Janet Kuypers’ “Akitu” 12/3/16 poetry feature/show with live music


    Below are writing links and video links from a November 5th 2016 (12/3/16, or 20161203) poetry performance (with costume changes for every poem reading) of Janet Kuypers’ Austin poetry feature through Expressions: Festive Seasons live in Austin Texas at the Bahá’í Center.

    Because the theme of the night with other features focused on end of the year celebrations, Janet Kuypers included new writings about annual celebrations, solstices, and even Saturnalia and New Year’s celebrations (all with live electric bass music played with a bow).

[tubepress mode=’playlist’ playlistValue=’PLYa-AZK78_hqNEzfjnz0mRXmX9hJndvGr’ ]

Akitu chapbook

    Before the show started she also released copies to most everyone there of a chapbook of the writings she was performing in her show (in the order they were performed), and all of the pieces from this reading were also released electronically in a “Akitu” chapbook, which you can download as a PDF file for free any time.

Read the poems from the show:

open flame for the celebration
Every Soul Celebrates
endings bring light
Everyone Celebrates Together

You can also enjoy these bonus poems read after the show (the YouTube playlist below also includes past readings of thes bonus poems):

[tubepress mode=’playlist’ playlistValue=’PLYa-AZK78_hqHO6mr3cG7DqwlVoamGGdU’ ]

Janet Kuypers’ “New Beginning, Firsts and the Future” 11/5/16 poetry feature/show with live music

Janet Kuypers’ “New Beginning, Firsts and the Future” 11/5/16 poetry feature/show with live music

    Below are writing links and video links from a November 5th 2016 (11/5/16, or 20161105) poetry performance (where she even used a Wink Martindale style long thin microphone as a prop throughout the performance) of Janet Kuypers’ Austin poetry feature through Expressions 2016! New Beginnings: the Future of Poetry live in Austin Texas.

    Though the theme of the night with other features focused on the “future of poetry”, Janet Kuypers considered “new beginnings” and made her show all about firsts in life, from a new born, to her first poem, the first job to getting married, to trying new things — she even included her first song as the finalé to her show (all with live keyboard music and occasional acoustic guitar from John).

[tubepress mode=’playlist’ playlistValue=’PLYa-AZK78_hrBP3GTpWbMHDiEl65AT1lZ’ ]

chapbook

    Before the show started she also released copies to most everyone there of a chapbook of the writings she was performing in her show (in the order they were performed), and all of the pieces from this reading were also released electronically in a “New Beginning, Firsts and the Future” chapbook, which you can download as a PDF file for free any time.

Read the poems from the show:

a New Life
Under the Sea
Saving Fingers and Scooping Ice Cream
New Beginnings: getting married to my knight in shining armor
My First Time
Falling From the Sky
Questioning Creativity through the Cosmos
and her song “In Love I Abide

Janet & John in show, photo by Thom WoodruffJanet & John in show, photo by Thom WoodruffJanet & John in show, photo by Birdman 313Janet & John in show, Sony video stillJanet & John in show, Canon video stillJanet & John in show, Sony video stillJanet & John in show, Sony video still

The Girl with Chestnut Hair Poem

You ask about love,
there was a girl with chestnut hair,
but that is song.

You ask about love,
we wandered in the sunshine
and barely noticed it was there.

Ah but those are memories
and I wander in my poem.

Animals are people and
memories are love,

Animals are people and
memories are love.

There was a cat.
There was a bird.
There is a cat.
There is a bird.

There was a poem,
it wafted in the breeze,
left a slight scent in the air,
like the girl with chestnut hair,
then was gone.

I Turned the Wheel, a Poem by David Michael Jackson

I Turned the wheel

I guess I never knew how
and maybe I didn’t do so well
at pleasing you
or being good when
I should have been good
for you
I guess I never knew how
and maybe I didn’t do so well

but I tried
I tried
I tried

I turned the wheel
I turned the wheel

I held the door when I could
I held your hand to remember

yes I tried
I tried
I tried

and when the wind runs in the trees
the trees say I love you
and when the rivers run to the sea
we’ll be there
we’ll be there

I guess I never knew how
and maybe I didn’t do so well
at showing you how I feel.

I turned the wheel
I turned the wheel

I held the door when I could
I held your hand to remember.

The ocean waves end at the shore
with the sounds of our love
and when the wind runs in the trees
the trees say I love you
and when the rivers run to the sea
we’ll be there
we’ll be there
we’ll be there