like a billion billion STARS Stars like we all know they are My Mamma and Daddy and all you got Frankie and Johnnnie Lawdy Miz Georgia and Dred Scott The first brothers who came chained to the Frenchmen A shame I can't call their names (And if you don'tlike the weather here Wait a minuite it'll change) Doin' that River City Dance At the Children's Home Parade Aint that a scream I almost forgot to Give word ups and shoutzout To Take Five Magazine Afro American People doin dat River City Dance All over in boardrooms and City Hall The Art Museum Central Corridor and Forest Park Dark people Who have Big Shoulders Show much brotherly luv Who sleep light And know whazzup You can leave your heart here (Tho it might be underneath a rock) Dope River City got it A to Z In raps songs and chants In their call and response And the give and take of Da Playa's Poetry Slams Def Jammin people like Ole Man River Big Muddy Dissed and ignored Brown and eternal like a blues tale sad and funny Movin long slow Down with the flow St. Louis would not be the same place with out em Earth shakin Hip quakin Soft talkin believe in EQUALIZING LIFE CHANCES FOR ALL PEOPLE peeples Make ya feel good up in heah Smoove as Cold Chillin on the Planet Mercury These natives are friendly Give them time they'll love you though they'll never stop asking What High School you go to? Let me close my eyes and summon a vision of River City of the Future I see Straight bustin some pop and lock moves Boogalooing down Broadway, Lindyhopping on the superhighway, groovin, dancing ballet on Sarah and Finney, Ballin the Jack in Claymorgan AlleyCakewalking on Delmar, Gettin on the Goodfoot in Wright City, Shuffling along in Pine Lawn Kinloch, Meacham Park, Rockin' your world in Webster Groves and Welston, Doing the mambo in St. Charles in Alton Black feet on black streets got the beat in Compton Heights, Lindell Park and Mill Creek, Struttin up Grand and Washington after Dark Doin the Madison and the Charleston and the Hustle and the Slop The twine and the jerk on the St. Louis Hop As natchul born to the area as a St. Louis rollin stop Or a pig snoot sammich with potato salad on top No other city's name you can call Like St. Louis where you know one citizen you know em all Mound City Mashed Potatoes in Da House Out of Time and Space Da whole Town and da State and da world and da nation Gittin Jiggy wit Doowhachawanna and saywhatchalike Aaaa-iiiiight! Steppin light fantastic and fast Congratulate Celebrate Dape each other up right foine and proppa People good people Doin that River City Dance Copyright Chris Hayden 2005 7 | ||
| A_womon "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1216 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: N/A |
I like this Chris. You never did say how your booksigning went though | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 950 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
A woman: My booksigning was a piece of cake. I was the only author there, the place was packed because the Y was having an open house, I didn't have to work hard, just sit, smile, chat promote, sell and sign books. I told them don't forget to have me back at the next thing they do. |
