I’ve been offline all weekend, attending my youngest brother’s wedding (that’s him and his beautiful wife in the picture below). What a fantastic day! He asked me to do a reading of one of my own poems, written especially for them (NOT the one below, sorry)… luckily, it went down well… Does that count as my first “performance”, to qualify now as a performance poet??
By sheer coincidence, the prompt this week on Rashmi’s limerick challenge was wedding… I wrote this over the weekend, like a true method actor!
Weddings are magical things,
Filled with smiles, and dresses, and rings,
And on this happiest day,
The couple stands there to say
We’ll weather whatever fate brings
The Bride tries desperately to separate the Groom from his friends…
A Certain Point of View 
A poet reciting is not necessarily a ‘performance poet’. Did you ‘perform’ the poem with dance, mime, juggling et al? G:)
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Card revoked already… 🙂
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But, the seeds of performance have been sown. G:)
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I got a round of applause… yeah, I kinda liked it. Will have to learn to juggle / “perform” for the next one!
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“-Dress as a Zombie and recite and that’s a performance! G:)
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I gave a little speech before it, explaining how it came about… I did mention zombies… (The vicar was looking distinctly worried at this point!)
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Where in the country are you located, Al? I could book you to perform your performance poetry at my book launch. Initiation by default? G:
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I’m in Nottingham. Are you stopping here on your national tour?
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In Oxford, Southampton, Bedford (17th) Crawley (18th). Will have to Google Nottingham. 🙂
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We’re the border land between “the middle bit” and “people from Yorkshire”
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You should get thyself to a nunnery, or an open mic night. G:)
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Building up to it… most of the stuff I publish on here is just too short for that sort of thing!
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It can work – what you have to do is think of what you can write that will make an audience sit up in their seats. Your material has lots to give. But, an audience wants to be stimulated. That needs the performance aspect to be added to your words. I try and use different approaches with my guitar adding to the mix. Shorter pieces when fitted into a longer piece keep Alfie Audience on his toes. G:)
Perhaps write comedic links or intros to your shorter pieces. Limericks work. String a theme of them together. It is the best fun to see the reaction happening. G:)
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Are you small and green, with surprisingly furry ears? 🙂
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Surprisingly? No, they are no surprise to me. G:)
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Ha ha!
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Small world I’m reading at a wedding on Friday 😀and I’d say you definitely now qualify as a performer
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Thank you… whether I do or not, I got to say zombie (twice) in a church… that’s one off the bucket list!
Hope your reading goes well too 🙂
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Thank you no zombies in mine ☺
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Ha ha there weren’t in mine either – I just explained that that was what I wrote about normally, and that I’d had to cut the zombies out of the poem (which was a very conventional and lovely one… very unlike me!)
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Oh, I love it! Everyone looks great and what a fun photo! I’m sure your poem was a huge hit! 😀
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Thanks Meg! I did get a round of applause in the church, and strangers coming up to say they enjoyed it later, so I couldn’t be happier with that!
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That’s awesome!
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😀
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I love your poem Al. Love it!
And the picture too.
I can see hair wasn’t shared equally in the family! 😉
❤
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I got the brains 😉
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Hahahaha! Good one Al!
:-*
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Your limerick describes how much won everyone has. I hope it tops the list. 🙂
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Thank you! I’ve gone for a sentimental approach for certain this week!
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Looks like “something” borrowed (tugged from friends) and “something blue” (the groom) wasn’t a problem. Nice photo, nice limerick, nice wedding (by the look of it).
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Thank you… was such a great day! 🙂
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Sorry Al I just noticed a typo, it’s meant to be fun, not “won” oops! 🙂
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That’s how I read it anyway – am used to those “predictive text” corrections! 🙂
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I’m so glad to know it. 🙂
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Awesome! Nicely done, Al. One day you’ll look back and say this was the day your career as a performance poet officially began… 😉 Best wishes to the happy couple.
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Thanks Ryan… they were both beaming the whole day. I’m so happy for them! 🙂
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That was so sweet. They’ll need to print it off, frame it and hang it in their new home! What a beautiful gift to share. Straight from the heart and so personal. Performance poet? Absolutely! I tried the poetry readings a couple times and was literally shaking in my boots. I have done a tremendous amount of performing before, but there is something about reading one’s own writings that causes vulnerability to take over. One day, I’ll grow up to be strong, like you! ❤
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I am going to use canva and put the poem (it’s not this limerick, to be clear!) over a background photo from the wedding. These useful tricks we pick up 🙂
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Whoa… where’s the poem? You are holding out on us, brother. (deep sigh) This limerick, then, should be made available to others to use for their special days.
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The poem on Saturday was a gift … sorry! 🙂
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I suppose this means I need to get hitched AGAIN, in order to be privy to that “gift writing” of yours. (deep sigh) suddenly this is becoming complicated
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Or… you could check your inbox… 🙂
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Thank God! Here I thought I had to do something so totally uncharacteristic of me… You’re back in the will!!
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Woohoo! I’ve got my eye on those LPs… 🙂
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Congratulations to your brother and bravo on your terrific limerick and performance!!
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Thanks Teresa – this wasn’t the poem I read out, to be clear! Going to edit the text now… 🙂
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Regardless, it’s a terrific poem and I still commend you for the performance (I have horrible stage fright). 🙂
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I used to … seems to bother me less now! 🙂
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That wedding picture is priceless!
You should have performed the poem in the form of an interpretive dance and to the tune of Axel F. But I’d class that as your first performance.
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How do you know I didn’t? 🙂
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Pictures of you in your black leotard, or it didn’t happen.
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They’re between me and the vicar 🙂
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Oh, I’m gonna leave that sentence right there. Too many lascivious and debauched descriptions come to mind at what is being held between you and the vicar.
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Ha ha! 😀
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Congratulations on the performance, Al.
Great photo. I was wondering if the bride was trying to get her bouquet back when I first saw the photo? 😄
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Now you mention it, I don’t think she threw the bouquet at all… she obviously liked the flowers too much!
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Of course you nailed it! I had complete faith. How lovely, and this limerick is delightful as well. What a fun photo! 🙂
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Thank you! This was the best of the “official, fun” pics 🙂
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You know that begs the question of seeing the others. Damn you man!! Argh!
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I’ve only seen some of them myself… this was the photographer’s pick. I have got one of my sons beating the groom with rubber swords that makes me chuckle though!
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That’s awesome! What a thoughtful and creative photographer! I love what they think of to do with Weddings these days. What a beautiful couple.
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The photographer was good fun – I’ve even friended her on FB now! Yeah, my brother’s punching above his weight there 😉
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What a happy looking group!
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Thank you… a happy day!
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Congrats to your brother and his bride ❤ It looks like they have a sense of humor and that will take them far. Yes, you are a live performance poet!
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Thanks Diana. Yes, they both have a great sense of humour! 🙂
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This is lovely… And the picture… 😄 I have quite a different picture from my wedding — my husband in a chair surrounded by 4 women… (my 3 sisters and me)… no escape attempted… Ha!
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Poor bloke… cornered like that!
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Hahaha… if I remember correctly, it was his idea. 🙂
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Ha ha! Good lad! 🙂
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Oh, so adorable and so glad the wedding was fun! Great picture and wonderful limerick!
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Thank you! Loved it ❤
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Nothing better than welcoming someone wonderful into your family…
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She’s been a part of the family for a while, but I guess this made it official 🙂
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Yes 🙂
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😀
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Fantastic, I wish I had something like that read on my wedding!
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It wasn’t this limerick, but something more classical and sweet. Very unlike me! 🙂
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See, this is the sort of romantic limerick I was aiming for before it all went wrong 🙂 Nice one!
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Thank you… it did take a few attempts to get to this one! 🙂
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That is such an amazing picture! Congrats to your brother and on your first performance! 🙂
P.s: my WP had been acting funny since last week, I know I left a comment on this earlier but apparently it did not go through! Sorry about that.
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Thanks Rashmi! Am taking a bit of a blog break anyway, so hadn’t noticed 🙂
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Hope you have a good break! Have fun! 🙂
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Thanks! ❤
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