Tuesday 23 October 2012

From a Notebook Weighing 194 Grams

It's not the first time I discover great poetry and good readings on Qarrtsiluni.
As it is I have made several videopoems already using that source.

This one's another gem from Qarrtsiluni. From their series 'Fragments' I picked out:
From a Notebook Weighing 194 Grams

the sky’s a razor in summer light
flies crawl down windows singing
an elm accepts death without complaint
shadows count the size of my dreams

the day has yet to be decoded
white comets across my wrists
my mother with a light round her head
a magpie paddles across the street

the house at night relaxes its stays
shopping trolleys piled high with Bibles
father alive in the cycle of days
crushed beer cans by the railway line

a forest of bottles covered in sun tan lotion
children press damp eyes to the railings
God is an ice cream cone topped with a cherry
I’m wearing a hat, need a shave, diazepam
                     and the rain’s sudden applause.


The poem and the reading are by Rodney Wood.
From Qarrtsiluni: "Rodney Wood lives in northeast Hampshire, U.K., and has had work in various magazines, anthologies and on the radio. He writes: “Fragments made me think of the person from Porlock, TS Eliot, Raymond Carver and a huge iceberg with chunks falling off to create giant waves whose ripples spread over the world.” "
All info and the original podcast can be found here

I was taken in by the poem instantly. Always a good sign. I was fortunate to get permission to use the poem and the recording to do my thing...
I combined two different tracks to support his reading;



The images I used came from (again, and I promise it's the last time) the superb collection by Ivan Besse on Prelinger. This time I added three layers with subtle colours and movement to give an extra dimension on the video.
Words & Voice: Rodney Wood
recording: Qarrtsiluni podcast 02/08/2012
Concept, camera, editing, music: Swoon
Footage: Ivan Besse Collection (Prelinger)

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