This poem, and your performance of it, take me back to my stepping from the blacktop of the parking lot to the concrete sidewalk of the patio at the Ina and Oracke Safeway at 8:50 am on January 8, 2011. How different things would have been for so many if that young man had picked up a flower instead of a gun. Thank you for dedicating it to me. Thank you for coming to Tucson to perform it for my friends, the other attendees. I hope those carrying that evening were listening too. June 2, 2015. They need the feel of a hand in their hand. They don't need the feel of cold hard steel.
I was moved and fascinated by this poem from the first time I read it. The poem is not only full of hard truths. It is also strikingly original--a short, multi-voiced drama in which an argument of life and death importance is conducted by children. Equally impressive, Brendan Constantine's performance brings every aspect of the poem painfully alive.
"Nothing is decided" I loved that line because at the end of the day its the truth. I loved the way you performed this piece and the power you put into it. Well done. Keep writing.
This performance was so powerful intertwining the passion of teacher and students. It would be great to incorporate the children into the piece, but Brendan gives a superb performance with the differing voices of the children. This is truly amazing and thank you so much for creating this magnificent poem video! I hope you do more. You are a Master Brendan! :) It was also interesting that some of the children's remarks could sting like bullets but sing like a song.
There's an old line that I love: "If it matches the couch, it's a painting. If it makes you think, it's art." I wonder what it is if it makes you feel? Thank you for this piece.
I suppose it could be said that it harks back to the "collaborative" approach which is a hallmark of American literature, particularly from the '50s to the '70s. But, yes, beautiful, clever, original - and good as well.
I’m thinking since the opposite of a gun is whatever it’s pointed at, if the students wanted him to write poem, then maybe the gun was pointed at the narrator, a poet. So if the gun was shot and he died, his creation would last (the poems he previously wrote), but there would never be another poem (the empty poems)
On the surface it's the exact opposite of the Emily Dickinson line. On a deeper, level it's hard to say! I'm not entirely sure. What's it mean to you? I'd be curious to hear.
“your death will sit through many empty poems” i love that line. it could be saying that no amount of words will ever be able to express the pain that the poet experienced after being shot, or it’s saying that your family and friends will never be able to get over your death, and their words will be empty because their emotions have not been dealt with. the words of the poems will be empty either because no one can accurately describe the unimaginable pain that you felt after being shot, or their words will fall short of any sort of emotion because they are incapable of expressing their feelings. i’ve also thought that, in the context of emily dickinson’s line, it might mean that a loaded gun is potential. so perhaps the phrase is saying that the poet’s life was full of wasted potential, and because they didn’t do anything with their life, their death will mean nothing to many people.
*I wonder whether Richard Wilbur's "Book of Opposites" may have been the inspiration for this poem--even if Brendan Constantine was not conscious of it at the time. Any thoughts?*
This poem, and your performance of it, take me back to my stepping from the blacktop of the parking lot to the concrete sidewalk of the patio at the Ina and Oracke Safeway at 8:50 am on January 8, 2011. How different things would have been for so many if that young man had picked up a flower instead of a gun. Thank you for dedicating it to me. Thank you for coming to Tucson to perform it for my friends, the other attendees. I hope those carrying that evening were listening too. June 2, 2015. They need the feel of a hand in their hand. They don't need the feel of cold hard steel.
I was moved and fascinated by this poem from the first time I read it. The poem is not only full of hard truths. It is also strikingly original--a short, multi-voiced drama in which an argument of life and death importance is conducted by children. Equally impressive, Brendan Constantine's performance brings every aspect of the poem painfully alive.
"Nothing is decided" I loved that line because at the end of the day its the truth. I loved the way you performed this piece and the power you put into it. Well done. Keep writing.
Thanks for watching!
This performance was so powerful intertwining the passion of teacher and students. It would be great to incorporate the children into the piece, but Brendan gives a superb performance with the differing voices of the children. This is truly amazing and thank you so much for creating this magnificent poem video! I hope you do more. You are a Master Brendan! :) It was also interesting that some of the children's remarks could sting like bullets but sing like a song.
Thanks for watching with such attention and joy. We have a lot more poem videos on our channel. Check them out!
I love this poem, I love it and I hear it in my heart sometimes and it makes me want to be something more beautiful in this life.
I was so taken with this piece, I had to share the link with my sister. She said it best, "Pure Oxygen---this is pure oxygen, thank you, thank you."
There's an old line that I love: "If it matches the couch, it's a painting. If it makes you think, it's art." I wonder what it is if it makes you feel? Thank you for this piece.
This is an absolute work of art.
The poem is a very beautiful and clever approach to an important issue. Glad you liked it.
I suppose it could be said that it harks back to the "collaborative" approach which is a hallmark of American literature, particularly from the '50s to the '70s. But, yes, beautiful, clever, original - and good as well.
Fabulous poem and presentation. Thank you.
Profound and moving... Agreed, a work of art.
It's powerful, I loved it, thank you!
It's a powerful poem.
This is fantastic.
Very powerful! Really stuck with me.
Sooooo good!
This poetry is life.
An amazing poem read amazingly.
We concur!
My Lord that was powerful.
that end, damn
Well done!
Will someone please share what the end line, "your death will sit through many empty poems" means to you?
I’m thinking since the opposite of a gun is whatever it’s pointed at, if the students wanted him to write poem, then maybe the gun was pointed at the narrator, a poet. So if the gun was shot and he died, his creation would last (the poems he previously wrote), but there would never be another poem (the empty poems)
On the surface it's the exact opposite of the Emily Dickinson line. On a deeper, level it's hard to say! I'm not entirely sure. What's it mean to you? I'd be curious to hear.
“your death will sit through many empty poems”
i love that line. it could be saying that no amount of words will ever be able to express the pain that the poet experienced after being shot, or it’s saying that your family and friends will never be able to get over your death, and their words will be empty because their emotions have not been dealt with. the words of the poems will be empty either because no one can accurately describe the unimaginable pain that you felt after being shot, or their words will fall short of any sort of emotion because they are incapable of expressing their feelings. i’ve also thought that, in the context of emily dickinson’s line, it might mean that a loaded gun is potential. so perhaps the phrase is saying that the poet’s life was full of wasted potential, and because they didn’t do anything with their life, their death will mean nothing to many people.
Brilliant....
This poem moved me to tears.
It's a powerful poem. Only gets better each time I re-read it.
*I wonder whether Richard Wilbur's "Book of Opposites" may have been the inspiration for this poem--even if Brendan Constantine was not conscious of it at the time. Any thoughts?*
Why did you steal the ending? It’s only yours.
If Gru and Will Ferrell had a child and the child went bald.