Friday, October 22, 2010

Poemerania

I've decided to start a new tradition of Friday poetry on B, beginning with one of my favorites, Photograph by the English poet D.F. LePard.

I first committed these stanzas to memory as a child many years ago during the hour bus ride to and from school. I would recite the poem to myself, and sometimes to others, until it stuck in all our brains like mental bubblegum. Many years later when I became interested in photography, the words gained added meaning. Hopefully they will be familiar to at least some readers of a certain age.

I'm outa luck, outa love.
Gotta photograph, picture of

Passion killer. You're too much.
You're the only one I wanna touch.

I see your face every time I dream,
on every page, every magazine.

So wild and free, so far from me.
You're all I want, my fantasy.

Oh, look what you've done to this rock 'n' roll clown.
Oh oh, look what you've done.

Photograph. I don't want your photograph.
I don't need your photograph.
All I've got is a photograph.
But it's not enough.

I'd be your lover, if you were there.
Put your hurt on me, if you dare.

Such a woman, you got style.
You make every man feel like a child, oh.

You got some kinda hold on me.
You're all wrapped up in mystery.

So wild and free, so far from me.
You're all I want, my fantasy.

Oh, look what you've done to this rock 'n' roll clown.
Oh oh, look what you've done.

Photograph. I don't want your photograph.
I don't need your photograph.
All I've got is a photograph.
You've gone straight to my head

Oh, look what you've done to this rock 'n' roll clown.
Oh Oh, look what you've done.

I gotta have you!

Photograph. I don't want your photograph.
I don't need your photograph.
All I've got is a photograph.

I wanna touch you!

Photograph. Photograph.
Your photograph.
Photograph. Photograph. I need only
your photograph. I'm outa love.
Photograph. I'm outa love.
Photograph. You're the only one.
Photograph. I wanna touch.

6 comments:

DJ Poet Max said...

There once was a man from Nantucket
His DSLR was so big he couldn't lug it

Anonymous said...

maybe you need a bass player?

Anonymous said...

It's funny you mention this one because that "poem" sort of crystallize for me an early EN-language confusion I had with "photograph" as opposed to "photographer". In french (I'm french) "photographe" means photographer, and therefore I long time thought the poem was about some paparazzi or whatever - though I believe the author became famous after that one, and was rather obscure before, but that adds to the confusion... So finally it is not that stupid that our kids learn poetry in early grades, I guess it strengthens their vocabulary as well...

Droid said...

You would've been beat up for reciting poetry at my school!!!

Blake Andrews said...

There's a fine line between being beaten up and headbanging.

Droid said...

Ahh yes, I just read the 'poet's' name and see the pun. I forgot that you are quite the jokester, ha ha.