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Killing God (with rev with audio)
Killing God
I worked at a drive-in theatre
years ago
before they died.
not a bad job
lots of movies.
Some tedious tasks,
I had to check every speaker in the field.
Turn up volume,
listen,
move to next post.
Turn up volume,
listen,
move to next post.
Turn up volume,
listen,
move to next post.
five
hundred
times.
That day the light was yellow, electric,
turbulent clouds roiling ominously.
I stopped,
transfixed.
Staring at the half-brick in my hand.
Where the hell did that come from?
I looked around, bemused.
Five rows back at the edge of the field
was a small pile of rubble.
I smiled gently,
perhaps a little wickedly.
Of course.
In the middle of a field of metal posts,
an electric storm brewing.
If lightning strikes,
if there is a judgemental god,
I will meet that prick
armed with a half-brick.
to hear the live reading click
https://soundcloud.com/jess-tapper/killing-god
Comments
brittle light
Mon, 2011-08-15 20:19
I would read a full book of
I would read a full book of this particular rhetorical and artistic style/ form ( and content). Engrossing
Off the beaten path while remaining so readable (unconscious craftwork). Refreshing, and stisfying.
Al
Lenny of Cohen
Mon, 2011-08-15 21:10
Yep!
Recruited me from the off Jess!
L
_________________________________________
"Death" is nonsense: what is there to die?
"Life"? How could " life" "die"? That is a contradiction
in terms. Can "light" become "darkness"?
"Light" can only cease to be apparent
Wei Wu Wei
violet
Tue, 2011-08-16 06:50
...
I adore this.
A refreshingly honest/no bullshit piece
complete with a little sardonic
kick in the ass in those last lines.
I applaud your skill
...
Candlewitch
Sun, 2011-08-21 11:29
Jess!
if there is a judgemental god,
I will meet that prick
armed with a half-brick.
LOL!!! I love this! (and what a tedious job) You do reminisences very well.
always, Cat
*
When someone reads your work
And responds, please be courteous
And reply in kind, thanks.
weirdelf
Sun, 2011-08-21 12:15
thanks Cat,
Yes, I'm not above using a little shock value, sometimes even make it work
teehee
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Eduardo Cruz
Sun, 2011-08-21 22:07
Jess,
The idea of the brick is funny, because we know he is already dead. No power in anyones head, at lease those that see the truth of the brick. The brick might be god in some culture. I am sorry I had to go to the mindless place of the brick. Nothing to say but lots of power in someones head. bad joke I guess But i am Laughing.
This was so good, you sneaky Savanah Beach.
Eddie
LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS
IT'S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.
VIVIAN GREENE
weirdelf
Sun, 2011-08-21 22:36
Seems a lot of people didn't catch the obituary
though we can all be as thick as a brick, especially if me miss the important obituaries, and latest scientific papers.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Eduardo Cruz
Mon, 2011-08-22 13:27
Jess
here's there reply:
BRICK, BRICK, BRICK. 500 times and still it can't be heard.
Eddie
LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS
IT'S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.
VIVIAN GREENE
weirdelf
Thu, 2014-08-07 09:27
ok
I'll try a bazooka
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
scribbler
Sun, 2011-08-21 22:46
hi
It appears that in midst of listening for defective speakers you heard a caution from another speaker..........stan
weirdelf
Sun, 2011-08-21 23:28
nah mate,
I sent one.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
weirdelf
Mon, 2011-08-22 04:59
before
and the fucker has never smote me. I was clumsy.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
IKnowNoBox
Sat, 2011-09-10 14:41
Killing God,
Still in my top five of your works.
In ink,
David
weirdelf
Sun, 2011-09-11 04:39
thank you, kind sir,
your appreciation is appreciated
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
William Saint George
Thu, 2011-11-03 13:11
Delightful
I must say the title caught my attention, and I was eager to explore the hostility of the piece. I'm glad it wasn't stressed throughout the poem, and was effectively used in the last line.
Also glad I didn't see any swear words till the end of the poem. That last, rhyming couplet has an attractive edge to it.
Something about the poem speaks of suicide, which is a subject I'm quite acquainted with. The audacity of the poem is quite appealing, as is the manner in which it is written. I'm yet to come across a name of this sort of writing, but then the fact that the subject is only approached from a distance (well, sort of) and is not explicitly said in a prosaic manner pleases me.
Just to satisfy my curiosity, are you an atheist?
No verse is free for the man who wants to do a good job. - TS Eliot
http://www.wsgeorge.com/
weirdelf
Thu, 2011-11-03 21:50
Thanks for the thoughtful review, William.
Atheist. Yes. Hostility? Well, only to judgmental, patriarchal, jealous deities and organised religions built around them.
My use of profanity, though far more frequent than most, is very considered, I use certain words without hesitation when I feel they are the right words in the right place. From puerile curiousity the other day I did a site search on the 'c' word and found 6 instances, 5 of them mine.
Suicide? One could perhaps infer an unconscious death wish, but I hope the vitality of the ending belies that.
'I'm yet to come across a name of this sort of writing', it's freeform poetry, mate. I doubt many would really argue that. I seldom use strict metric or rhyming forms, though I'm certainly capable, see 'Noisance' and 'Corporate Villanelle'
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Eduardo Cruz
Wed, 2013-10-09 15:42
Jes
Hahaha!!
I love you man, talk about metaphorically speaking. I want to be the brick (prick in others eyes)
Eddie
PS I can't stop laughing...
LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS
IT'S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.
VIVIAN GREENE
loved
Wed, 2013-10-09 15:52
brick rhymes with prick ...as also with dick
''''''if there is a judgemental god,
I will meet that prick
armed with a half-brick..'''''............the other half eh!
marvelous ...
however you could only get a sliced one
b or p or d....................----
I just wonder how
lovely work urs
This one i have copied for my desk
and laptop to digest
loved
William Saint George
Tue, 2013-10-22 04:30
Jess
I finally listened to the audio of this poem. It is brilliant.
I have one question though, what makes this spoken word? I sounds more like a simple reading of your poem!
Good job!
No verse is free for the man who wants to do a good job. - TS Eliot
http://www.wsgeorge.com/
weirdelf
Tue, 2013-10-22 11:50
Nothing defines it as a apoken word poem
except that I wrote down near verbatim something I described verbally to someone else.
It lacks a lot of poetic features that would make it genuine spoken word.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
violet
Tue, 2013-10-22 14:03
.
Nice to hear this poem too.
scribbler
Thu, 2013-10-24 14:16
Hmmm....
By not explaining a bit better how your half brick came to suddenly be in your hand, you leave a bit of the supernatural in the poem. Just thought I'd point out the illogic of that lol. Ps just realized I forgot to applaud the imagery you used.........stan
weirdelf
Thu, 2013-10-24 16:33
I thought that well explained in the verses
"Where the hell did that come from?
I looked around, bemused.
Five rows back at the edge of the field
was a small pile of rubble.
I picked it up unconsciously, as defense, obviously not against lightning, but just in case. And no, I am not agnostic, I am atheist, but who can blame someone for feeling vulnerable in a an open field of metal posts during a thunderstorm. I was not just defying god, but death itself.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
IKnowNoBox
Wed, 2014-05-07 13:38
Sadly the voice recording
is no longer active on that site, but I can still somewhat hear your voice reading this.
Christopher Hitchens would grin at this poem, indeed so would Mr. Dawkins.
In ink,
David
weirdelf
Thu, 2014-05-08 02:25
thanks David
great to see you!
Ah, I wondered how long Vocaroo recordings would last. I will re-record using Soundcloud soon.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Ian.T
Thu, 2014-05-08 04:08
Jess
I have heard this from some place that is your reading of it.
Can I ask you to read a great classic poem as an example to all that are here of the reasons for many to follow their writings.
Hope you are doing OK out there Winter is coming and the cool air will be a blessing,
Yours Ian.T
.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..
weirdelf
Sat, 2014-05-10 06:15
Name your request, good sir
and I will be delighted to read it.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
weirdelf
Sat, 2014-05-10 06:16
To all those to whom I did not reply directly
to your kind comments,
thank you.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
Lonnie
Sat, 2014-05-10 10:10
Hey Jess,
I may not agree with your convictions, but I certainly cannot fault your poetic abilities! This is very readable, has powerful imagery, and pulls no punches! Nice work!
weirdelf
Sun, 2014-05-11 02:31
thanks man
good to see you round.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry