Jukebox

[David]

Out of the cornucopia, the pantheon,
the pantechnicon of the possible,
at this end of the sodden night
in the rapidly shrinking hours,
does it all come down to this: yes,
it seems I can find nothing better
than Acker bleeding Bilk,
and Stranger on the Shore.
Again. Two more please, Kell.
Ah. That hits the spot.

[Macavity]

Hi David,
I've read your response elsewhere so I know the prompt for this. I would say that L2 is my favourite line! Infact the opening five lines before the colon...now there is time to deliver on the rest Though, of course, the spontaneity of the moment is always alluring.

cheers

mac

[Wilcken]

Ohhhh my.

David.

Sometimes what keeps me coming back here to The Graves is the freshness of references from all y'all. We live an ocean apart and the differences in our worlds are sometimes subtle and sometimes vast. Sometimes I get totally lost and can't even figure out what the hell is going on. Other times I am inspired to go find out. This is one of those times.

It's a great little piece. You bring me right into that late night bar energy. You give me ambiance, rhythm and a neologism to boot. Or so I thought.

Inspired as I was, I first went to the Google seeking Acker Bilk. And here I sit, listening still, delighted. It's so mellow and campy and Lawrence Welk-y. I swear I hear a theramin backing him up.

Then I came back to read your poem, appreciating the cleverness of pantheon rolling into pantechnicon, quite sure that you were having some fun describing the technology of a digital jukebox over the old school style but then on some weird whim I go look up that word and am so pleasantly surprised to get your actual meaning.

It's a sweet moment, sweetly told. Glad I dropped by to discover it.

Jane

[JJWilliamson]

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I have no inkling, at all, about the prompt.

It reads like an end of the night scene, where the speaker is drifting into that haze of oblivion with an old mate, "Two more", and decides to play some music, but comes back to the old and reliable favourite. Both the beer and music hit the spot. Great choice btw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jzx664u5DA

Had to post a link.

JJ

[NotQuiteSure]

[tab][/tab]
Enjoyed this one, David,
especially L3, but did wonder
where the question marks were?

a cut two, move one edit

Out of the cornucopia, the pantheon,
the pantechnicon of the possible,
at this end of the sodden night
in the rapidly shrinking hours,
does it all come down to this[?]
can I find nothing better
than Acker bleeding Bilk,
and Stranger on the Shore[?]
Again[!]. [Y]es. Two more please, Kell.
Ah. That hits the spot.

(On re-reading, is 'Kell' too interesting
a name for the publican?)

Regards, Not.
[tab][/tab]

[David]

Lurking again, Mac? Get on the pitch! (And stop hanging around the changing-rooms.)

the spontaneity of the moment is always alluring.

My thoughts exactly - often - when calling into the pub for a last one on the way home. (Strictly Friday nights only. Occasionally.)

Jane, very pleased you like it. I shall return your Googling favour and look up Lawrence Welk. I know the name I'm sure. And "mellow and campy" captures it exactly.

End of the night indeed, JJ. Thank you.

Egad, Not, I think you're right - where are the question marks? (Very post-modern sentence that, isn't it? Very meta too, I wouldn't be surprised.) But Kell is not interesting at all - it's just short for Kelly (a surname).

Cheers all

David

[1lankest]

Very clever, very good. Liked it and agree with all comments here, including Jane’s but, unlike Jane, I didn’t get late night ‘energy’ but booze sodden, solipsistic sleepy vibes, despite the technicolour and the inferred tang of music. Clever in its contrasts and steeped in self-depricating despair!

Love line two and great use of the abbreviated Kelly!

L

[Firebird]

It's a good one. Really like the 'rapidly shrinking hours'. If that's original language, it's great.

Cheers,

Tristan

[David]

Thank you Luke! Yes, it could be either of those things, couldn't it?

And thank you Tristan! Yes, the rapidly shrinking hours is mine. (I think. It's so hard to be sure nowadays, isn't it? What have we read? What have we made up, and what have we just - unattributedly - remembered?) We're heading into the small hours, anyway, apart from anything else.

Cheers both

David

[Elphin]

For sure captures a moment, David.

The opening verbosity of the drunk and the "Acker will have to do" sense as another "two" are ordered are well recognised.

Only one offer, is Kell too specific a name? It does force the reader to ponder some deeper significance that could be distracting?

elph

[oggiesnr]

I actually like the use of "Kell". It summons up a very specific 1960/70's pub where one was a regular and so you knew the name of the barmaid and you knew what was on the jukebox (and how rarely it was updated). If you were "evil" you also knew what was most likey to p**s off the bloke at the other end of the bar so you played it for effect (I remember the night that "Annie's Song" was put on repeat for an hour before the guy we all hated swore and stormed out).

Anyway, I digress. This is lovely.

Steve

[lotus]

Inspired as I was, I first went to the Google seeking Acker Bilk. And here I sit, listening still, delighted. It's so mellow and campy and Lawrence Welk-y. I swear I hear a theramin backing him up.

"mellow and campy"


well that made my memory think of John Mellencamp