Sudden inspiration to read this poem "A Lone Star," which is the 1st poem in my very 1st book published, "Then True Love Comes."
So, using my basic home recording & editing skills, I set it to a piece of impromptu composition. Next, is to get inspired by visuals, so that I can turn it into a video clip! So, that's coming up soon...
This is the poem I was talking about in my earlier blogs. It was actually first the lyrics I wrote for a song I composed. That song is in production, still waiting for a good guitarist before I record the vocals.
Meanwhile, I tried my hand at speaking the poem at the cool "If Walls Could Talk" poetry open mic night (IWCT). I never thought poetry could be so cool.
Frankly speaking, for years, I always imagined poetry events to be dull and boring, attended only by a much older, conservative crowd, who huddled around sipping tea. So, I remained a closet poet for 20 years, even after getting A's writing poetry as a journalism & writing student at Western Michigan University.
But after chancing upon IWCT on facebook, I decided to take a chance and attend its open mic night as I was in the midst of preparing to publish my book. I guess it was about time to check out a poetry event.
It was timely to be introduced to it as I was blown away by the buzzing atmosphere, the gaslight ambience of the Gaslight Cafe, the young and the beautiful piling in wall to wall, chilling on the floor till there was no space to move through. The entire setting was a gem, exactly the little artistic performance place only found in movies, with a fresh, young and youthful, almost-international, colourful, energetic, supportive audience hanging on to every word! I didn't know there was actually an audience in KL which loved poetry, and a young audience at that!
Here are some pics that were taken during the past few events:
Have discovered this utterly cool poetry lovin' & spoutin' group in KL, "If Walls Could Talk," in this amazingly dim joint of a place called Gaslight Cafe. It's like artistic heaven. Hahaha.
I challenged myself to do it. What? Yes, after 20 years as a closet poet, I'm finally comin' out, and not only that, I'm declaring to all who will hear (and say what?) that I am publishing A POETRY BOOK.
So, this was my first attempt to share my writing in public, and also to speak it aloud ( with the minimum-est of performance). The paper is there in case I forget the words...
I found that I kinda enjoyed doing it, even though I wondered if my poetry was good enough for others to understand and like it.
After all, I'm just giving up excuses NOT to publish THE book. So, judgements aside, the slogan now is "just do it."
