If You See Kay - Tell Her Jesus Loves Her
Here's a video Ken Kitt made of me reading my poem "Low Kay Shun" during the open mic that followed Gina Tabasso's featured reading in Sandusky on 8 February. I'd just met Ken for the first time that day - and I thought he was a heck of a guy, even before I knew he filmed me.
John Burroughs :Low-Kay-Shun: Sandusky 2009
Thanks a bunch, Ken!
Thanks a bunch, Ken!
Excellent as always! You should give lessons in reading for those of us who do it so dismally...
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Thanks, Pinky! Very kind of you....
But I seriously doubt you'd read dismally.
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My thoughts exactly!! But a little acting experience goes a long way...
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Thanks, Chris! The last time I acted on stage was 2002 - though I guess you could say I've been known to act off stage upon occasion since then. But haven't we all?... lol.
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most poems are better read
yours are better said
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I have mixed feelings about whether that's a good thing or a bad thing - I guess it depends.
During the past year (I began going to live poetry readings in May 2008), I've found myself paying more attention to how my poems sound. I think a lot of my older ones (when I wasn't reading to anybody) look interesting on the page but don't work very well in live readings. Like these two from 1998...
INaJUSTgodwetrUSt
I N J U S T I C E
N N
J J
U U
S S
T T
I N J U S T I C E
C C
E ingodwEtrust
Oppressed
The mo
o
n
d
r
i
c p
upon us
de
sc
en
di
ng unapprehending
like Ch
i
n
e
s
e
w
a
t
e
TOrTURE
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exactly
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How do I join? I am a Clevelander who has written for the past 40 years. I once belonged to the PLC, and recently read for the LIT Awards (2008). I was mentor to several members of The Black Poetic Society. I am a member, AND CO-FOUNDER of 1 + 1 PRODUCTIONS, founder of RENEEissance Arts...Youth Troupe (circa 1985). I am known about town by thousands of young people as “MotherRapper”.
http://motherrapper.tripod.com
I have been a professional actor since 1987, and I instruct Drama/Theatre and Creative Writing.
You can call me at (216) 587-4805.
Sincerely,
Renee Matthews-Jackson
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I am glad I finally got to hear this one. You have a gift of delivery. You should return to the theatre stage we are always looking for good guys! I am sure you would have quite the following, plus an extra networking tool for your written work!
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Thanks, Susan! Really appreciate it.... I don't know if I can find time for rehearsals and getting everything else I want to do done. But the idea is certainly intrigues me. Is it true that Virginia Waratinsky is involved with your the theatre company. She was one of the judges when I won the high school poetry contest at Midview around 1983 (she taught at EHS at the time).
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John...I will respond privately to that one!
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Cool... got it!
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Hah, missed this the first time around. This is gorgeous.
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Thank you, Brian! I'm glad you like it and very much appreciate your comments.
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this has many word plays. I'm kind of naive like that & didn't get if u c K until you were halfway through.
I'd love to blog this poem with the video. way way cool my brother.
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Very cool! Thanks, Joy!
Here's a link where you can get the video's HTML embed code: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=52183129. And here's the text of the poem:
Low Kay Shun
If you see Kay
Tell her I love her
Miss her
Wish she were on the menu
If you see Kay
Tell her I'm sorry
She's not allowed in this venue
Not sure why
Doesn't make much sense
Might have something to do with religion
Or the government.
Her friends Whore and War are welcome anytime
But if you see Kay
Tell her no way!
She can't come.
Most everyone else
Can come til they're dumb though.
A few other folks are welcome as long as
They wear the acceptable contextual clothes:
Dick Van Dyke
Can come as often as he likes
But buy him
Own him
Call him my Dick
And he's not welcome.
Billowy pussy willows
Can blossom and blow as they wish
But own one
Mention that "My pussy will O..."
You'll soon discover
That fair or bare or not
In this place
You're pussona non grata.
My Ps and Qs and I
Are free to come and go
And lie as often as we will
But if you see Kay
Tell her the powers that be
Have had their fill of her
And swill like her
Is barred from the menu
In this venue
By the men who'd rather
Go home and sin you
While warning a word like you
To not intrude on their poetry
Their peach
Pity free dumb of speech
In this low Kay shun.
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John, I posted this on my Facebook. I'm assuming that's OK, since it's there on MySpace video for all. If not, lemme know.
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It's totally cool, Brian - and much appreciated. Glad you like it....
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eye just saw this for the first time
eye was surprised at your voice
not unkindly
its a wonderful thing to actually hear yew
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Well, thank you very much, Charles! I've just updated the video page on my website. Check it out here: http://www.crisischronicles.com/Showcase.html. I hope to add to it soon.
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this has gotta be one of my favorites so far, john. love the word play and of course, it brings to mind soupy sales' "everytime i write f you see k".
like your poem more tho
i remain, "pussona non grata"
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Haha! Thank you, Chocolate!
Not long after I wrote this poem, Britney Spears came out with a song called "If You Seek Amy," which I like to pretend she stole from me.
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I saw k and she built a puffy marshmelow
structure in my face to ward off my sainted lone wolf characters who climb ramps on the skulls of Ginsberg Aphrodite mistakes so poetic and free of hangups like a guy who works a night shift and then reads a poem, it's just perfect, like I saw k and she's looking in!
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Ha! Thanks, Donnie!
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