Jill Scott- The Thickness
 

A Thousand Kisses Deep
-Leonard Cohen

(Spoken poem)

Don't matter if the road is long
Don't matter if it's steep
Don't matter if the moon is gone
And the darkness is complete
Don't matter if we lose our way
It's written that we'll meet
At least, that's what I heard you say
A thousand kisses deep

I loved you when you opened
Like a lily to the heat
You see, I'm just another snowman
Standing in the rain and sleet
Who loved you with his frozen love
His second hand physique
With all he is and all he was
A thousand kisses deep

I know you had to lie to me
I know you had to cheat
You learned it on your father's knee
And at your mother's feet
But did you have to fight your way
Across the burning street
When all our vital interests lay
A thousand kisses deep

I'm turning tricks
I'm getting fixed
I'm back on boogie street
I'd like to quit the business
But I'm in it, so to speak
The thought of you is peaceful
And the file on you complete
Except what I forgot to do
A thousand kisses deep

Don't matter if you're rich and strong
Don't matter if you're weak
Don't matter if you write a song
The nightingales repeat
Don't matter if it's nine to five
Or timeless and unique
You ditch your life to stay alive
A thousand kisses deep

The ponies run
The girls are young
The odds are there to beat
You win a while, and then it's done
Your little winning streak
And summon now to deal with your invincible defeat
You live your life as if it's real
A thousand kisses deep

I hear their voices in the wine
That sometimes did me seek
The band is playing Auld Lang Syne
But the heart will not retreat
There's no forsaking what you love
No existential leap
As witnessed here in time and blood
A thousand kisses deep

John Trudell was the Spokesperson for the American Indian Movement
 

just ran across a very updated version of this:

Hi Nat!

-Wow-

I like how he revisited his original work
and the exchange of ideas he conveys in this
alternative version of A thousand kisses....

I enjoyed listening to the updated version you found,
~D

*thanks*

This link contains audio only - a discussion and reading of the beautiful poem by Agha Shaid Ali called "Tonight." This poet sadly died of brain cancer. I love this poem.

God I love him

Alix Olson is sharp


[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJEpXmViFQ&feature=fvwrel"]YouTube - Alix Olson: Wholly Human[/nomedia] - just in case

Reading this thread has caused me to do some research on a Slam poet who is close to my heart. She is my niece, my brother's daughter. We are not in close contact, though I am on her mailing list and every once in a while she performs close to me. I haven't gone to see her yet ... isn't that weird? Turns out she is pretty famous. Her name is Queen Sheba aka Bethsheba A Rem.

Reading all your posts reminds me that I used to love poetry and even write a little (very poorly.) Guess it's time I went to see the niece perform.

Have any of you ever heard of her?
Smooches,
Keri

Is this your Bethsheba Rem?
 

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YXgxylHY78"]YouTube - Queen Sheba at the Red Bull Word Clash[/nomedia]

Marinela Reka (two of My favorites by her)
 

You Will Always Be In My Heart

Sometimes I wish I embraced you
And never let your smile pass by
But you are gone; I can’t change that
No matter how much I sulk and cry
I want you to laugh as on earth
And light up the dark evening sky
And remember that you’re loved dearly
I will not let our memories pass by
The distance between us is no object
Because you will always be in my heart
And no element that exists on earth
Will tear our fragile souls apart
I am sorry I can no longer hold you
And things will never be the same
But the sun will rise, and the birds will sing
At the very sound of your name



*********************************


Magical Shoes

Every body has a pair of shoes
That makes anger disappear
They turn hate into love
Make you brave, not to fear

They lead your feet to the homeless
So that you can make their day
Make the world a nicer place
To live in and to stay

With them you are not selfish
But all you try to do is give
Make you realise that life is short
So we should all simply live

Every one has these shoes
No bodies have ever gone
So why do some thoughtless people
Not put their shoes on?

[quote=Turtle;[/quote]



Yep that's my niece!
Smooches,
Keri

Delighted
 

"Special News Announcement"
 

The make of ache...

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVD-HsHoUNM&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Lost Count: A Love Story[/nomedia]

the magic of words
 

enjoy

Greco

Awesome
 

In Honor-A Litany For Survival: the Life and Work of Audre Lorde Trailer -TWN
 

This video is most appropriate in this thread

I read her "Cancer Journal..." this past March it moved me
as all of her work always and continues to open my heart

To a profound poet -teacher -activist
Thank you for all you shared with us
and the courage you taught us how to
find in the face of such a challenge.

Greco

Mother, Traitor, Lover: A Tale of Three Mestiza Spirits Pt. 3, Gloria Anzaldua
 

This video is dedicated to Gloria Anzaldua, it
is the third part in a one woman show which
brings to life three mestiza women
La Malinche, Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, and
Gloria Anzaldua through dance, storytelling
and poetry.


In Honor of Gloria Anzaldua
Artist-Poet-Activist

My friend my teacher I honor you.

Te echo de menos esta noche
y te mando un abrazo muy fuerte
Greco

Leonard again
 

Asi es mi Bella

Greco

Posted especially for the last one:

Commercial Break

Are your images inefficient?
Is your diction bland? Tired
of writing poetry that doesn't
work? Then consider

what a Mexican can do for you.
Strategically placed, a Mexican
will fire up your drab, white
poems. At Pretty White Poetry

we have an inventory
of Mexicans in all shades
of brown. Need an authentic-
indigenous tone? Try our mud-

brown, Indian Mexican.
Your audience will taste
the lust in Montezuma's loins
as they devour your work.

Want some spice
but not too much pepper?
A Spanish concentrated
Mexican is the perfect touch.

Maria, tortilla, mango, trabajo—
just a sample of the thousands
of exotic words on sale
waiting to decorate your lines.

Even Hispanic poets sprinkle
our Latin lingo into their writing.
If our diction brings authenticity
to their work, imagine what it will

do for yours! PWP understands
the difficulty of crafting well-paced
rhythmic lines. So we've imported
salsa-smooth Puerto Rican

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dance and your syntax sway.
Don't worry about mixing
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imagery—most readers won't
know the difference! PWP deals
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Our words are carefully chosen

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more publishing opportunities
for you! Our Mexicans are cheap,

but they are always high-quality.
Here at PWP, our motto is:
"If your poem has Mexicans
you know it's gonna work!"


*Puerto Rican vernacular available only while supplies last.

Taken from http://www.sharkforum.org/2007/01/po...ercial-br.html

Paul Martinez Pompa has lived in the Chicagoland area for most of his life. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Indiana University, where he received his MFA in creative writing. His chapbook, Pepper Spray, was published by Momotombo Press in 2006. He currently teaches English at Triton College. His writing has appeared in After Hours, Borderlands, and Rhino.

--------
The man reading the poem is not the poet. He is a poet though, and I ran across this reading while looking for a poem he wrote regarding a wolf - which I cannot find on YouTube. I did hear a section of it in the poetry foundation's poetry lectures podcast which I recommend if you are as nerdy-in-love with poetry as I am.

"... fighting headaches, because black men will never pick cotton even if its from a fucking aspirin bottle..."

http://youtu.be/cIbx1e-O-Jo

D€f Jam ft. Common
 

huge respect for Saul Williams (Def Jam poetry)
 

I think I've posted this before, but this is probably my all-time
favorite "spoken word" artist, speaking politically on "coded language:" Saul Williams.

Jill Scott (Def Jam Poetry)