SOUP
Imagine if seven people from seven nationalities
Came to your home to share one pot of soup
You would have seven conflicting versions of that soup
Someone would write to note the flavour. Another the heat
Someone would write about the meaning of soup
The size of the portions. The memory the soup triggers
Too salty. Not enough meat.
This is a stew? It's more a casserole!
This soup is a meal in itself!
I'm gluten intolerant!
The hungriest person at the table would just write: Thank you
This is human nature -
We look around the table and
Examine the world just as we do these dinner guests
We note our differences
Skin and manners, clothes and language
And we forget to sing
We forget to celebrate that we are one
That the act of love was the sitting down together
And sharing the pot of soup in the first place
And we say nothing
As they put someone in prison for using a fork to eat their soup
We silence the person that slurps soup from the bowl
And we ignore all the women because...
What the fuck does a woman know about soup anyway?
Some sit around the table and demand bread with their soup
Others feel entitled to the whole pot of soup ... all for them
And there's always one who will piss in the soup
So the soup is ruined for everyone
And sadly this is all human nature too
I'm too sad to finish this poem about soup
I'll just say
I have so much to be grateful for
I'm so lucky
I have a warm kitchen
A pot and some vegetables
Today I'm gonna make time
Today I'm gonna make love
Today I'm gonna make soup
Fuck war!
Make love!
Make soup!
(c) Salena Godden / July 2017
UPDATE: DECEMBER 2017
PERFORMANCE OF 'SOUP' ON JONATHAN ROSS
https://soundcloud.com/salena-godden/jonathan-ross-interview-with-salena-godden
audio performance of this poem now on youtube
'SOUP' LIVE AT CHURCHTOWN - JULY 2017
UPDATE: MARCH 2019
'SOUP' PERFORMED AT SPRING UPRISING, BRISTOL - MARCH 2019
'SOUP' LIVE AT CHURCHTOWN - JULY 2017
UPDATE: MARCH 2019
'SOUP' PERFORMED AT SPRING UPRISING, BRISTOL - MARCH 2019
NEXT SHOWS:
AUGUST 25: EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL
SEPT 7-10: PORTMERION, FESTIVAL NO. 6
SEPT 14: HASTINGS, THE WHOLE SHEBANG W/ EMMA JOLIFFE
SEPT 16: KIRKCALDY, TAE SUP WI' A FIFER, W/ JAMES YORKSTON
SEPT 29: KENT, SMALL WONDER FESTIVAL W/ NIKESH SHUKLA
OCT 18: BRISTOL, FESTIVAL OF FUTURE CITY
OCT 28: LEWES FILMPOEM FESTIVAL
NEW: Salena Godden PIW profile + 5 poems
features film + interview + 'Princess Leslie' excerpt from 'Springfield Road'
BBC Culture >> facebook page
LIVEwire
CD | LP vinyl | 36-page full-colour zine | digital download
Nymphs & Thugs - http://nymphsandthugs.bandcamp.com
'Salena’s Bookshoppe' - http://salenagodden.bigcartel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment