Conversations & poetry with Camille Barr: Recent Episodes
Camille Barr
Camille Barr reading her poem The rise of hope from her debut poetry book Behind the facade
The rise of hope Awakened by a fresh day of hope
Pass the shovel I have to dig
A daydream beckons me out
As I dare to defy the legacy of my flesh
Sweat and tears pass the day
The time has come
I’m getting out of here…
I shed divine depths of despair
I hand you back to whom you belong
Travelling now under my own direction
The ghosts are gone and the path is clear
One deep breath and the journey begins
It couldn’t be that easy could it?
Camille Barr reading her poem Social experiment from her debut novel Behind the facade.
Social experiment Take away the scales
Add a boy and a girl
Place one in front of the other
Blind the boy with sugar
Tie the girls hands
Bake the boy in golden sunshine
Beat the girl down and leave to rise
Measure only the material
Add judgement to the girl
Add praise to the boy
Discard cause and effect
Walk away from the results
Camille Barr
Camille Barr reading her poem The day has passed me by (not to try) from her book Behind the facade.
The day has passed me by (not to try) In the years that have passed by
Time always seemed to be behind
At 15 I was too old to try
At 30 I was just old
Now the time really does go by
Without regard for what you do
Passing by lost opportunities
On a slideshow of what could have been
‘Walk don’t run’ your time is now
In the only present moment that matters
These are ‘The Good Old Days’,
Even when they’re not
This is the day that passed by without regret
Camille Barr
Camille reading the poem Nature of creation from her book Behind the facade
Nature of creation I sway in the tree of dreams
Far from the ground of harsh realities
This freedom comes to mind
From a view seldom seen today
The peaceful breeze carries me,
away in a daydream
Into a new world of discovery
How refreshing it is to breathe
Deep, with no sense to hurry
The man-made deadline absent
In the nature of time aligned
In space this was created
To set the centre stage alive
This is the place to visit to remind
The mind where it ‘set in motion’
The imaginative exploration for tomorrow
Camille Barr
A poetry reading of the poem Detached from Behind the facade by Camille Barr
Detached There was a time when bare feet walked the land
A wrong step was felt, and quickly corrected
Discomfort brought the recognition of appreciation
Now artificial barriers block the critical thought
All senses safely muted as is all sensibility
Distortion of distance came through
first loud and clear in the earpiece fixture
a practical measure it seemed of some comfort
Then the message flickered through in neat text
“Sorry I’m busy, I’ll catch you next time”
as if time is an obedient slave, with a humorous side
Time consumption now barricades
In the decay of over-consumption
Pictures now flicker like text
no longer handled with care
Sitting here alone yet connected
Separation of the personal
Objectification of the non-personal person
Contact Us?
Us equals community
Community equals personal connection
So where is us?
An email address? Response within 24 hours
Desired comfort has dissolved us
the uncomfortable madness of it all
Dwells deep within true desire
As children talk on screens
A sci-fi dream it would seem
As the bikes stand still, an untouched shrine
the streets no longer beckon adventure
How far we have come to set ourselves
So far behind
The human image passes as unknown
As the unfelt step is taken
Unethical barriers drop on the unknown
The detached body has become
The detached soul
Lost in the wilderness of its own making
A nightmare surely to awaken
Even the dead
Camille Barr
Camille Barr reading the poem What would you say if you knew from her poetry book Behind the facade
What would you say if you knew?
What would you say
if these were the last
words to pass between
the last moments to share
before everything changed
take these moments with care
for there are things
that we cannot know
precious moments pass quickly
into the memories
of either regrets
or cherished times,
so take the time
bite the tongue
embrace the heart
leave it on a note
that will play
sweetly for many
years to come
for you may not
know this will be…
the end
Camille Barr
Camille Barr reading her poem "The beauty that is found" from her book Behind the facade
The beauty that is found
In the days that tire the bones
the mind looks to escape
step back, breathe slow
observe time pass by
Refocus, delve within
break free in the reflection
reopen your heart
let it guide your sight
Hear the rain fall,
drop by drop
feel the sunshine,
flush of warmth
feel the sand at your feet,
sink them deep
lay still in the gentle embrace,
hug tighter
watch the light rise and fall,
stars sparkle
as the moon illuminates
unwind as the water washes it all way
Give it a moment,
let the tears fall
pick up strength
radiant beauty shines through
Camille Barr