The Big Chill

Tuesday 14th February 2012 10:30 am

At The Big Chill he’s cryonically frozen

for three days of death and then born again;

suspended in splendid animation,

mimicking martyrdom minus the pain.

The wagons assemble in squares and circles

as if there’s an enemy that we must thwart.

The Sioux and Apache whoop in a whirlpool;

he’s studiedly cool and the king of his court.

Once we’re roped in and pegged, nailed and bolted,

we pray mud and mist will evaporate.

Camping’s orgasmic for those into bondage

and many prematurely ejaculate.

Friends and family transform into zombies,

this swine-flu fever is terribly grave;

paint him dark purple, colour me jaundiced,

give him a part in I Spit On Your Rave.

Above is an ancient Roman encampment;

he’s sending up flares and I’m watching them glow.

Time and space should bequeath us enchantment

but I feel no warmth from the heavenly show.

Comments

Laura Taylor

Thu 16th Feb 2012 10:32

Nah, didn't mean you re middle class - but I hear from mates that the festie attracts a lot.

I LOVE camping, just adore the basic stripped-down griminess of it all. I love listening to the wind through the canvas, and all the mad conversations you can hear especially with festie camping.

Oh the toilets at Solfest are magnificent! Smaller festies tend to have much better bog facilities than bigger ones. They get cleaned at least once if not twice a day, less people using them, and there's always bog roll too. Ooo and at Beat-Herder - you'll love this - they have a set of open-air urinals that light up all different neon colours at night :D Almost makes me wish I had a dick ;D

Also, Solfest is set in some of the most beautiful landscape going. And it has music tents open 24-7. Been going 6 years now. Bloody freezing though.

Ray Miller

Wed 15th Feb 2012 18:12

Laura - I hate camping and I'm not middle-class by a long stretch.I do have my quirks, though. The Big Chill is about 8 miles from our house. I used to make my wife drive us home each morning so I could have a crap.
I've not been to Solfest. What's the toilets like?

Laura Taylor

Wed 15th Feb 2012 11:39

Steve - would put something on your profile but you ain't got one anymore! Agree 100% with you as it goes...there are some poems that are posted on here that I have thought utterly brilliant, and yet sometimes my comment will be the only one. They are clearly extremely good pieces but as you say, a lot of poems on here get commented on possibly because people feel safe with certain types/people.

Ray - never been the Big Chill, heard it's veh middle class though dahlink, so no wonder they couldnae cope with a bit of grimy camping ;)

You ever go Solfest? That's a cracker.

Ray Miller

Tue 14th Feb 2012 23:34

Hello Steve.It's something I wrote about the Big Chill music festival, which takes place not far from where I live.
These lines are crap
Once we’re roped in and pegged, nailed and bolted,

we pray mud and mist will evaporate.

You're right about the length of the first line.

The punters were encouraged to dress as zombies on the first day and appeared as extras in a film called I Spit On Your Rave.

Let's be honest, the sheer number of poems on here makes it very unconducive to any serious, objective appraisal. People end up just commenting on what they like when it's really more helpful to tell people what you didn't like.But then there's folk who are apt to remove their poem at the merest whiff of a negative comment,so it's probably best not to bother at all.

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The Big Chill

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