Month: March 2014

Coop Himmelblau (C) 1980.

Poem written for exhibition at Technical University Graz, the ‘Flaming Wing.’

Architecture Must Blaze

You can judge just how bad
the 70’s were when you look
at it’s super tense architecture.

Opinion polls and com-
placent democracy live behind
Biedermeier- facades.

But we don’t want to build
Biedermeier. Not now and at
no other time.
We are tired of seeing Palladio
and other historical masks.
Because we don’t want
architecture to exclude every-
thing that is disquieting.

We want architecture to have
more. Architecture that bleeds,
that exhausts, that whirls and
even breaks. Architecture that
lights up, that stings, that rips,
and under stress tears.
Architecture should be cavern-
ous, firey, smooth, hard,
angular, brutal, round, delicate,
colourful, obscene, voluptuous,
dreamy, alluring, repelling, wet,
dry and throbbing. Alive or
dead. Cold- then cold as a block of ice.
Hot – then hot as a blazing wing.
Architecture must blaze.

Hooray I have done it- speech 10 done and I won Best Speaker on the night. It is perfect- and I am going to TM in Leicester on Saturday too, so that’s a good social occasion. You must join Toastmaster’s and get my own very perculiar type of illness. Cheers everyone…

I have been reading Shakespeare and couldnt put down my commentary of King Lear last night. When I am at my most relaxed I just love the off hand way the Fool chides Lear in the Storm scene. Edgar is also pretty amazing as Poor Tom when he is trying to save the interests of his family in a very sensitive situation. I would love to speak those words from either of those 2 people and it just goes to show how cleverer observer of people Shakespeare was- And Ben Jonson thought he was thick and not very devoted to literature.

Not very long to my final speech in CC, should get on with learning it and get away from frothy website posts. Cheers everyone.

Janice Fisher (c) March 2014

The Journey

The day began as an ordinary day,
I boarded the train to collect my granddaughter,
We headed home planning a weekends play
Chugging along, nose peering out of carriage windows,
The usual railway sightings- of diggers on building plots
And fuming factories,
Allotments with their wigwam sheds and scarecrows,
Rivers winding, ponies standing , cows grazing ,
sheep chewing,
And oh- look Daisy- new born lambs,
Time to alight, steady walk to catch the bus home,
A bit peckish now,
Bangers and mash for tea.
The usual bedtime routine:
bath bubbles and bedtime book,
Nothing out of the ordinary,
Then Daisy said- ‘What will I dream of Nan?’
I don’t know Daisy- what will you dream of?
She thought and said quite matter of factly –
‘I shall dream of you Nan.’
I had by those sweet words been transported to
the land of fairytale castles,
Unicorns, mermaids and pixie dust.
My soul lit up,
The day ended in an extraordinary way.

Two weeks and a day to my speech 10. Pretty exciting. I want to put across to people the real sense of achievement I feel on finishing, and the persistent worry it has caused me during being a competent communicator toastmaster. I also want to be convinced that I am holding attention and coming across well. This one is 10 minutes long which is a full 3 minutes longer than the typical speech in this set of challenges. It will be different so I will need to prepare properly and have good material. Thanks everyone….

Alexander Pope

On a certain Lady at Court

I know the thing that’s most uncommon;
(Envy be silent and attend!)
I know a Reasonable Woman,
Handsome and witty, yet a friend.

Not warp’d by Passion, aw’d by Rumour,
Not grave thro’ Pride, or gay thro’ Folly,
An equal Mixture of good Humour,
And sensible soft Melancholy.

‘Has she no Faults then (Envy says) Sir?’
Yes she has one, I must aver:
When all the world comspires to praise her,
The Woman’s deaf, and does not hear.

Alexander Pope

On Mr. Gay

Of Manners gentle, of Affections mild;
In Wit, a Man; Simplicity, a Child:
With native Humour temp’ring virtuous Rage,
Form’d to delight at once and lash at the age:
Above Temptation, in a low Estate,
And uncorrupted, ev’n among the Great:
A safe Companion, and an easy Friend,
Unblam’d thro’ Life, lamented in thy End.
These are Thy Honours! not that hear thy Bust
Is mix’d with Heroes, or with Kings thy dust;
But that the Worthy and the Good shall say,
Striking their pensive bosoms-
Here
lies GAY.