And finally... Guerilla Poetry Devonport PHOTOS

With apologies to all those patient poets... finally I have squeezed a window into life and sorted out the photos I took of the inaugural Devonport Guerilla Poets (under the radar) event.

They mostly lasted well.  Two poems survive - or they did until last week anyway.  One outside 'Mecca' cafe, and another on the post of one of our pedestrian crossings.

It was gratifying to spot locals and visitors pause to read the poems.  And frustrating to see some people walk right over the large chalked words on the pavement saying 'STOP - Poem!' with arrows even pointing the way.  Amazing, bewildering and frankly a little upsetting to see people so blinkered.  Something more 'in your face' next time, perhaps!

Not all of the poems that were put up are featured here, but a selection.

King Edward Parade

Mecca Cafe

Near the library

Bandstand near the library

Outside 'The Stone Oven' cafe, central Devonport

A bookshop without a sense of humour - this one didn't last long, sadly

Poem on a bench, King Edward Parade

Local poet Rita Fought's 'Ode to Devonport', Kin Parade

A call to passersby!

My childrens' favourite tree

Tree


here is a Kingdom
a Queendom
a planet
arms, feet, legs
of a secret world.
around, in, out, down
reaching, reaching
twisting, twining
never just
always
a tree

© Naomi Madelin 2011

Christmas/New Year Tree : Dinah Hawken (C)

Sadly the wharf's security guards didn't deem our residents worth of inspirational words - they washed this off quite early the following morning

This city doth like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning

The first poem I put up - I soon got better and knots, and neater with string!

The last survivor on Devonport Wharf!

water line
a chorus of shells
in many parts

(c) Naomi Madelin 2010

Thanks to Bill Manhire for agreeing to let me post a couple of his wonderful poems

Windsor Reserve was a good location - the poems were enjoyed for a long time here

 

This one lasted for quite a long time, many thanks to Anne French (c)

Emily Dickinson quote, by the clock at the junction of King Edward Pde and Church Street
Chalking was a buzz - and you can write nice and large!  I'll definitely do it again.

No security guards at the clock, this was allowed to wear off in its own good time!

The vicar at All Saints agreed to have this poem in the memorial garden there
- right where it belongs. Thanks to local poet Deborah Jones(c)

Guerilla Progress

Well, I posted (nearly) all the poems I'd sourced at the library and had permission to use, and all of the work submitted by local poets.

I also chalked words at Devonport Ferry Wharf and a few other locations. I loved the chalking - somehow made me feel very empowered.  The idea that I was graffiti-ing, and yet doing good not harm. Like good graffiti art versus tagging.

Next day the words I'd chalked at the wharf were gone.  I'm guessing that the 'empowered' security guard who'd asked me what I was doing decided he was bigger, better and more powerful than I...

However, words I'd chalked at the base of the clock near the wharf remained, and I added a few around the place. I'd like to do it again.

It's been great noticing which poems are still there!  And seeing people stop and read them.

Early removals were the other poems I'd tied to posts on the wharf.  The local real estate agent clearly did not appreciate the senryu:

house-hunting
terrified
i'll find one I like

and the local arty farty bookshop took down:

so much store in words
in my experience
the fewer the better

I'm assuming that it was the shop staff who removed these poems, and not a poetry lover who just wanted them for themselves!

I'd like to rerun the event, with funding, assistance, more chalking and perhaps some kind of daytime event to really draw attention to the poems.

Running it over the Christmas holiday works well in some ways since here in NZ it's the long summer holidays so lots of people are around.  But it's also meant that I felt pretty busy and basically failed to drum up any media coverage.

A spring version of the event would be good... watch this space.  And I'll post photos in the next couple of days.