assembled poem: Stevie AND / Stevie AS

[elisem]

A few of you who were at WisCon heard me do a piece at Lady Poetesses from Hell called "Stevie AND / Stevie AS." Here's the text, and yes, all the words are lyrics from songs Stevie either wrote or performed.




Stevie and / Stevie AS


Stevie and the Banshee:

Just like the white winged dove
Sings a song
Sounds like she's singin'
Whoo, baby, whoo, whoo
Well, take me like the wind, child

Stevie AS Banshee:

The wind cries, a girl's voice sings
You turn to see her, but don't find a thing
Mother tells son, "For true love you must wait"
But they don't heed the warning until it's far too late
Enchanted
Well, it's just a voice through the night
Enchanted
Well, I hope you make it

***

Stevie and Frankenstein's Monster:

I chose to be his confidant
and to keep him from the fire
I chose to be quietly discreet
if that was his desire
Oh, let the walls burn down, set all your secrets free
You can break their bonds, 'cause you're safe with me
I can turn all your music on
I can make you feel alive
and if you don't love me now, you will never love me again
I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain
chain -- keep us together
chain -- keep us together

Stevie AS Frankenstein's Monster:

Timeless is the creature who is wise
And timeless is the prisoner in disguise
If it's me that's driving you to this madness
There's just one thing that I'd like to say
Would you take a look at your life and your lovers
Nothing ever changes

***

Stevie and the Merman:

I run through the grass
I run over the stones
Down to the sea
I turned around
And the water was closing all around
Like a glove
Like the love that had finally, finally found me
Then I knew
In the crystalline knowledge of you
Drove me thru the mountains
Thru the crystal-like clear water fountain
Drove me like a magnet
To the sea
Epilog:
You are in love with
And I'm ready to sail
It's just a feeling...

Stevie AS Mermaid:

Well, I need a little sympathy
Why don't you take me home?
Take me if you need me
but never hold me down
I need you because you let me breathe
Well, you've taken me away
But never take me lightly
Or I could never stay
No, I could never stay

***

Stevie and the Serial Killer:

Well, I went searching for an answer
Up the stairs...and down the hall
But not to find an answer...
Just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
Come away...come away...come away...
Even when the warning is overwhelming
Well, it's hard to hide (from eyes that are all over you)

Stevie AS the Serial Killer:

I have my own life and I am stronger than you know
But I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won't be walking out the door

***

Stevie and the Vampire:

How the faces of love have changed turning
the pages
And I have changed oh, but you...you remain
ageless
My darling lives in a world that is not mine
An old child misunderstood...out of time

Stevie AS Vampire:

(Once in a million years a lady like her rises)
Sometimes I hear angels sing
Their tears wash away my sins
Don't know what my destiny will bring
Could you spend eternity with me?
We come from different worlds...we are the same
I never doubted your beauty...I've changed
I am just one small part of forever
I know forever we'll be doing it right
Well, I hear you...in the morning...
And I hear you...at nightfall...
Sometimes to be near you...
Is to be unable...to hear you
My love...
I'm a few years older than you...

***

Stevie and the Werewolf

Ooh, come in out of the darkness
My love is a man who's not been tamed
Well, you live by the light of the moon
And I live by the light of desire
Don't change...baby, please don't change

Stevie AS Werewolf:

In those dreams that no one knows of
My destiny says that I'm destined to run
Don't blame it on us
Blame it on our wild hearts

***

Stevie and the Zombie:

Is love so fragile...
and the heart so hollow
shatter with words
impossible to follow
(try to tell him that her heart is in his hands)
you're saying I'm fragile... I try not to be
You no longer care if it's cold or if it's warm

Stevie AS Zombie:

Something in my heart died last night
I am trying to be strong
Hey, I don't want to go back
And nothing you can say can change my mind
Maybe the reason I say these things
Is to bring you back alive
Maybe I fought this long and this hard
Just to make sure you survive
Just to make sure you survive

***

Stevie on all of them:

You think you hear demons?
I think we are the demons.
And the heart says "danger"
and the heart says "whatever"
Think about it
Think about it before you go
I've been with you before
I'll be with you again
I'll come back for more, yeah
The story has a strange ending
Think about it before you go



What is Lady Poetesses from Hell, you ask? It's a thing that happens involving a rotating cast of poets, some surprising poems, and (usually) some astonishing hats. Here's Jane Yolen in a fish hat from a 1999 LPfH reading at Minicon. Wish I could find a photo of Rez channeling Grace Lord Stoke, but the snapshot of him as a judge in this contest (scroll down) will have to do. (Grace Lord Stoke was hopelessly enamoured of H.P. Lovecraft. She continues to dictate her poems by curious etheric means to Rez. Oh, I can't explain; you'll just have to come to a LPfH reading and see. It's hilarious. EDITED TO ADD: Hey! I found one of the Grace Lord Stoke poems; it's item 11 in this list of entries.)

Comments

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

You should really consider doing a video of this, and sending it to Chi Chi, because it would make a great piece to hear at the next NOTS.