Wednesday 28 January 2015

Poem: SHELF LIFE




SHELF LIFE 
(For Stephen Singleton circa 
Vice Versa-Neutron Records) 


This is 
post-modernist po/ 
etry designed for use in 
hypermarkets, offices, 
telephone answering services, 
air-terminals, in-car systems, 
and pedestrian precincts. 
Functional poetry with 
stylistic malleability, 
angle-poise connotations and 
audio-visual connectivity. 
Conceptual poetry that 
is its own medium, 
modified and attuned to taste. 
This is post-modernist po/ 
etry with the appliance 
of science. 
Ideologically unsound sound 
for limited attention spans. 
Post-modernism is a 
synthesis placed at the 
correct cultural nexus, and has 
interchangeable/ mix and match 
influence components. 
It is shrink-wrapped 
and date-stamped for 
an ideal shelf life 
of three and a half minutes. 
This is post-modernist 
environment-specific poetry 
for subliminal subversion. 
Soundtrack jingles for discord 
imprinted on/ symptoms of 
rapid eye movement. 
Retinal shadow shows in 
hygienic cellophane packs, 
ready for use. 
This is 
post-modern po/ 
etry with a disposable 
bio-degradable 
shelf-life 
of the next 
three and a half minutes…


Published in:
‘TEMPUS FUGIT no.8’ (Belgium – December 1988)
‘WORKING TITLES no.2’ (UK – February 1990)
plus my collection:
‘POWER LINES’ (Unibird Publications) (UK – October 1988)
on cassette:
‘ULISES DOG NR.9’ (C60 Vec Audio) (Netherlands – July 1981)
‘L.P.G no.2’ (UK – July 1981)
my own cassette:
‘SLITS IN AEROSOL GREEN’ (Eight Miles Higher) (UK – January 1981)
and on:
‘DIAL-A-POEM’ telephone service (8 August 1980, Liverpool)

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