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The Pantomime

December 2015

#084

 

Speaking Without Words

Communication:
The eye,
The hand,
The coordination,
Of the facial muscles,
Dance.
(All but the voice.)
Every animate
Living being
On this rock-pile
That we call Earth
Uses this language.
So who is to say
That the Homo-Habilis
Is the most articulate?
Well,
One of my pals
Was a real specie-snob
If there ever was one.
“Are you kidding me?”
He would say,
“Man alone
Is the only intelligent
Life form
On this planet!
Oh,
You think a cat’s smart?
Well
Just see how good he does
When you ask him
To play a game of Bridge!”
I had to
Cover my mouth
To keep from laughing.
I’m sorry to say
That the same
Level of wisdom
Is shown
By most of the humans
On this,
The third sphere
From the Sun.

© David Gordon 12/31/15
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

Jazz Parade (A Long March)

What will send us on a long march in time, through time?
What will be the justice chant?
We will run down those streets clamoring for liberation
Whatever colour is your flag, raise it with dignity
Can we hear a word from Leon Thomas the scholar and the singer
Talking truth on the front line
As the second line reminds
Freedom is an acknowledgement that we are human
we treat each other as nothing less
Listen to Sun Ra if you want to know what liberation sounds like
Do you want to see a holy family?
Ask John and Alice Coltrane
If you want to write the poem, but have no ink –
leave your intentions and impressions deep in the parchment
leaving words as grooves
so we will truly move to the music in the lyrics
Liberation is the bass line we have been waiting to hear
it is a drum rhythm sounding alright on a kit or a washboard
It is a guitar with a broken string and you don’t stop
because this song has a message
and you know how powerful it is
to make movement
when it seems you have so little
yet to improvise
you see
you have
so much

© Ángel L. Martínez 31 dec 15
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

Pantomima
20 años de El Pan Que Se Sube

Para todos que hablan con su alma es poesía
en la comunidad, en la cafetería, en la escuela, en el parque,
las calles, avenidas, y esquinas en la marcha
con nuestro corazón
levantando las voces y la bandera
Hay gente que trabajan y que tienen hambre y que saben a leer
y saben la mentira de la pandilla y los vampiros
en su grande pantomima
Muerte y vida y aquí sobrevive la lengua de la gente
con un viento y una gota de amor y una gota de sonrisa
y debajo de una estrella del oeste
con el muro del mundo
que la luz del sol viste
y la tierra llama a la timba en alegría
como un son montuno sube en el ojo y en el gusto de tu alma
que bueno son la gente en el jardín de flores
testigo presente yo voy a todas las partes y de todas las partes yo voy
Tengo mis versos, dulces versos
En las horas más hermosas de la vida
yo escribo tu nombre sobre todas las páginas
veinte años en rumba
El Pan Que se Sube, La Colectiva de Poesía
Schaghticoke y en el Río de Shepaug a los que trabajan en la cultura
y aquí yo saludo Ángel, Schmm, Carlos y David
hojas de la luz
Asere

Pantomime
20 years of the bread that rises

For all who speak with their soul are poetry
in the community, in the cafeteria, at school, in the park,
streets, avenues, and corners on the march
with our hearts
raising their voices and flag
There are people who work and who are hungry and they know how to read
and they know the lie of the gang and the vampires
in their great pantomime
Death and life here survives the language of the people
with a wind and a drop of love and a drop of smile
and under a star West
with the wall of the world
which saw sunlight
and earth called timba joy
as a son montuno up in the eye and taste of your soul
how good are the people in the flower garden
I witness this in all parts and to all parts I go
I have my verses, sweet verses
In the most beautiful hours of life
I write your name on every page
twenty years en rumba
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective
Schaghticoke and the River Shepaug those working in culture
and here I greet Angel, Schmm, Carlos and David
leaves of light
Asere

© Carlos Raúl Dufflar 12/5/15
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

The Pantomime Tragedy

(Act 1 Scene 1 ) {Backstage-}
The Dame sits in her dressing room.
Smears on theatrical make-up
Under florescent strips.
Dons the mask and
Reflects on her reflection.

(Act 1 Scene 2) {Main stage.}
The lead man looks
Through
Heavy draped curtains.

(Act 2 Scene 1)
Punchy intro music
Punctuates the silence.
The darkness is splintered
By bright lights...
Bam..Bam..Bam.

(Act 2 Scene 2 ) {Off side left –}
The leading lady enters the stage.
Her eyes search, unsure
Into the arena.
She takes the strain of strummed heart strings..
Stretched- and always
Ready to break.

(Act 2 Scene 3){The leading lady steps to centre stage}
She takes the battering around her head
Cutting words... denial
That damage her heart and ego.
The spotlight highlights
The form of her lips, forlorn
But she maintains
Her Panto stage presence.

(Act 3 Scene 1) {Crashing is heard off set}
She takes the blow to her eye
That removes her rose tinted vision.
But still there is
No intermission.

(Act 3 Scene 2 ) {On stage, centre}
She gasps.
She takes the the punch to her solar plexus
Which takes the wind out of her sails
Sad and shocking revelations...
Actions to make us all question.

(Act 4 Scene 1 )
The fatal fist floors her.
There's loss of stage direction.
There's waiting ...
And Silence.
Unseen, He gasps-
Deep and dramatically.
{Stage exit left}

(Finale)
The lights all dim
The curtain closes
There was
No
Audience.

Ellen Reardon

 

'Roll up – Welcome!'
What a bloody Pantomime

Fell to bed worse for wear
After the Christmas show
Early morning
Stumbling about in the dark
Naked
Hungover
Bare bottom freezing
Searching for my underwear
Rummaging
Fumbling
Here, there, everywhere
Crying...
Pantomime!
Pantomime!
Where’s those effing pants-o-mine...

Paul Butler
Newham Writers

 

The Pantomime

Lights were lit, bulbs shone brigh

It's Panto' night !'
The curtains were frayed...
But still swished and swayed.
'It's Panto night tonight.'

The leading lady longs for love one day
The under study was under-played
Leading man just..wanted to get laid,
The producer just hoped the play, paid.
I loved the pantomime that was
But it's behind me...because, because...

Jack's been concerned – he's been stalked.
Madame Twanky, too twittered- walked.
Puss in Boots miaowed some more
And the villain dashed through the back stage door.
I loved the panto that once was.
But it's behind me.

Aladdin's Lads and men in tights
Lost his lamp
And disappeared
Into the night.

Peter Pan petered out
With fading wings
He lost his joy-
Was no longer young at heart.

Snow White and her seven dwarfs
Could not 'Hi- ho, Hi- ho'
And off to work go...
A dark, large story.

And Sleeping Beauty
Could not sleep
As her eventual rescue
Was an ugly nightmare.

At momentus midnight
Cinderella lost sincrinicity
And caused her glass slipper
To crash and shatter.

I loved the Panto as it was-
-'It's behind you!'-
Oh yes -
It was.

Ellen Reardon - December 2015

 

Five Fingers

Thumb is for greed
forefinger for envy
middle finger for jealousy
ring finger for superiority
and pinkie to delete.

Marie Neumann
POW!

 

The Trusted Night Pantomime

Outside the box office sold out cakes and strays
Launched laughing stock exchange laughter
Wisp of wind blowing echo chamber dancing in
Stepped down from the grasses greens toes sticking
Echoed merry merry Christmas pudding ginger
Young hard case tear—a—way cries out crime scene
Darling darkness drank a roster spot in tos pitch
Faeries fairness daily dairies chocolates book
Seagulls ahead of rain speaking steals faeries
Ice cream cheese snapped in snow fairy fakery
This Seed device despite describing blossoms
Tags takes place on secrets tales stolen from
Behind the faeries secretaries back logged tricks
Outsourcing outside watching dipping sauce goose

Authorship
John Joseph Sheehy

 

Pantomine?

Pantomine? Pantomine?
I'd rather have a pantomime
'cause it's easy to rhyme
with pantomime
whatever the time
of day it is, it's easy to rhyme
with pantomime
at any time
day or night
you notice it might
be easier to rhyme
with pantomime.

Dave Chambers
Newham Writers Workshop