why is it that more often than not i find people are in love with the idea of a person rather than the person. and the most common and cliched retort of choice is, 'you don't even know me!' which really isn't half wrong, in most cases.

tuesday's $500 poetry slam at velvet was okay, most of the teams competing were quite forgettable and unimpressive. and if i remember most of them, it was only because they annoyed me. in particular Private Function was quite clever and entertaining i think - i actually remembered all of their performance pieces though i thought their last was filled with time-killers. The Kuehkuehs impressed me, particularly the front girl who read in her quietly passionate voice in such a way that sometimes you think she couldn't breathe for want of just saying it all, forever. i still felt that their poetry was disjointed though, and as such, i really can't say i'm very satisfied with what i saw that night. most of the groups were either very dramatic or did tons of poems that had political agendas. don't get me wrong, i'm all for political and social change and all but when you harp on the education system and the singaporean dream for like 5 poems tonight it gets quite grating, particularly when the poetry was not that good. also, i think word forward is in DESPERATE need of young blood - they need new poetry slam masters. and, ray mcniece was really not all that impressive.

the poetry slam dilutes drama and dilutes poetry? perhaps. on the whole, i don't think poetry slam is really my thing, i would never do it myself. but sometimes it is fun to see what people come up with and to catch a glimpse of the other poetry being written in this little country i live in.

sometimes i very much wish i could throw my phone away. but if i do, how will i ever get to know about EVERYTHING? because people only ever call my cell now and never my home - and i find it's the only number i ever give out anyway.

the short message system

day and night, silently sneakily
it vibrates
accumulating words that are
better said than typed

spilling over with
commas, meaningless smileys

heartbreak euphoria mundanity
details encouragement (sincerity?) work
it seems wrong they should be displayed:
piled on top of each other
on the coloured screen (32 bit)

like how curry and dessert should not be
kept on the same plate
like how on the bus we apologize
for brushing our hand against a stranger's
like how we refuse to let
work and play mix the other up

i thought it would grow
heavier (with each message received)
sometimes i think it
will explode

but still i hold it in my hand.

+ posted by M @ 9:38 PM