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Patti

by Zettel 

Posted: 01 July 2005
Word Count: 242
Summary: Patti Smith - Meltdown: 'The Salt of The Earth' Royal Festival Hall 19th June 2005


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I saw this by happy accident. Quite the most extraordinary live concert I have ever seen. Unique.



She stands in a pool of light
pawing the stage with the grace
of a grey-maned mustang
wise in the ways
of world and man
waiting to lead
her bate-breathed feral fans
towards the storm of music
she will unleash.

Ordered genteel rows
of courteous conformity
in a royal sanctuary
of classical demesne
have suffered the incursion
of the hoi polloi of rock
shirt-sleeved, even suited punks
await the sweaty salty thrill
in defiant memory
of their youthful passion
now domiciled by life.

With heartfelt words
of time-undimmed belief
she recites her passions
of Ginsberg, Morrison
and iconoclastic Blake
The wild child queen
leads us to the edge
and beckoning, fearlessly she jumps
careering down the slope
Like a Rolling Stone.

The storm of sound
and furious discontent
at needless death and hate
breaks through the carapace
of our forgetful state
reminding us that
passionate commitment
can storm the gilded gates
of privilege and blindness
to the innocent
and their man-made cruel fate.

Tirelessly she rides the storm
still raging hours in
with undiminished power
she calls upon the gods
to free the gates of heaven
and let the people in
Fragmented serried ranks
gathered now around
her epicentre of the storm
where elemental voices sing
have shared a heart of thunder
and the inner strength of one
who has kissed
the lips of lightning






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Comments by other Members



joanie at 13:34 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
Zettel, wow! This is fantastic. Brilliant images and wonderful closing lines. I have a CD but have never seen her live - what an experience.

This is really incredible!

typo: 'undimished/undiminished'(?)

joanie

Zettel at 14:02 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
Thanks Joannie - if you wanted another CD 'Trampin' is extremely good.

Regards

Z

joanie at 14:34 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
That's the one I have - I must get another.

joanie

joolsk at 15:28 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
I was at the Royal Festival hall too that night and thought Patti was fabulous. I love your poem, took me straight back to that evening!

What did you think of the piece Yoko Ono did?

Jools

Zettel at 15:57 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
Jools - Thanks

Are we talking the same night?
Yoko Ono wasn't on that night. Steve Earle did the first half. I didn't see YO. I've read different things - it sounds as if it depends what you think of her in the first place.

Thanks again for the comment.

Regards

Z

joolsk at 16:01 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
Ah true! It was the night before that YO was on. I thought her performance was excruciatingly uncomfortable to watch - everyone in the audience was squirming as she squealed and grunted through an entire 'song'. Lousy music but great performance art!

crowspark at 23:42 on 01 July 2005  Report this post
Wow, this was great.
Never seen her live.
Wish I had now.
Bill

Zettel at 02:17 on 02 July 2005  Report this post
Bill

Me neither. Don't miss if you get a chance.

Thanks for your comment.

Regards

Z

Ticonderoga at 13:29 on 02 July 2005  Report this post
Very excellent!!! Was there. She's all this and more. Wish I could kiss the lips of lightning........


Mike

engldolph at 09:51 on 07 July 2005  Report this post
Z-

You capture Patti Smith's mustang wildness and her driving message with an equal outpouring of words that leaves there reader in no doubt about what the night was all about.

Loved the first stanza..really grabs you ..grey-maned mustang pawing the stage is wonderful ... in this stanza, like some of the others, I might think of chopping a few lines that are more obvious .. like the last two lines of the first stanza..

towards the storm of music
she will unleash.

in that I think the reader already know this will happen..

loved the thought in..

await the sweaty salty thrill
in defiant memory
of their youthful passion
now domiciled by life.

you can feel the sweat of the crowd..

and the sting of..

breaks through the carapace
of our forgetful state

last image of kissign lighting is brilliant (figuratively and literally)


enjoyed
Mike







Zettel at 23:49 on 07 July 2005  Report this post
Thanks Mike

Z


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