När det regnar non-stop i tjugofyra timmar
är det Buddha.
Både regnet och att det blir ett slut på regnandet,
och friskheten efteråt är också Buddha.
När du går bredvid sjön,
kommer du att hitta Buddha i vattnet,
förklädd till en gyllene ko.
Både sjön och kameran du använder
för att ta bilder av kon
är Buddha.
Det börjar kännas som om allting är Buddha.
Det är också Buddha.
När kockarna vid den asiatiska restaurangen
skrattar åt hur du äter din mat,
är det Buddha.
När graffittiväggar försvinner över natten, för
att bli ersatta av mängder av tegelstenar,
är också det Buddha.
Det börjar kännas som om allt är Buddha.
Och det är Buddha.
När du dansar, är Buddha din DJ.
När du ler, trycker Buddha ut dina mungipor.
När du kysser, har du Buddhas tunga inuti din mun.
Och när du förälskar dig, kommer du finna Buddha
sittande på små kuddar inuti ditt hjärta,
ätande KFC.
Är du redo?
Det börjar kännas som om allting är Buddha.
Och det är Buddha.
Det är Buddha.
Tag / buddha
‘That’s Buddha’ (live in Montreal)
In addition to providing my editorial services for the latest edition of Melbourne’s literary spunk-fest Going Down Swinging, I was also lucky enough to score myself a spot on one of the two spoken-word CDs accompanying the magazine.
The track, ‘That’s Buddha’, was recorded live at le Festival Voix d’Amériques in Montreal in 2009. The performance involved two Buddha Machines and me, was recorded on Wednesday 11 February at the Casa del Popolo, and runs for about six minutes.
Thanks to Ian Ferrier for selecting the track!
If you’d like to hear what two Buddha Machines sound like, you’ll have to buy the CD, and you can do that by whacking your mouse over this big old photo:
Otherwise, you can read the original poem or listen to the track online at the untold Indiefeed Performance Poetry channel, which is profiling the GDS issue with a series of tracks over the coming fortnight. To hear the track, as well as some cute commentary from GDS editors Lisa and Nathan, get thee to Indiefeed immediately!
GDS #30: Flying ducks, Buddha & Europa
It’s the season for all things untold: flying ducks in balloons, a machine that plays Buddha and Europe’s “Final Countdown”. What’s he going on about? Well may you ask. And here’s one answer: I’m going on about Going Down Swinging No.30 – the special 30th anniversary edition.
Featuring drop-dead untold cover artwork by Katrina Rhodes, this special issue of Australia’s most innovative literary print journal has some pretty cool specs (as we say in the industry): 172pp Book + 2 Spoken Word CDs & Colour Graphic Novella. As I said: untold. But why take my word for it? Here’s the official word from GDS:
Founders Kevin Brophy and Myron Lysenko and past editors Grant Caldwell and Adam Ford join editors Lisa Greenaway, Nathan Curnow and Ella Holcombe in selecting new works of short fiction, poetry, comic art, haiku and haiga for this commemorative edition of Going Down Swinging. A bumper issue featuring 172 pages of new works from writers and artists in Australia and around the world.
The two accompanying spoken word CDs include both new local works as well as international selections from guest editors Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz (USA), Ian Ferrier (Canada), David Prater (Europe) and Ian Daley (UK), featuring some of the very best spoken word and slam poetry artists working today.
Through the support of Arts Victoria, GDS has also commissioned for this issue a new short story by Paddy O’Reilly, a longform poem by Eddie Paterson, and a full-colour graphic novella by Michael Camilleri.
So what’s this all got to do with Europe’s “Final Countdown”? Well, as you may have noticed, I was roped in as spoken word editor (Europe) for this issue, and I’m pleased to say tracks by four Europe-based artists have made it onto the international spoken word CD-component, namely: Tsead Bruinja (who writes and performs in Frisian and Dutch), Anna Arov (who writes mostly in English), Ajo (who performs in Spanish) and Gu_rún Grændóttir (who, contrary to your expectations, performs in French). I was asked to provide an editorial for my selections, and here’s what I came up with:
For me, ‘Europe’ always used to conjure up the hair band of the same name. Then I started watching Eurovision and realized it was worse than that: Europe was a cringe-worthy parade of pseudo-pop, watched by millions from Iceland to Albania and Ibiza. Even more alarming, the EU was just a throwback to New Order, while Schengen Visas were a criminally underrated noise-core outfit from Gdansk.
Having lived in the Netherlands for the last two and a half years, I remain none the wiser. This corner of Europe is populated by people who, when they discover you’re Australian, make jokes about yoghurt (you know, even it develops culture after a while) and convicts (always a favourite!), while maintaining a deep reverence for Steve Irwin and whoever decided to hire Guus Hiddinck.
The four tracks I’ve selected for this CD – in English, French, Dutch and Spanish (sorry, Esperanto lovers) – cannot truly represent the variety of spoken word that is being performed across the continent, but they do hopefully dispel the notion that Europe speaks with one voice. From “reality” and DNA to red apples and nylon stockings, these pieces speak to the creative fusions made possible by history.
No more final countdown.
But what about Buddha? you may be asking. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still here, but the truth of the matter is that Canadian spoken word editor and mango-lover Ian Ferrier also chose a live recording of my track “That’s Buddha” for inclusion on the same CD. I’m really chuffed that Ian saw fit to include this track, which was recorded as part of le Festival Voix d’Amériques in Montreal in 2009. The performance involved two Buddha Machines and me, and was recorded on Wednesday 11 February, 2009 at the Casa del Popolo. If you’d like to hear what two Buddha Machines sound like, you’ll have to buy the CD. Or else, you can check this out.
I’m sad not to be able to make it to the official anniversary untold spinning machine with strobes GDS launch party at the Melbourne Writers Festival, but I just know it’s gonna be huge. If you’d like to put your money where your mouth is and support fine Australian writing and spoken word, mosey on over to the GDS shop, where you can purchase copies of GDS 30 online at a special discount rate.
And that’s Buddha.
Cranes of Hyang Il-am 2
Hyang-il-am [Rising Sun Hermitage] was founded in 644 AD and is one of Korea’s three special temples for worshipping Gwanseum-bosal [Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion]. It’s located in the far south of the Korean peninsula, near the port city of Yeosu.
Turtles for Myron Lysenko
the turtle dips its right foot into the sea * the left foot of the turtle is a parking lot now * hyang il-am on the turtle's back sutras for Buddha * turtle hexagon my head also has five sides * who turns off the loudspeaker monk at night? * falling camellia leaf a one thousand won bill on my nose * 'godness' of mercy Amitabha Buddha sits on her crown * turtles are related to many things * a poem made of a thousand turtles * the future is sea mist i hope for a clear day * bballi bballi says the sodok-cha in a hurry to disappear * Buddha sneezes steam to ward off influenza * 'bless you' blinks the neon sign * i leave my bags at the inn carrying light wishes to Buddha * who needs a temple stay when everything is Buddha? * every day i grow old again * the sun will be there - there! tomorrow * sing your heart out invisible bird! * just me and the dragonflies