|
City lights fire off the shimmered brain
Cerebral electricity, interconnected sparks. Neuron stars shatter…flicker, From within hallowed hallways. Sensory bulbs burst, shards ripple through metallic lamps. This network of nebulas illuminates, The cosmos of our consciousness. These twisted patterns of wires are nerves, Pushing a connection through… Ever searching for a destination. Static in the lines, Only detours the connection, from me to you. They are links en masse, Holding us together like strings. The eyes are like foggy windows, Blinking away the dust And shutting away the sorrow. The sadness we see, Is washed away in deep puddles of rain. Sleep drifts with flowing blinds Closing out the harsh daylight. Buildings murmur with endless revolutions of feet, Of corporate human traffic. Trees whisper in the park, Laughing over young lovers. Long trains howl through man-made night tunnels. Trundling under humming, living streets, The urban tongue endlessly orates. The hum of the night is a heart… Beating out a tone, Pulsing life into the darkness. The places you fear Are safer with sounds and flickers of light. It’s our epicenter of existence, Giving us desire to explore. These cracked, withered sidewalks are the veins, Threading out uncurled arteries. Containing and compressing our Traffic flow… blood rush. Our heels always clicking the pavement's frenzied pulse. Keeping us flowing…pushing… going. Moving forward, while never looking back. From the subway comes the deepest breath, Exhaled through sidewalk grates. The underground stations like lungs, Constantly filtering commuters past. Trains carrying life through the heated, dark interior Inhaling the influx of wanderers Who resurface as mere sighs. These overpasses are looming, curving ribs, Connecting the street-spines and sternums… Arcing over the inner workings. Graceful sweeps of concrete Moving gently in the breath of the night. Solid and flexible, they wait As they hold us upright. The under-passes and alleys are digestive organs. People who will wander In those lost, hidden places… Entering as vital sustenance, But the best parts of them get used By the underbelly of the city Only to emerge as waste. Bridges extend wired, mechanical arms anxiously outward Stretching out their fingertips, Welcoming and embracing the new. But the comfort changes… Soon the arms are crossed in silent isolation, Unwilling to share their love Or even to share pain. The towering skyscrapers are the taut muscles Holding up the city, Encasing offices and businesses alike. Fibrous sinews of strength… Coming not from the industry that sometimes strong-arms, But from the people who Toil from above the clouds. This labyrinth of busy streets are bones Winding structure amongst us, Constantly tying one into place. The distance causes friction But tension strengthens the bonds between us. The basic fabrics of being Securing us like concrete webs. The haze of light is our skin, Blocking out the stars… Trapping in the optical assault. A cut in service Offers brief glimpses of a world that’s frozen. A thick blanket of warmth Encasing in our wandering city souls. |
|
|
-
City Systematic v.2
by cchellez
The city is a living and breathing being.
That was my inspiration when I wrote City Systematic. The goal was to convey the city like a human body, comparing organs, systems and processes through words and metaphors.
The version I wrote was only four stanzas, covering only a drop of the potential this thing has to grow. I'm now placing it in your hands to create more parts to this body.
- Writing: Write some more verses of various organs/body systems that you can relate to a component of a city. I was trying to stick to a 7,4,5,4,8,5,5 word per line structure as much as possible, though there are places I strayed by one word in a line or two.
- Reading: I'll need people to read the finished (or mostly finished) product.
These are ideas for the future:
- Video: Once we get to a good point in writing, I want to start pulling together video of different parts of the city that are in the poems. I also want to use lots of time lapse and light footage.
- Music: I confess, I'm no good at finding music. So any ideas you have for this are appreciated.
- EDITED 11-23-10: -
Thank you so much for the contributions that I've seen so far. I posted up City Systematic v.2 and featured it so that you can see how things are starting to flow together.
Feel free to keep adding ideas and stanzas. There are still plenty of parts and processes we can cover.
I want to start tackling readings over the next few weeks and gather up videos that would be good for the final product. If you happen to be browsing hitRECord and find some things, please throw together an album and then contribute it to the collaboration. :)
Hopefully that covers everything. If you have any questions or ideas, just let me know! ♥
Show More
That was my inspiration when I wrote City Systematic. The goal was to convey the city like a human body, comparing organs, systems and processes through words and metaphors.
The version I wrote was only four stanzas, covering only a drop of the potential this thing has to grow. I'm now placing it in your hands to create more parts to this body.
- Writing: Write some more verses of various organs/body systems that you can relate to a component of a city. I was trying to stick to a 7,4,5,4,8,5,5 word per line structure as much as possible, though there are places I strayed by one word in a line or two.
- Reading: I'll need people to read the finished (or mostly finished) product.
These are ideas for the future:
- Video: Once we get to a good point in writing, I want to start pulling together video of different parts of the city that are in the poems. I also want to use lots of time lapse and light footage.
- Music: I confess, I'm no good at finding music. So any ideas you have for this are appreciated.
- EDITED 11-23-10: -
Thank you so much for the contributions that I've seen so far. I posted up City Systematic v.2 and featured it so that you can see how things are starting to flow together.
Feel free to keep adding ideas and stanzas. There are still plenty of parts and processes we can cover.
I want to start tackling readings over the next few weeks and gather up videos that would be good for the final product. If you happen to be browsing hitRECord and find some things, please throw together an album and then contribute it to the collaboration. :)
Hopefully that covers everything. If you have any questions or ideas, just let me know! ♥
Request List:
-
Other
- General
