Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The God Connection - 10 mountain sonnets

The God Connection is a series of 'mountain sonnets' as a detournement of The Ten Commandments.
The mountain sonnet is a poem made of 14 one-line haiku links named after haiku poet marlene mountain by paul conneally.

'the god connection'

Ten Commandments
august 26 - november 17 2003
10 mountain sonnets

marlene mountain francine porad paul conneally stephen addiss nancy smith
gary gach cindy tebo carmen sterba ray rasmussen michael rehling gary blankenship


1
'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.'
[8/27-9/14/03]

another autograph collected the crowd unusually unruly
13-year-old reality tv star of her own fantasy
god sides with the feds the monument of 10 has left the rotunda*
no gods at all but lots of worship going on
many prostrate themselves as the alabama idol is hauled away
almighty microsoft what if bill gates is behind the pearly gate
built for the fox god a shrine on a hill
sleeping in the pew he dreams of madonna
such a jealous pussycat she says
japanese haiku who can get over it
studying all religions just in case
the running back on probation until after the season
all round the world cave paintings of fat mamas
the sound of bat wings above the feaces flecked altar

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2
'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.'

[8/26-10/18/03]

toward shevinity 'on every high hill and under every green tree'
the toadsmouth a rock in the peak district that says you're almost home
so let's blast some more statues in afghanistan
obeying god's 2nd commandment the feds move the graven words
church green a lot of gw's in the collection basket
less likely to destroy the images of others if one creates
we'll be right back with more so don't touch that dial ok now this
sistine chapel the image of god on the ceiling
hungry as hell the 'big boy' statue beckons
the wall full of pinups at the local repair shop
the face in the mirror a joy to behold
ah censorship a jillion fewer images to clutter the museum the mind
the memory of a collection of ancient cock-shaped coat pegs
deck of holy cards with a few squirrels around st. francis

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3
'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.'

[8/27-10/17/03]

stalled car in Israel the driver cursed in several languages
a hammer meets a thumb
mother nature and i politely discussed the heat and man-made air
jeez you're looking good!
god for a moment i thought you were someone else
from where god's name was placed in vain it's taken by law
grandpa's story the day his mouth was washed with soap
swear words on the bathroom wall
all those leaders with god in their mouths
teen 'cool man the deity says no more mall muzak!'
'god damn' not considered cussing in our crowd
'for pete's sake' and i remember my grandmother's displeasure
say 'jumping kangaroo' instead of repeating your dad and brother
oh shit

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4
'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

[8/27-10/19/03]

late start on sunday not one beer before noon
sunday buffet at the casino all you can eat $5
the smell of incense and bells a priest's frock
a swell day for authority figures to eye the figures of kids
the magic screen on the altar shows pro football
the commandments moved from the courthouse locked on sundays
no television no telephone no car a far different outlook
stop give it a rest take a breath the sun moves on his own
the sunday school teacher on saturday night dirty dancing
sunday morning the adult theater every seat sold
a relief to know that decadent is okay 6 days a week
up at 11 too late for mass
a spider crawls under the kneeler
sunday social visit with a sick and needy friend

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5
'Honour thy father and thy mother.'

[8/26-10/22/03]

words almost all in haste i eat you i taste you i hate you
together or one at a time?
summer warning the disappearing act of the y chromosome
with the best nursing home which won't interfere with your own lifestyle
single parent household double the duty and only one paycheck
a poke in the ribs from mom at this commandment
at least visit the home before they move in
the teenager politely pleads with her addicted mom

sidewalk neckbroken dead pigeon somebody's mother
pushing the wheelchair slowly he remembers
at least on the days set out by the merchants
gluestick card an 'i love you' with the heart peeling off
finally grieving for the dead dad of his teenage years
the faded flowers replaced each memorial day

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6
'Thou shalt not kill.'

[8/27-10/18/03]

squashes a bug saying 'better luck next time'
today the peace tally greater than the war's
first obligation to protect oneself
after the natives are crushed law and order
the cat plays with the lizard and eventually it dies
unless in uniform or something you hold dear is threatened
in an upbeat voice the tv announcer repeats the body count
lumumba's fate the belgium soldiers watched him tortured and killed
the cat with a tail hanging from her mouth
a dead duck if it's that time of year and you've got a license
reversal - clean air regulations repealed
british american tobacco sponsor a school of business ethics
then the state murders the murderer of the murderer of fetuses
end of the fairy tale now that the witch is dead

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7
'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'

[8/28-11/17/03]

she took his $4 million ring but who'll wring his neck
one count of sexual assault a felony at the lodge and spa
it used to be the charge and now it's the defense
unless you get married first
just don't embarrass me she said
unless you are one of the happy majority
delightful bliss i don't want to know!
every third weekend and thanksgiving day at daddy's
his seven-year itch annually
patriarch with wives galore his lust for another married woman
spiritual retreat this time at the motel 6 with the lights out
hot for herself the clerk turns on to her guy customers
not considered adultery lesbians in the news
mounting excitement the whole village collects stones

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8
'Thou shalt not steal.'

[8/29-10/25/03]

supermarket surely one purple grape will not be theft
his home is not a hotel despite the towels
except converts from other faiths and goods under 'fair exchange'
a town for a toe debit or credit
a convicted ceo on parole limited to the usa for vacation
prayer in school and denigrated neolithic females in church
the poor box empty under the gold altar
just before the long weekend the price increased after?
high to low low to high stocks and bonds reversing positions
pyramid scheme one scam leads to another
a t-shirt with a mummy's face on it from the british museum
hope iraqi kids enjoy their new schools the teachers well-paid
you can download 'smells like teen spirit' for free**
musical chairs a trillion dollars poof up in smoke

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9
'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.'

[8/29-11/03]

restaurant three gossips sup on their friends' imagined faults
but i heard it on good authority from my daughter's friend
you can lie all you like particularly about those not next door
careful what you say there are laws against slander
at court she says what he says he didn't do
now tell us what was the real reason dubya you went to war
we all just assumed it was true
the latest poll 45% say the truth is not, 50% undecided
wmd's i say they're hidden in his boxer shorts
blair claims saddam could shoot his load in forty-five minutes
arnie's recall he can't remember all the women he's groped
rammed through the adult court system for life the 13-year-old
listen somebody knows but isn't talking the others blowing smoke
talking heads spread another rumor left unsaid

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10
'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house'

[8/26-10/18/03]

down the road a new double-wide & a warm-looking heat pump
the conservatory filled with the right sort of plants and conversation
a leaf outweighs your monuments by the weight of the universe
can't be impressed i don't recognize any 'a b c' car
ah then okay to contemplate his rock garden!
there goes the neighborhood
either it's too small or who'd want the upkeep?
& what's my apple doing in your kitchen?

at midnight the neighbor's hedge moves a yard closer
once it was my house until i lost my job
on the sun deck a great view of the pool next door
tho he's got a cute ass and 2 x 2 oxen i dig the wife & kids
three lawn mowers and two washers in the side yard
just a fence away from blue ribbon tomatoes

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notes
*alabama state capitol
**smells like teen spirit from nirvana's 'nevermind' cd

Monday, March 28, 2011

Little Jenny Wren

79-year-old, Joan Parmenter, tells Nottingham Crown Court how she punched a burglar.

 

The intruder, on being discovered by Miss Parmenter, strikes her head.

Rather than falling, Miss Parmeter gives him an "almighty punch" knocking him down.

The shocked burglar takes flight, runs out of the house, into the street.

Miss Parmenter follows: "Stop him! Stop him!"

Sophie Buckthorpe, in the car that nearly hits him, calls the police on her mobile phone.

The man, Luke Clay, is later arrested. Admits to police that he is the burglar.

Summing up, the judge commends both women for their actions, awards them each £250.

Miss Parmenter, who has lived in the same house all her life, says:

"I'd do it again. I'm not frightened of anybody."

little jenny wren
from deep in the back border
sees off a magpie

Paul Conneally

March 2011

Little_jenny_wren

Little Jenny Wren - Paul Conneally 2011

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Moongolf Hole #3 - London with Tim Wright

The below is from digital writer and artist Tim Wright's website - why not join him and gonzogeographer Gordon Joly and play golf on the moon?

27/03/11 Moongolf Hole #3: join us for 'a good walk spoiled'

So I’m setting off on another golfonthemoon mission on Sunday 27/03/11. Do join us if you can. Yet again it has been organised by gonzogeographer extraordinaire Gordon Joly who is using this walk as an excuse to celebrate Gonzo Mean Time. We assemble at 1pm at North Greenwich Station.

My chief aim will be to map out Moon Golf Hole #3 here on earth. The results of our last walk were excellent. By mapping out our route, documenting our progress and gaining much insight from my fellow moongolfers along the way, I came up with Moon Golf Hole #2:

Moongolfhole2
It reminded me very much Google’s map of Apollo 14’s famous moongolf expedition (note pin number 20):

Apollo14
And now see how well these two maps work together. Uncanny!:

Moongolfhole2apollo14
For this Sunday I’m looking not only to create a third hole (and then find the right place on the moon where it fits), but also to meet new people who might be useful for my mission*.

As we walk and talk, I’m hoping to document our conversations, learn about others people’s lives here on earth and generally use the civic (and sometime privately-owned) space we're traversing as both a playground and a space research lab. As fellow Splacist and sometime moongolf collaborater Paul Conneally has described it in the past:

"The game of 'golf on the moon' involves a hole being set up somewhere, and a tee being set up somewhere some distance away with a particular significance - a place where ley lines converge, perhaps.  

The players tee off and then pick up their balls to walk back by whatever route takes their fancy to the hole location - along the way they are encouraged to talk to each other and engage with their surroundings - they too become looked at a little more than usual as they are carrying golf clubs.

When they reach the hole location they put their balls back on the ground and putt until they hole out. Everyone wins."

I would add that dressing up as an astronaut, wearing a GPS device for mapping our course and practising a few golf strokes along the way is (for me) also part of the game, but I appreciate I may be playing at a more advanced level than the rest of you. 

DON'T LEAVE SPACE TO THE PROFESSIONALS!

Bowie Golf #1

*In case you’re new to my lunar obsession, I should remind you that GolfontheMoon is a long term & resolutely amateur project of mine to get to the moon before I die without the aid of any corporate or government support (aka interference!).

When I finally get there (preferably with David Bowie as my wingman or caddie), I will do what human beings have always done with new wild frontier landscapes: I will create a golf course. The name of my project is Play Golf On the Moon! (with David Bowie). 

Obviously there are several stages to this rather complicated and deliberately ramshackle mission. 

For the moment, I am following NASA’s original plan for its Apollo astronauts; that is, to ‘pretend’ to be on the moon whilst actually goofing around on Earth. I'm also talking to people who can help Bowie and I live long enough to complete the mission. And we're always on the look out for rocket scientists who might build us an affordable mode of transport - preferably out of Lego and the other cheap play components I have at my disposal.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

House Clearance

London_matsuri_rabbits

house clearance
grandmother's silver hair
in the dust bag

paul conneally

Photograph: Tom Green London Japan Matsuri 2011

Macrame For Beginners - Paul Conneally 2009

Macrame For Beginners
Paul Conneally
2009
Macrame For Beginners sees Mother Goose meet  Marx and Engels
Macrame For Beginners caused controversy when Conneally managed to install the video without permission
on to  the master dvd player of  a large national electrical retail store.
The piece was seen and heard on a bank of 26 in store for sale TVs for 48 minutes in the busy retail park store
before staff realised that it was not the Cartoon Network and turned it off.
Macrame for Beginners is available for installation and public viewing both in outside, gallery and other locations.
Contact 

Monday, March 21, 2011

Snibston Preserves - T-Shirt Print 2011

Sniibston_preserves_shirt_003jpg

Snibston Preserves - T-Shirt Print Edition of 3

Paul Conneally 2011

Snibston Transform

Sniibston_preserves_shirt_004

As part of Spoil Heap Harvest, his cultural forage piece for Snibston Discovery Museum, Paul Conneally makes limited edition prints on commercial products.

aftershock


aftershock
a few quick melting
snowflakes

paul conneally

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

World Haiku Games 2011 - 2012

Phrase_and_fragment_whgcs
Phrase and Fragment

The World Haiku Games

Loughborough

2011 -2012

COMING SOON!

contact

worldhaikugames@gmail.com

Friday, March 11, 2011

Thank The Astronauts - marlene mountain & paul conneally

'thank the astronauts'
george w. bush, january 14 2004

think golf think non-stick pans think guided missiles
mother's 'wild blue yonder' red white & blue
a flag that doesn't flutter in the name of god and country
in secret a man's ashes to the moon keeps me pist
so pleased to find there's maybe-life on mars and minerals too
new activity on cape canaveral the short straws
let's make poverty history a branson planned trip into near space
while everyone's in rome a condom drop over africa
an experiment to find which way sperm swim in zero gravity
just shy of the outer limits a japanese haiku contest
a close encounter of the worse kind by the cheese counter
one hole in the ozone led to streets lined with gold
after all we know still showing the kids the man in the moon
star wars still in the works still unworkable

from: 'the dubya connection'
paul conneally & marlene mountain 2005

'For a Better World Play Golf on the Moon' installation Mile End Arts Pavillion 2007
paul conneally & tim wright

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Mother Orchard

Mother_orchard_-_wordsearch_landscape
Mother Orchard - Paul Conneally 2010

'Mother Orchard' is a wordsearch landscape poem of The Mother Orchard at Cothele House, Devon.

Mother Orchard comes out of  'The Full Bloom Renga' for The National Trust conceived and performed by Anne Marie Culhane, Alec Finlay, Jo Salter and Paul Conneally.

You can listen to it here: Full Bloom Renga Field Recording

More on the Full Bloom Renga at the Orchard Network.

For Auld Lang Syne Sliding Tile Game

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Word Search Portrait of Jerry Simon - Sharrow Community Grower

Grow_sheffield_card
Word Search Portrait of Jerry Simon - Sharrow Community Grower

Card for 'Grow Sheffield'

Paul Conneally 2010

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Snibston Wordsworth Trail - Solar Powered Poem

Solar_powered_poem_card

Gallery of Stop Signs