Unspoken Poetry Slam
Saturday part Deux - seems like today has been two separate days already, as you must see as well, given my long winded narration with accompanying pictures posted earlier. It is amazing what can be crammed into a day. Maybe it helps to be half way around the world in a totally different culture.
David and I headed out for the Poetry Slam around 5:45pm and arrived earlier then what I thought was the actual reading at 7pm because there was going to be a panel discussion first. We had both registered to give our readings, sat down with full room of mostly young people and surprisingly, we were the only “bule”, a non pejorative word for foreigners that literally translates as “It does not mean Caucasians and well you Indonesians know it” - funny.
The panel consisted of two women and one older man with long grayish hair looking all the part of a “real poet”, me feeling a total fraud and interloper wondering what possessed me to be persuaded by David to do such a thing in the first place - ah, his powers of hypnotic persuasion are known far and wide. They began talking in their language, not totally unexpected but maybe thought they would switch over to some English as there were usually many bule there, as was the case in previous years. After a while of not understanding a thing I retreated to the bar out front, soda water with lime in hand, sat down and waited - a long time. I grew impatient, was ready to walk home leaving David to figure out what happened to me when he came out, got a soda and we chatted while watching a brutal MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fight on TV - declaring it to be violently abhorrent, utterly disgusting, yet unable to avert our eyes from the ensuing blood bath - watching the proverbial train wreck as it were. With our usual ability to endlessly find interesting things to talk about, time passed quickly and the 7 o’clock reading started at 8:15pm - right on Bali time.....
The two young hosts came on stage and laid out the rules for the readings, had a jar with the names of presenters which they were going to draw lottery style from and call people up. I got called up second! Wouldn’t you know it, I didn’t even get a decent chance to get a feel of how the readings might be given....sheesh. I might also mention that this was going to be judged by four arbitrarily chosen audience members - we didn’t even know if they spoke English, maybe a blessing if you think about it. No understanding, no problem, no worry. You can judge for yourself by the following video....
My first ever public poetry read before large enthusiastic crowd of writers - my late night musings on flight over titled - Midnight to Bali.....
David’s reading of his poem - Dedicated
Sign up....
Room begins to fill
Welcome aboard, happy to have us....🙏
Street food venders, many are grilled satayed pork, chicken, beef.....
And the second reader is - Gregory Johnson, from America đź‘Ź.....
Read in Indonesian, no clue what he said but it was warrior man like, maybe angry or just very dramatic and expressive ...
Her first read, there were several including me - she was very perky, pranced and flittered about, very expressive......
Back of large room lounging area....
The winners are - not us.......
Congratulations.....
David and I headed out for the Poetry Slam around 5:45pm and arrived earlier then what I thought was the actual reading at 7pm because there was going to be a panel discussion first. We had both registered to give our readings, sat down with full room of mostly young people and surprisingly, we were the only “bule”, a non pejorative word for foreigners that literally translates as “It does not mean Caucasians and well you Indonesians know it” - funny.
The panel consisted of two women and one older man with long grayish hair looking all the part of a “real poet”, me feeling a total fraud and interloper wondering what possessed me to be persuaded by David to do such a thing in the first place - ah, his powers of hypnotic persuasion are known far and wide. They began talking in their language, not totally unexpected but maybe thought they would switch over to some English as there were usually many bule there, as was the case in previous years. After a while of not understanding a thing I retreated to the bar out front, soda water with lime in hand, sat down and waited - a long time. I grew impatient, was ready to walk home leaving David to figure out what happened to me when he came out, got a soda and we chatted while watching a brutal MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fight on TV - declaring it to be violently abhorrent, utterly disgusting, yet unable to avert our eyes from the ensuing blood bath - watching the proverbial train wreck as it were. With our usual ability to endlessly find interesting things to talk about, time passed quickly and the 7 o’clock reading started at 8:15pm - right on Bali time.....
The two young hosts came on stage and laid out the rules for the readings, had a jar with the names of presenters which they were going to draw lottery style from and call people up. I got called up second! Wouldn’t you know it, I didn’t even get a decent chance to get a feel of how the readings might be given....sheesh. I might also mention that this was going to be judged by four arbitrarily chosen audience members - we didn’t even know if they spoke English, maybe a blessing if you think about it. No understanding, no problem, no worry. You can judge for yourself by the following video....
My first ever public poetry read before large enthusiastic crowd of writers - my late night musings on flight over titled - Midnight to Bali.....
David’s reading of his poem - Dedicated
Sign up....
The long panel discussion in Indonesian begins........🥴
Anticipation - calmly awaiting my trial by fire first ever maybe last Poetry Slam!
Room begins to fill
Welcome aboard, happy to have us....🙏
Street food venders, many are grilled satayed pork, chicken, beef.....
And the second reader is - Gregory Johnson, from America đź‘Ź.....
Read in Indonesian, no clue what he said but it was warrior man like, maybe angry or just very dramatic and expressive ...
Back of large room lounging area....
The winners are - not us.......
I am awash in potential response but sandman pummeling me and full tilt day tomorrow. Much to chat about!
ReplyDeleteBe well and well done! Ciao brother.