Some words of wisdom...backpacker stylee

I´ve met a lot of interesting people along the way so far. Some of which you could describe as over packed in more ways than one. In one toilet I found these words of wisdom to keep you entertained whilst taking a leak.

I'm sure that they came from the pen of someone else but I apologise to the person who wrote them if they are orginal...



This one is probably my favourite...



Not the most poetic but true all the same..

Planning and poetry # 2

Oscar Wilde on planning



'Life is not complex. We are complex.
Life is simple and the simple thing is the right thing'

Planning and poetry # 1

Network South East - By John Cooper Clarke

It's so insubstantial, it swerves on the curves.
The noise of the upholstery batters the nerves.
If you were a passenger day after day
You'd pay to have somebody blow you away.

As I travel these tracks I cannot forgive
How I lose by degrees the incentive to live
Knowing that vengeance will never be mine
That's what hurts on the misery line.

Hell on Wheels with go-faster stripes.
These passengers here are the tolerant type
I'd like to see them in seven months' time
When the shatter-proof windows are splattered with slime

And they've sacked all the fellas who did the repairs
And shovelled the cheeseburgers off the chairs
From germ-free services smelling of pine
Now it's travel no-class on the misery line.

Planning and poetry

I’m really excited about the next APG evening. Paul Feldwick is giving a presentation on ‘Planning and Poetry’. I quite like a bit of poetry, but I’m more of a fan of what people describe as urban poetry rather than the Oscar Wilde variety. John Cooper Clarke being one of my favourites. I think urban isn’t really the right description for it. It draws too much of a likeness with commercial Hip Hop and Rap genres. It doesn’t really explain its depth, realness and accessibility. It’s about real life observations, some so obviously simple and down to earth that it is often receives criticism as being an unitelligent genre.

This genre has evolved into a marketable entity in the form of artisits such as The Streets, Lily Allen, Just Jack and more recently NME award winner Jamie T. They all get bad press as the ASBO generation if you like. People can’t seem to look past the image and the unpolished, almost amateurish sound. But that is the point, it is a completely different sound and that must be good – not everyone has to like it. Give it a chance and listen to the words. A lot of it is very intelligent and makes some, gritty and often humerous interpretations of everday situations and emotions. Take this poem for example.