From the Depths of the Underground

A compilation from the land that was.




WORDS 

Words as an art form

the lure of the Underground

mystery within



THE BEGINNING

In May of two thousand five
I discovered the maroon board, so alive.
Intrigued by conversational poetry,
so emotional, clever, open and free,
I struck some keys and made my cautious mark,
was welcomed by poets and encouraged to park!

My love of writing, of creating a virtual book
caused me to do more than just look.
I tried to explain to those around me,
"These kindred spirits are writing in VERSE,
telling of their lives, for better or for worse.
Although I love the internet for research and shopping,
The Underground is where I will always be stopping."

The poets are what drew me in
and hold me, beloved as kin…
To see the verse in tandem
written for friendship and fandom,
epitomizes The Underground
where loyal friendships are found.


FOR JERSEY

A heartfelt "thank you" to the Master
who lets no promo moment get past her,
who saved the words and saved some more,
not letting that archiving be a bore!
She took over the lease, some boards ago,
and re-built the Underground with all of us in tow,
re-constructed the memory section,
now the dazzling Since Day One
In addition, she chronicled an adventure
in graphic book form, a showstopper for sure.
Each day we "come Home"
and share what we have wrought,
marveling at each poet's well expressed thought,
we make a silent notch on our memory tree,
thanking Jersey for our "land of the free."



In the Beginning....

Isn't this a grand place to be
where we can set all our thoughts free,
expressing our deepest emotions,
or the story of our day's motions.
It's amazing to read each new writer,
the romantic, the emoter, the fighter
and be overwhelmed by word pictures
that draw us in, entice and lure
us into the reality of a "stranger's" creation,
'till they're no longer strangers, but sisters, relations,
new-found friends
'till the end!

....and look where we are now



To Freely Express...

...what is on one's mind,

to see it in print, signed,

affirms the premise, swirling in the brain,

from random thought to sweet refrain.

Like any work of art, the seeing

is the grand believing,

an idea transformed with color and form

or letters typed to form words of norm.

Creative affirmation,

positive acclimation,

free from suppression,

free expression.



"Everybody Loves..."

CD, Track 1
burned and labeled
with tour itinerary
sent by cyber-friend
to this happy artist,
listening to Constantine.
"Let's get busy: give it a try."
Preview of the tour,
happy notes, familiar voice,
picturing the frenzy of the performer,
"...smoldering Idol..."
as Simon dubbed him.
At 4:30 a.m. hopeful the sounds
aren't escaping the walls of my studio,
leaping across the grass
to the neighbor's windows.
Will vicariously share the tour
with nightly updates, videos and stills
posted on the websites
by the band of sisters,
and personal cell-certs from
cyber-friends united by the music
and the unique performer..
Have to go to Constantine-land
to create the photo stories,
bring back the memories of seeing
the artist in person,
prancing back and forth
across the stage,
melting hearts
of all ages!
"Everybody loves; everybody cries:
everybody dreams of a perfect life..."
Inspiration for a happy life
comes in many a guise.
The truly wise one
keeps open the eye.


A Return to the Betty Era......Coincidence or Fate


Perhaps not by coincidence
are we all here
but by some divine providence
brought here to cheer.
Remembering Mamabetty's account
of street teaming and fluorescent blue,
when hoping the darkness to surmount,
she painted the PFTSOB poster neon blue so true.
In the darkness beyond the stage, her sign was an attraction,
prompting audience members to question in reaction,
"Who is Betty and why should we pray for her,"
they thinking Mama was some type of crusader?
Now a Pro at PR, Mama set them straight,
providing just the right bait
to entice more fans of the music scene
into the PFTSOB lair with Constantine.

So, Betty Poets, does it not seem strange,
with our interests, occupations and residences in such a large range,
that we were all drawn here together in this neighborhood,
creating this very strong sisterhood?
Could it be some divine intervention
that drew us to this sisterly convention?
This shelter has fostered friendships across the miles,
brought sharing and caring, tears and smiles,
a refuge that is always open,
someone always there to listen,
a place not judgemental,
but wise in counsel.

We know of each others travails
and pray that a good conclusion prevails.
We rejoiced when the doctor pinpointed the causes
of Julie/C's daughter's allergies,
to finally bring relief from her symptoms
with the help of new recipes by her Mom.
We reach out when someone is overwhlemed by the fantasy
and give advice on getting back to reality.
We encourage Threadmaster Jersey to get more sleep,
yet knowing that promise to themselves they don't keep,
yes, you, YM, Conslave, Jul22, lkh, Ablue,
frazzle, Austin, Diane, Sunny and Sue.
We know we all will be praying for someone we do not know,
because it's important to Lorax our love and support to show.
Her words touch us dearly
with the rhymes written daily.

And so duly we look around and search for the MIA,
long overdue Artsy Mama and London-A,
panic when Jersey dosn't show up on her birthday,
locked out by loss of power, wonder where are Katy,
Con'scuffs, Kat101, and lkh when she misses a day.

We share all the annoyance of others around us,
eloquently phrased by Conslave, and wonder why all the fuss,
while all the while realizing
we've lost a little time to socializing
on the homefront, or postponed some work task.
And why are there still only 24 hours in each day?
Reading the lines, and between the lines,
we hear the venting, the frustration, the signs.
Something must give, but not our dedication
that goes beyond rhyme or reason.
Pray for the Soul of Betty, the name of the band
or a prayer command.


An Ode to Our Journey Together...Another Time, Another Place

We're no longer just writing on scraps of paper,
stuffed into our pockets until they no longer matter,
turning into lint in the dryer.
Our words show up so nicely in reverse printing,
and they're saved for another day by Jersey's archiving.


Poet's Obsession

I've tried to unstick all the rhymes from my head
so my brain will be quiet when I go to bed!


Charisma

Charisma--
can't be taught,
can't be bought.
It's part of the original package,
loaded, but with no excess baggage.
Charisma--
pops off the screen,
as we have seen.
streaming down the page
with intensity and rage.
Charisma--
captured in pictures
by dedicated posters.
How could anyone not think him fine,
the enigmatic Constantine.



Sisters of the Word

Yes, while it lasts
we document the present,
and take blasts
into the future,
reminisce of the past.
We share this condition,
affliction, addiction
with poetic sisters
who shorten sleep
and would weep
if  lost  again.
How did this happen?
Darned if we know!
We have seeds to sow,
words that keep popping
into our heads.
Can't shut them off,
we're hopelessly adicted,
we sisters of the word.



The Strand of Hair Photo
(photo by Neil)




Look at the final product,
an art work of grays on white,
how did it come to be,
by happenstance or every decision right?
Was it framed in viewfinder
or in dim darkroom light?
Under the enlarrger was the negative
viewed and cropped to utter perfection?
This was no assembly line
mass production..

A product of the digital age!


Look again at the photo,
the compostion,
the Greek God face
entering into the frame,
the contrast of positive and negative
space, an art, not a game,
a union of pure talent,
the subject with the photographer,
the image printer,
the same.



Sought After subject

The subject caught
in golden light
unaware he's sought
by every lens in sight.

A private moment
encapsuled in time;
a message sent
in silent mime.



Ode


Thankful...

...for the words so truthful
that we sprawl
upon the wall.

Thankful...

....for the poets fruitful
abounding with rhymes,
signs of the times.

Thankful...

...for camaraderie dutiful,
dependable, remarkable,
lovable, unexplainable!

Thankful...

...for the muse, respectful
of the talent irrefutable,
the countenance memorable



The Pirate of Love

Devious pirate king,
mischievous actor,
destined to sing.
The many moods,
the pout, the bling,
creating dreams
on a prayer and a wing.
Conjurer of memories,
thriller with a note, a ting,
mesmerizer, lover, capturing
ready hearts with a decided ping!




Forming a Community

Being kind
is a state of mind
that evolves naturally.

Being supportive
is a way to give
of yourself freely.

Being a listener
and a responder
stimulates respectfully.

Being open from the heart
let's each play a part
extraordinarily.

Expressing one's opinion
and respecting those of others
creates a strong community.


Multiple Choices

A true quest
may be for
the unknown,
the unexpected,
rather than an answer
we already own.
Seeking the known,
familiar expectations,
removes the dangers
of flying alone.



Living the Role of Life

An actor moves forward
from one role to another,
learning new lines,
finding the marks,
rehearsing new tunes,
keeping constant one theme,
a future to be determined
by each night's performance.


If we live in complacence,
not vying each day to be our best
we could miss the thrill of applause,
and possibly not make it
for the run of the show,
not feel the exhillaration
of opening our hearts,
giving our all in participation.



And then the faces multiplied...