Saturday 26 June 2010

Poetry Bus Update: Signs

And finally the bus rolls into the station ready for the contenders to climb on board.

A few of you have been extra keen to travel and seem to have dodged past the conductor, so here's where he catches up and prints your tickets.

As you may remember I set you all the task of rehabilitating road (or any other) signs that were just lounging about doing nothing. You could either:

1) Follow the sign and write something you saw at the other end
2) Merely imagine what might be at the other end and write about that
3) Find a new use for the word on the sign to explain something that currently has no word

My first effort this week focusses on option 3 - entries to the Poetry Bus will be labelled below my pome and any further entries please leave responses here. Thanks for playing

Scunthorpe (vb)

It's the last sausage roll at the party
The quiche slice that never got et
It's the bread roll that lost half its contents
It's the salad all soggy and wet

It's the white sauce that stuck to the ceiling
The pastry that needed a saw
The cheese on a stick that went mouldy
The breadstick that's been on the floor

It's the food that is so un-appealing
That no matter how desperate you are
The only option left to you
Is to crush it to death with your car

So there you are - a Scunthorpe is now officially "unappetising food left uneaten on the plate"

My second effort is the first option - because I have actually been to the location some years ago, but never inside - and nor have I gone on The Smiths Cycling Tour Of Manchester (it may not even be running anymore).



For those of you who are unfamiliar with british TV and music there is a long-running soap opera called Coronation Street, which is set in Manchester. However there is only one actual Coronation Street in Manchester, in Salford which is mainly the backs of other buildings - aside from one building at the end where The Smiths posed for one of their album photos. (NB - the man in the photo is a certain Stephen Morrissey, re-visiting the location some years later)


The Salford Lads Club

Here's to the lads of Salford, Mancs
Where Morrissey, Rourke and Mke Joyce
Stood on the empty Coronation St
Outside the only building of choice

I stood by the gates once and noticed
The names of the faithfull were scrawled
Ont peeling and chipped wooden framework
Of the firmly shut Salford Lads doors

Now the bike tours and music move onwards
But the music remains just the same
Did these miserable streets inspire you
Or are they the ones we should blame?

This week's travellers on the Bus were (I will leave replies on all posts sometime on monday and update in the meantime):
A very keen Jeanne Iris who rather wonderfully knows a place called Intercourse
The well-read Jessica Maybury who managed to reference Brett Eaton-Ellis before disappearing

The ever entertaining Total Feckin Eejit who seems to have taken the portentions signs to new levels

Gwei Mui who questioned the nature of home

Weaver Of Grass who found herself going back to nature

Niamh who talked of a town called Adam

Dave King with his stroll through a village through the eyes of two boys

Crazy Field Mouse who went out waving at trains

Jinksy, who went off the beaten track

Rachel Fox, escaping from the rat race

Shipla, and her fellow traveller

Pure Fiction and the big white mouth

Titus The Dog at the Kirkyard

Enchanted Oak and a sign of hope

The Bug getting friendly in a field

Domestic Oubliette with a place to park your behind

Delusions Of Adequacy with some community conscious Banksys?

Karen, with an appointment with a familiar person

Izzy, in danger?


(updates to follow)

30 comments:

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Hey DFTP I'm running for the bus as I type! Hope there'll be room for one more will post link later today.

My favourite is the first poem is that being overly harsh on Scunthorpe? :)

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hi Pixies! I have just posted my sign poem for the bus - sorry can't do links but it is there on my blog for you to read.
Loved your Scunthorpe - I lived fairly near the place for a few years and yes - your poem fits it exactly.

Niamh B said...

Hi DFTP, am on board now, I think there's a bit of scunthorpe on my seat... I like the question at the end of your second poem too. (though I know nothing about Salford)

Enjoyed this exercise!

Unknown said...

Ok I had to stop fiddling t'is done
http://returninghomeinsilkenrobes.blogspot.com/2010/06/poetry-bus-challenge-portentious-signs.html

Dave King said...

A cracking challenge and a great ride - my response is now in place on my blog. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Totally love 'Scunthorpe', fabulous concept.
I read somewhere a while ago someone writing meanings to the random 'not-words' created by the the comment word verification thingy, you can have such fun with those.
My contribution this week is here:
http://crazyfieldmouse.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/signs/
love the prompt.
cfm

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

Thanks all so far - I will re-visit all your poems and reply individually once we've got most of the pomes up.

Thanks for playing along

Jinksy said...

Hello! I've just thumbed a ride on your bus after being delighted by your inspirational offerings...Hope you don't eject me at the next stop...


http://havantaclue.blogspot.com/2010/06/ive-thumbed-ride.html

Rachel Fox said...

I love your Scunthorpe! I am on the Bus but in old clothes...or with an out-of-date ticket or something.
Here.

Shilpa said...

Hey pixies, awesome prompt. But i travel in trains for work to NYC so i hardly notice any signs. So i allowed more than one sign to get a seat in my poem. Hope i am not bending the rules. You can find my response to the prompt on my blog!! And Scunthorpe got all likes from me!!

Pure Fiction said...

The white sauce that stuck to the ceiling - ahhh. There really could be no other possible meaning for the word Scunthorpe, could there?

I'm ready to hop on the bus, if there's still a spot. I'm at www.fictionalfictionwriter.blogspot.com

Titus said...

That's me, Pixies. Hopefully back to admire later in the week.

http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2010/06/pixies-poetry-bus-no-refreshments-and.html

Enchanted Oak said...

I've written my lines on signs. The Bus is up at midnight Monday California time, maybe 7 a.m. yours?
Here’s my ticket.

Enchanted Oak said...

Oh, I forgot to tell you! "Scunthorpe" has been added to the Microsoft Word dictionary as a synonym for "grunge"!
Okay, well, if it hasn't, it ought to have. Been added. You know.

I almost wrote my sign thingy about a word verification I got today: Jugaries. Imagine.

Peter Goulding said...

I love both of them, particularly 'et' in Scunthorpe! Imagine in years to come, kids will be surprised to learn there is actually a town called Scunthorpe and wonder if it was called after a plate of cold quiche.

The Bug said...

Here's my entry: http://danabugseyeview.blogspot.com/2010/06/poetry-bus-love-in-cornfields-stop.html.

I'll go back & read yours after I get to work. I'm late!

The Bug said...

I enjoyed the poems a lot, but I must say that a food has to be PRETTY bad before I would crush it with my car LOL!

I like how the second one talks about the ambivalence of beginnings.

P.S. My poem is about a hooker - in case that doesn't come across :)

Domestic Oub said...

I'm back, I've paid my fare!

http://domesticoubliette.blogspot.com/2010/06/all-aboard.html

Totalfeckineejit said...

Have to agree about scunthorpe, I got lost there once, besides anyplace with cu next tuesday in it's title is asking for trouble.Funny poem!

Slaford though, aaghh now yer talking.Cool poem too.Great task thanks DFTP.
Ps. How did Morrisey survive?

Argent said...

Better late than never. I'm here at last.

Now to visit....

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

Thank you all for the great response - I will be round very shortly to post my responses, inbetween tickling the cat.

Argent said...

Haha - just read yours. I'm hearing 'Albert and the Lion' in my head with that first (or should I say 'fust' one)! Nice job on both.

Argent said...

This is a message for Jessica - can't leave a comment on your blog for some reason, so just like to say how much I enjoyed the pome!

Karen said...

Finally, I'm arriving. The day's not over, at least here in the US, so although I'm running late, I hope the bus hasn't left the station!

http://keepingsecrets-karen.blogspot.com/2010/06/house-of-poet.html

Lydia said...

Wow, what an active post with so much fun and creativity. You had lots of people on the bus! I keep forgetting about this bus thing...darn, because your prompt was especially intriguing.

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

DFTP, both of these are so wonderful! Sometimes, I actually feel sorry for those bits of food left. It would make a great topic for a children's book.

The Salford Lads Club... melancholic, fascinating!

Great prompt this week, DFTP! Yes, the problem with the town of Intercourse is that one visit is never enough! ; )

Titus said...

Great prompt this week! And I love scunthorpe. Shall begin using it forthwith!

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

Thank you all for the fantastic response to the Poetry bus - it's been great fun being the driver

I managed to respond to everyone individually in the end!

izzy said...

Sorry-did I land on the wrong page ?
enjoyed the challenge, didn't think of points of origin...thanks for letting me know!