This guy right here, Mr. Jared Mason Murray, did an outstanding job last night as one of the four cast members starring in Slam Theatre 2.0 The Miseducation directed by Malcolm Pelles (with poems written by myself and the lovely Mrs. Goldie Dean). Check out his performance on the air with the good people of Ill Street Grooves on WPFW 89.3. Jared performs the poem “That Thing” written by yours truly. It’s amazing seeing and hearing a real actor bring my words to life. Thank you Malcolm, Katie Culligan, Lauren Du Pree, Thony Mena and Ron Brown for making our words jump off of the page. Make sure to click the flyer below to check out showtimes and SEE THIS PLAY! A fun witty peace of comedic candy and lyrical libation playing this weekend and next at the Atlas Theater as part of it’s Intersections festival. Click here to listen to him on the show, then after the break on this blog check out the written version of the poem and a link to the full replay of that show on WPFW!
That Thing
by Bomani Armah (for New Galaxy Theaters prodcution Slam Theatre 2.0 The Miseducation)
was it the discovery of fire
the invention of the wheel
or the brilliant baker who finally sliced bread
that gave humans the ability to conquer the planet?
nope it was “that thing”
we have sky scrapers
and suspension bridges
satellites in space
submarines-nuclear power plants-microwaves
…snuggies
from our endless ingenuity?…
nope it was “that thing”
humans thrive in this cruel world because…
we can have a man hold his breath
and swim into the vast unknown
searching for any illusive pearl
for if he drowns and never returns
we have thousands more just like him
because of… “that thing”
“that thing” doesn’t know about oaths and promises
“that thing” cannot read financial figures
“that thing” is deaf to hungry growls of it’s own stomach
“that thing” is what it’s called
like a creature from the blue lagoon
a scary blob of boobs and backsides
sliding around the world on wet tongues
with smoothly shaved legs as tentacles
but “that thing” is beautiful, even in all its salaciousness
it would be an ugly world without
Delilah… and Helen of Troy… and Anne Boleyn
and Monica Lewinsky
Face it, an Al Gore presidency would’ve been boring
“That thing” is quite literally, the reason we are all here.
Bomani Armah is The Watermelon Man 