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Description:
A poem about the end of an affair. Spoken, trying to avoid the sense of bitterness, although not the exhaustion of its aftermath. Music in collaboration with TobinMueller: stand-up bass by Ron Carter; organ by Tobin. Although this poem is about an actual actress, how many of us know people who are just this sort of actress (even if they don't have their Equity card yet)? Artwork is "Mimmi" by Steven Haag-Stahlberg.
Lyrics:
the cigarette...
your hands work as if on stage
a sudden graft of someone else’s elegance
elbows relaxed and eyebrows arched
within the practiced context of props
and their finely scripted securities
patterns change, of speech and gesture
as eyes squint through curling smoke
someone else’s eyes
and the deftly lit cigarette fills your mouth
someone else’s mouth
cool words vent with the mouth’s exhaust
no longer the oracle that sang to me like a kiss
cool words and heated smoke screening
your face, and I wonder
how many people there are inside you burning
like a sparkler flashing on the fourth of july
the end of your smoldering hand traces
the space, the growing space that encircles you,
smoke defining in the busy night air
the conversation’s end
looking offstage as if for a prompt
you try to say what is already in one eye
and take a drag, tasting the sound
then finally the words, arrogant as a thrower’s knives
“I can’t handle this yet, you know? Not yet. Not me.”
and it all seems so reasonable
as you nod, agreeing with yourself
and each promise made is lanced like a balloon
and each sweet vow is swallowed
as the scrolls of our moments,
poems all (i had believed),
are rolled and stuffed and turned to ash
then casually flicked into the oncoming traffic
in the time it takes for another match to flare
2004 © Tobin James Mueller
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Nice marriage of music and text &mdash 11/18/04 - 09:37:40 AM
I like the way the music flows underneath, hip and distant
and almost like walking... and stopping... with a few hits
here and there to accentuate the text. A nice visual. Your
voice is pretty low key, tho, considering the frustration of
such a fulcrum moment... even tho "The Actress" is
playing it that way. I'd have used more emotions, less
subtle, but I get what you're going for. Thanks for the
great work and appreciation. The edits you made to the
text are, again, improvements! [ Reply to This ]
Nice marriage of music and text &mdash 03/19/05 - 10:35:01 AM
I was just trying to tighten up the text. Your language still is slightly foreign on my tongue, since I speak more street and less poet. I try and translate for myself, you might say. [ Reply to This ]
I'm pretty sure I dated her... &mdash 11/18/04 - 06:02:24 PM
I love these spoken word/music works. Such a great voice,
and such a clean capture. And a really terrific poem. Keep
'em coming! [ Reply to This ]
beginning to end &mdash 11/18/04 - 11:55:45 PM
i didn't think i would like it, but i couldn't stop listening.
three simple things-voice, bass & organ. it's like they were
all expressively telling the story & if you took out just one
of them, it would all fall apart. great work [ Reply to This ]
beginning to end &mdash 11/20/04 - 08:06:54 AM
Thanks. This whole collaboration thing has helped me gain the confidence to keep going. Having the help of really talented and experienced members... it makes all the difference to me. Especially Tobin. I will keep trying! [ Reply to This ]
great poetry/music &mdash 11/23/04 - 06:44:43 PM
like _nderscore, I couldn't stop listening. I really like this
spoken word style. Thanks for an enjoyable and
captivating listening experience. [ Reply to This ]
Poetry floating on a bed of music &mdash 12/17/04 - 02:32:36 AM
excellent poetry &mdash 12/31/04 - 12:10:56 PM
the backing music is so cool, like the restraint of the speaker. too bad you couldn't just shove the cigarette into that girl's two faces. (oh, sorry, that just sort of blurted out.) i heard the cars flashing by after the track was over. was she under the tires as well? [ Reply to This ]
excellent poetry &mdash 03/19/05 - 10:39:47 AM
You make me laugh. I know exactly what you mean. Thanks for taking it so personally. [ Reply to This ]
Do you wear a black turtleneck? &mdash 01/10/05 - 02:17:26 PM
It's a bit like beat poetry, not? At least in atmosphere?
Very enjoyable. [ Reply to This ]
Do you wear a black turtleneck? &mdash 03/19/05 - 10:43:02 AM
Got the T-neck, but wouldn't be caught dead with the little round glasses... [ Reply to This ]
Shatner can't hold a candle to you &mdash 01/31/05 - 10:35:00 AM
So cool. Beatnik time. Man, too bad we can't keep that ethos going. This track absolutely creeps me out... it is SO TRUE! How I have lived this long without killing a half dozen ex-girlfriends, I don't know. You gotta come out with a poetry album. Shatner can't hold a candle to you... [ Reply to This ]
Shatner can't hold a candle to you &mdash 03/16/05 - 06:55:53 AM
Amen. Maybe I should take Shatner's lead and do a comic thing next? (... I
am losing hair, too. Hmm, too many parallels.) [ Reply to This ]
after listening to you &mdash 03/19/05 - 11:08:08 AM
I finally come closer to grasping what you meant in the
comment from The song that saved the world.
heh
very nice [ Reply to This ]
Voice man!! &mdash 08/20/05 - 08:25:09 AM
Love the voice, the fusion with the bass is excellent. Your
timing is superb. Oh and the poem iteself is very descriptive,
very literary, not many here have been. There is form,
correctness, and story.... [ Reply to This ]
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and almost like walking... and stopping... with a few hits
here and there to accentuate the text. A nice visual. Your
voice is pretty low key, tho, considering the frustration of
such a fulcrum moment... even tho "The Actress" is
playing it that way. I'd have used more emotions, less
subtle, but I get what you're going for. Thanks for the
great work and appreciation. The edits you made to the
text are, again, improvements!
[ Reply to This ]