Things Jack Spicer Told Me: repetition

Showing posts with label repetition. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 June 2013

HOW THEY MADE THE BETTER WORLD

for AH, RB, CF, JW, NF, TH

Anna plucked the sunshine from the dusk
Rachel raised the catflap to let the mice out
Cheryl fashioned time from the silvered workings of a watch
Jenny printed money on torn copies of The Advertiser
Nuala distilled love from a column of lonely-hearts
Tracy drew speech from stones

Tracy drew speech from stones
Anna plucked the sunshine from the dusk
Nuala distilled love from a column of lonely-hearts
Rachel raised the catflap to let the mice out
Cheryl fashioned time from the silvered workings of a watch
Jenny printed money on torn copies of The Advertiser

Monday, 10 June 2013

JAUNDICED OUTLOOK

"His books often has spaceships in them. And those spaceships have extremely odd, poetic names. Like:"

i.m. IMB

I wonder if I will turn yellow
in space. I worry I will turn
yellow in space. I turn yellow
in space. The earth will turn
yellow in space. Turn yellow
in space. The kidney will turn
yellow in space. Gall bladder turn yellow
in space. My sadness will turn
yellow in space. A mouth turn yellow
in space. No-one can hear if you will turn
yellow in space. My bruise turn yellow
in space. My pancreas will turn
yellow in space. They say I'll turn yellow
in space. They say I will turn.

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

SESTINA FOR ANDY OWEN COOK

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

SURFBOARDS

I was feeling worried about my FAS daughter
and went into a greenhouse to buy myself a plant
(healthier than eating chocolates). I was feeling worried about
whether or not this was an ectopic.
I was feeling worried about her and wanted to look.
I was feeling worried about it, and I asked my friend
to give me a couple of days to think about it.
I was feeling worried about my man's healing,
in fact I was feeling darned anxious. I was feeling worried about the baby,
Maggie suggested that some acupuncture might be a good idea
to encourage labour. I was feeling worried about overstepping
the client/therapist relationship, and I do get bothered
about doing the wrong thing. I was feeling worried about the whole thing,
but now I've read up a bit about having twins
and spoken to a few people about having twins.
I was feeling worried about there can be mistake,
am I doing perfectly, making everything informational
and reading with expression? I was feeling worried about
letting my guard down to a stranger.
I was feeling worried about her 'cause she didn't have
a whole lot of words until quite a bit later
than a lot of other tykes her age, but then she suddenly caught up
and with gusto. I was feeling worried about
my French dictee homework because for whatever reason
tonight I just cannot comprehend half the words
and then I looked up the grading in the syllabus
and homework only counts for 2%. I was feeling worried about
my future or isolated from my friends
I was feeling worried about the jogs. I was feeling worried about
having too many celebrations. I was feeling worried about them.
I was feeling worried about my sister, Finley, so Katy
let me surf the internet to find out how she was.

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

WE KEEP ON PUTTING IT IN

We keep on putting it in their heads hoping some of it will stick.
We keep on putting it in our mouth, saying it out. It comes from the heart.
We keep on putting it in our pocket, it'll bulk up or make us feel messy.
We keep on putting it in uninhabited areas.
We keep on putting it in neutral and reving them with the black smoke.

We keep on

We keep on sinning so that God can.
We keep on rocking is a eurodance.
We keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change.
We keep on sinning so that God can.
We keep on rockin' YouTube.
We keep on Embryo.

We keep on putting it in.
It's hard to beat the system.

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

THE DAFFODILS

for MHS

the daffs are dancing in the gale
daffs are dancing in the gale the
are dancing in the gale the daffs
dancing in the gale the daffs are
in the gale the daffs are dancing
the gale the daffs are dancing in
gale the daffs are dancing in the

Saturday, 30 March 2013

I (HEART) IPSWICH

Everyone in Ipswich is here on business

Nobody lives in Ipswich

Everybody lives in hotels in Ipswich

All the men dine on their own in Ipswich

Ipswich is one of the most beautiful places in Britain

Ipswich is a beautiful place to do business

Everybody comes to Ipswich to do business

The Ipswich Quayside is filled with yachts

The Ipswich Quayside is beautiful at nightfall

Business is done on Ipswich Yachts

Men dine alone on the Ipswich Quayside

Everybody comes to the Ipswich Quayside

Nobody ever stays long in Ipswich

I don't ever want to leave Ipswich

The Ipswich Quayside is full of business

Ipswich is not a beautiful place to me

I dine alone on the Ipswich Quayside

Nobody comes to Ipswich to stay

Saturday, 23 March 2013

SNOW SIMILIES

for IM

Outside, snow falls like snow
falling. Snow falling in March
like snow falling in January
like snow fell in December.
Snowfall on the road like a road
covered in snowfall or snow
covering a road. Snow falls
like snow falls from the sky
into the rivers where it clots
among the branches like snow
clotted among the branches
in the river. Snow you've seen before,
deja snow, snow you've seen
before. These same white flakes
that drift like white flakes drift
against the house, snowing you in,
until you are snowed in by snow
like the snow that's falling now.

SNOWFALL

for BC

I was thinking of you
as I walked home through the snow.
I was thinking of you.

Sometimes I stepped on the snow
that had not been stepped on
and sometimes I shuffled the snow
that had been stepped on
and I was thinking of you.

I was thinking of you.
I have been thinking of you much.
Not thinking anything particular
about you.
I have been thinking of you much.

I was thinking of you
when it began snowing this morning
and now snowfall is coming deep.

I am thinking of you.
I have been thinking of you much
and now snowfall is coming deep.

Friday, 22 March 2013

BURN DOWN THE JOBCENTRE PLUS

for RB

Burn down the Jobcentre Plus
The Jobcentre has to burn
They've got no jobs for none of us
The Jobcentre has to burn

Burn down the Jobcentre Plus
I'll get the matches and petrol
Burn it quick without a fuss
I'll get the matches and petrol

Burn down the Jobcentre Plus
Burn those bastard machines
They've got no jobs for none of us
Burn those bastard machines

Burn down the Jobcentre Plus

I'll get the matches and petrol

Burn it quick without a fuss

I'll get the matches and petrol

Incited by this article: click here

Monday, 25 February 2013

ONE WAY CONVERSATION AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INVOLVING A PEDESTRIAN

Are you OK? Are you OK mate?
Mate? Are you OK? Mate? Mate?
Are you OK mate? Are you OK?
Mate? Can you hear me? Mate?
Mate? Are you hurt? Are you OK?
Can you hear me mate? Are you
OK? Are you hurt? Mate? Can
you hear me? Are you hurt? Are
you OK mate? Mate? Mate?
Are you OK? Are you hurt? Can
you stand up mate? Can you
stand up? Mate? Are you hurt?
Are you OK mate? Are you OK?
Can you stand up? Mate? Mate?
Can you hear me mate? Mate?
Mate? Mate? Are you hurt? Mate?

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

THREE LITTLE PIGS

First we lived in a house of bricks

and the wolf was the landlord

and the wolf came

and blew the bricks in.

Then we lived in a house of sticks

and the wolf was the landlord

and the wolf came

and blew the sticks in.

Then we lived in a house of straw

and the wolf was the landlord

and the wolf came

and blew the straw in.

Then we lived in the roads and streets

and the wolf was the landlord

and the wolf came

and blew us all in.

This was partly inspired by part of this interview with Owen Jones: click here to view

Listen to the songified version: here

Sunday, 17 February 2013

WE SING!

We sing!

God rest ye merry gentlemen!

We sing!

Better the devil you know!

We sing!

The cow jumped over the moon!

We sing!

Your love is lifting me higher!

We sing!

What's a boy in love supposed to do?

We sing!

There's no business!

We sing!

Hit me baby one more time!

We sing!

In olden days a glimpse of stocking!

We sing!

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos!

We sing!

Hold thou thy cross!

We sing!

Ashes in the dustbin! Ashes in the sea!

We sing!

Da do ron ron ron! Da do ron ron!

We sing!

I was feeling kind of seasick!

We sing!

I feel it in my toes!

We sing!

The flames rose to her Roman nose!

We sing!

Ocean Rain!

We sing!

Everything changes but you!

We sing!

The wheels on the bus go!

We sing!

You've lost that loving feeling!

We sing!

I went to the doctor, guess what he told me?

We sing!

Raise your voice!

We sing!

Roll up for the mystery tour!

We sing!

The unexpected hits you between the eyes!

We sing!

I bet you wonder how I knew!

We sing!

Thursday, 31 January 2013

SLEEP

or FOR HARPER

for HF, SF and HF

Sleep is what you do,
what you've done,
what you've did.

And when you are held
you are asleep.

Strange, to be born asleep
to be asleep
to sleep.

One day you will wake.
One day you will open your eyes
and hands.

One day you will not be asleep.
Your eyes and hands will open.
Your mouth will open.

Then you will not be asleep.

Sunday, 30 December 2012

HOTEL

It was a family room with four made beds
and three light bulbs that didn't light, a fuse
that had blown in a silent hairdryer.

It was home for the night. The choice of beds
whispered hints of sex. I'd never refuse
boys on the phone, hot–breathed as hairdryers.

It was a family room with four made beds
and three light bulbs that didn't light, a fuse
that had blown in a silent hairdryer.

Monday, 26 November 2012

ECHOLOCATION

for SM

This was our way of keeping in touch.
Touching base with the time.
The time I had woken before sunrise.
Sunrise today is at 07.33.
At 07.33 you were frying eggs.
Eggs were eaten at 08.10.
08.10 in two separate counties.
Counties that yawned the country open.
Open the curtains, 08.22.
08.22, clocking off.
Off into the day like a train.
Trains of thought that spirograph back.
Back out and back into the dusk.
Dusk, 16.14, and a prayer to home.
Home, where it is just gone sunset.
Sunset today is 16.36.
16.36 and I go outside and watch bats.
Bats echolocate here and in Yorkshire.
In Yorkshire are you hearing this?

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

WEEKEND

These are just blokes drinking on a Friday afternoon

after getting off work early after working like pigs

at something they’re pig sick of. This is where they let

rockets off to the moon, where the moon glows

in fruit machine flashes and flashes of tempers burst

like fireworks bursting, obliterating the stars.

The stars are all over the pavement. The pavement

is strewn with celestial beings and extra-terrestrials.

Angels and extra-terrestrials are singing, singing

alleluias from every street corner. A busker is singing

in excelcis deo on every street corner in town.

The shout goes up and is hoisted aloft and carried

through town like a varsity rugby captain

hoisted atop his teammate’s shoulders and shouted

round bars like a saucy joke. Their shoulders are round

where they’re worn like a threadworn blazer or jeans

in the knees and crotch. They’ve been on their knees

all week and year, a decade of prayer. Praying the work

keeps on coming after the weekend. Until then their crotch

itches at denim and nylon skirts. Stiff nylon electricity.

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

LANCASHRING

for BC

Riding out of the ice crevassed rock.

Horwich, Buckshaw, Lostock Parkway

Every station stop is business.

Buckshaw, Lostock, Horwich Parkway

Midnight misting across like hail.

Lostock, Horwich, Buckshaw Parkway

My hands were lost in a mobile's light.

Horwich, Lostock, Buckshaw Parkway

Headlit motels at a taxi's halt.

Buckshaw, Horwich, Lostock Parkway

Fox eyes stared from a terrace window.

Lostock, Buckshaw, Howich Parkway

Railways unspooling from under wheels

Edale, Chinley, Grindleford, Hope

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

PHOTOS OF MOLLY ROSE JONES

for SJ

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
in a rocker or on a mat

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
in a striped onesy and hat

In a rocker or on a mat
Molly Rose Jones
in a striped onesy and hat
Molly Rose Jones

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
She smiles she is amazed

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
surprised eyebrows raised

She smiles she is amazed
Molly Rose Jones
surprised eyebrows raised
Molly Rose Jones

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
in his hands in his lap

My boss posts photos
of Molly Rose Jones
see her laugh and clap

In his hands in his lap
Molly Rose Jones
see her laugh and clap
Molly Rose Jones

See her laugh and clap
in his hands in his lap
Molly Rose Jones
Molly Rose Jones

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

THE FOUNTAIN

It is only water and it only holds
you long enough to toss a coin
between its jets and wish if magic's
what you believe in, and you believe
the cosmos at that moment
will turn its megatons of matter
in your direction like a radio
telescope in the Mexican dustpan
bleeps messages to little green men
who answer in pig–latin code,
they are important friends and wish
you peace. You tell me so.
It is only water and it only holds
you long enough to toss a coin.