A Poem a Day (250): Pre-light

 

Pre-light

These things lie half-finished
In the spot where they began,

Where they jumpstarted, imagined
Something unique, dreamed anew.

We build a stage for our modestness,
Our claims to be something greater.

We watch the stairs climb backwards
Into the green days of youth.

These humble reflections drawn on air.
Can you peel the shades back that far?

We can walk where the moon swirls
Equidistant to her stars, pre-light,

Flickering in circles of memories.
We can’t hide ourselves away forever.

Our feelings lay stripped out and bare,
Our bodies there for the crossing.

We stare into the light of the horizon,
Daring the world to swallow us whole.

Copyright Vickie Johnstone, August 28, 2020

 

Acoustic Edge II: Billy Johnstone is playing an online gig - August 30

 

My uncle, Billy Johnstone, will be performing 7 more of our lockdown songs on Sunday, August 30 at Acoustic Edge II. We'd love it to be in a pub, but it will be coming to a computer screen near you instead!

He will be playing at 6.15pm UK time.

Link: https://youtu.be/ukhkbW3WnKY

His set is dedicated to my mum, Sue Johnstone, who loved the previous set he recorded for Acoustic Edge I.

The event starts at 5pm and there are four artists playing.

The line-up (UK GMT times):

20.50-21.30: NITROVILLE

19.50-20.30: THOMAS E. WALKER

19.00-19.30: BILLY JOHNSTONE

18.10-18.40: EZY RIDER

For more information and all of the times and links, please click on the the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3354841797910340/

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ARTIST INFO

NITROVILLE
“Pure high-energy-rock with punchy riffs, intricate cowboy guitar, hard-driving high speed tunes and matching big balls”. METAL HAMMER

https://www.facebook.com/Nitroville.Official/

http://nitroville.com/

 

THOMAS E. WALKER
Singer, drummer, guitarist involved in rock, funky, power pop, acoustic and tribute projects. Based in north London, UK.

https://www.facebook.com/TommyWalkerMusic/

 

BILLY JOHNSTONE
Billy will be performing a special set of original songs created with Vickie Johnstone during lockdown.
https://billyjohnstone.bandcamp.com/releases
https://billyjohnstone.blogspot.com/

 

EZY RIDER
Max Edwards is a bassist, singer, guitarist, live/recording blues rock, metal, soul, funk artist from Hackney.

https://www.facebook.com/max.edwards.5245

 

DJ 69 will be spinning some tunes between the acts for your listening pleasure! 

Hope to see you there! Have a groovy weekend!

A Poem a Day (249): Precious things

 

Precious things

Precious things,
Birds on the wing,
Waters that sing,
Colours rainbows bring.

The final fling
That meant nothing,
Wanting to be king
Of anything.

An invisible ring,
A certain spring,
This unravelling
To find pure meaning.

These precious things
On the wing.

Copyright Vickie Johnstone, August 22 2020

A lockdown song: The Joker

 

Something different from poems. Here’s one of the songs that my uncle, Billy Johnstone, and I have written during lockdown.

This one is called The Joker, inspired by the recent film starring Joaquim Phoenix.

He’s behind the melody and sings. Enjoy! 

 

© Billy Johnstone and Vickie Johnstone

 

Billy Johnstone · The Joker

Facebook    

Website

SoundCloud  

Bandcamp (buy tracks) 

If you are viewing this on a mobile and can’t play it, just click to the website. Cheers.

A Poem a Day (248): This land

 

This land

We stand on ground our ancestors found,
Labelling it theirs in their enthusiasm,

Forgetting the land had always been there,
Unowned, centuries before they were born.

They pointed and took without asking.
The land didn’t argue, simply contemplated.

Before men came the land breathed easy,
Unworked, untrodden, untoiled. Free.

It couldn’t condemn man, acting by nature,
Want and the need to own, make shelter.

Man renamed the land and ploughed it out.
The original name once known, now lost

Is only spoken by the blue mountains,
Which gazed on, pleased to be out of reach.

Copyright Vickie Johnstone, August 20, 2020