The Creation of Justice by Charlotte Rodgers

Charlotte Rodgers is the author of, 'The Bloody Sacrifice and 'P is for Prostitution: A Modern Primer.'  She also conceived and co-edited, 'A Contemporary Western Book of the Dead', Charlotte is an artist who creates spiritually directed art works from road kill and found objects.

The Ridlee by Steven Schwarz

The Riddlee

The Riddlee asked the Riddler
“Oh won’t you riddle me?
that I may pass from hence to thence
upon the Count of Three?”

“Just one riddle,” the Riddlee said
“no less nor even more
that I may move along the groove
that leads to the Earl of Four.”

Quoth the Riddler to the Riddlee
“A riddle I’ll contrive
that you may travel across this gravel
towards the Duke of Five.”

“For Fuck’s sake,” quoth the Riddlee
“Quit your stupid tricks
time is fleeting; I’m late for my meeting
with the Marquis at Six!”

The Riddler grinned an evil grin
and counted to eleven
but all four nought: he stopped three short
upon Viscount of Seven.

The Riddlee pondered for a while
then said “I’ll tell you straight:
just add one, now I must run
to meet the Baron Eight.”

Steven Schwarz is a self-styled "unemployed pantheist, provocative iconoclast, abusive solipsist, and failed psychopath." He has written on three and a half continents -- lately in Australia, surrounded by gum-trees and funnelweb spiders. With no visible means of support other than an over-inflated ego, he continues to defy the Second Law of Thermodynamics, leanings towards chaos notwithstanding.

Signs, by Lorna Wood

This poem was first read and published on Untitled, with Passengers.

Lorna Wood is a violinist and independent scholar in Auburn Alabama. She has a Ph. D. in English from Yale University and has published essays on British and American literature. Recently she placed her homeschooled children in the Cleveland Institute of Music and Auburn High School’s International Baccalaureate Program.

The Spoken Word

In the 1990s, the poetry scene in the United States saw an increased interest in spoken word poetry. This, however, was not the first emergence of spoken word. Spoken word, or poetry spoken aloud, was pioneered in the days of troubadours and storytellers who would recite their poetry aloud to gain recognition. It was not until the invention of the printing press that the emphasis on performance poetry shifted to publishing because of the possibility of increasing the works’ availability. Again, in the 1950s and 1960s, spoken word was revived. The Beats began using spoken word to express their anti-academic beliefs, and their dislike of societal norms. Then spoken word slipped under the mainstream radar again, until the 1990s.

The strong, aggressive and, frank style of poetry in the 1990s caused for another surfacing of spoken word in mainstream society. Unlike The Beats, this emergence of spoken word was not necessarily politically driven. This movement focused more on increasing diversity among its performers, reaching out inspiring amateur practitioners, and sending messages of positivity and tolerance. In short, the movement was about bringing poetry back to the people. Poets such as Maggie Estep, Reg E. Gaines, Henry Rollins, John S. Hall and Dana Bryant each gained acclaim as spoken word artist as the art form made it to the television screen. MTV took notice of this demand for spoken word entertainment in the mid 1990s. MTV created a television show “Spoken Word Unplugged” to showcase major talents of the movement, but the flame fizzled before a massive interest could take hold. Most of the performers of the generation have branched out into other fields, notably novel writing.

Having struggled to re-ignite this blog sites focus, trying to steer it toward a still floundering sub-genre, whilst retaining the art of collagist Michael Leigh and supremo poet Roger Steven's input, finally, still nascent in its workings, things are starting to blossom.

Dearie? No, a different gal completely, far more truculent and difficult to motivate.

With a host of 'named poets' on board (yes, they not only have the gift of words they have names too) such as Jennifer K Dick and David Caddy, we now have joining us others of a more experimental bent.

Coming soon the words of Anthony Donovan, he of Murmurists notoriety, as read by David 'my beards a small principality' Cunliffe, the shimmering elegance and modantique eloquence of Doriandra Smith, one half of Balkh but also Egle Oddo who, currently on third amend, is still beavering away.

The sutra is bright, the furniture is porridge. 

John Hegley - I Need You

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