Attention Seeker

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Attention Seeker

(written 10 Jan 2015)

Attention boys! — the golden word,
As spoken by this myna bird,
Intended to convey to you,
Attention pay to what you do.

Attention what you do and say,
You're on my side, or in my way;
By all means have a go at me
While I'm here writing poetry.

By all means be the piece of grit
So I can form my pearl 'round it;
This oyster all your noise annoys,
So hold your tongues! Attention boys!

So hold your dick and grab your balls,
Project your shit on Wonderwalls,
"Attention seeker?" What a crack!
That's pot calling the kettle black!

That's pimp calling the artist out!
Aww! Something I said made you doubt?
I mirrored something back at you?
Good! Mind you pay attention, do!

And back to black, now here's a thing...
In hip-hop all the rides and bling
Earned, unlike yours, by rags to riches;
'Round 'ere we say birds not 'bitches'.

Myna birds and major hassles,
All dressed up in bells and tassels,
All stripped down to anarchy,
Ain't all they're cracked up to be.

Peacocks strutting for display,
Creative efforts spunked away;
No sooner have they honey tasted,
All's forgotten getting wasted.

Empty, hollow, gurning culture,
Myna bird's become a vulture,
Picking at your rotten carcass,
Narcissistic, blistered smart-ass.

I think you've muddled "narcissist"
Up with just what an artist is, 
Don't know just what an artist does,
Don't care what makes an artist buzz...

An artist wants to tell the truth,
Says Sara Nicola (and) Ruth,
An artist wants to make you think,
Before you take another drink,

Before you take another dram,
An artist says your life's a sham,
Before you say another word,
An artist is a myna bird,

Who calls attention to their work,
Who personal attentions shirk,
Who wants their work to stand alone,
Who works their fingers to the bone,

Who works their brain and hands and heart,
Who doesn't care a hundredth part,
For blame or censure critics made, 
For status, fame or accolade.

Who values time in solitude,
Whose motivation's misconstrued, 
Whose inspiration's fair 'n' square,
For spinning circles doesn't care.

But if attention was my thing...
I'd drive a pimp van, drip with bling,
I'd tag up pics with dick-declension, 
That'd get the chicks' attention!

That'd get the chicks 'n' dicks hot!
How I wish I'd chicks-with-dicks got!
How I wish I'd all the dicks get;
Where's the dicks I didn't fix yet?

Im-potentate posh poser pouting,
Does some pointless, empty shouting,
Pompous words said to alarm us;
Pretty sure he couldn't harm us.

I'll ensure the chicks'll cream,
I've greased my lightning, dicks supreme!
I've oiled a thunderbolt or two,
Watch out! It's spitting rhymes on you!

Beware! The weather's on the turn,
So drop some pills and sit and gurn,
Yes, that'll help things out a lot!
Yeah, that's a revolution... NOT!

That's a revelation seeded,
Re-evaluation needed:
Revolt of peasants is an ol' thing,
Unlike you boys! You're revolting!

Focussed in on your appearance,
Needing special ego clearance,
Nothing lives beneath the surface,
Quick boys! Make another purchase!

Hope that it will plug the chasm,
Dream that it will make you spasm,
Wish for wit when diss you dishes,
Boys you're nearly out of wishes!

Wish for attention deficit,
Or else just make the best of it;
If my attention falls on you,
Be worth paying attention to.

And all this time I didn't mention
What IS worthy of attention:
It's alchemy, on tales untold,
It's spinning straw men into gold. 


© Sara Nicola Ruth

Big up

▪️ my favourite philosopher-poet Dr Suess 🎩

There’s some very heavy Suess-ing in this poem, in fact you could say…

This poem's like a grouse or goose,
That's doused and soused and sauced with Suess!

▪️ The repeating motif I’ve used is the myna bird saying ‘Attention’ in Aldous Huxley’s final book Island (published 1962) about a paradise which is under threat from money-grabbing yuppies [opening paragraph copied from the actual book on my shelf, not the internet, for accuracy’s sake]:

‘Attention,’ a voice began to call, and it was as though an oboe had suddenly become articulate. ‘Attention,’ it repeated in the same high, nasal monotone. ‘Attention.’

The cover of Aldous Huxley's novel Island which shows a myna bird — Aldous Huxley’s final novel Island was published in 1962

▪️ “Wonderwall” is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band’s guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher for their second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. According to Gallagher, “Wonderwall” describes “an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself”.

▪️ “‘Round ‘ere we say birds not bitches” — direct quote from ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’ from Original Pirate Material (2002) the debut album by Mike Skinner under the name The Streets:
Spilt jewels like eastern riches, junkie fixes
Around ‘ere we say birds, not bitches.

▪️ “I’ll ensure the chicks’ll cream,
I’ve greased my lightning, dicks supreme!” referring to the song “Greased Lightning” from the 1978 American musical romantic comedy Grease:
You are supreme, the chicks’ll cream,
For Greased Lightning.

▪️ A “straw man” is a common type of argument and is an informal fallacy based on the misrepresentation of an opponent’s argument. To be successful, a straw man argument requires that the audience be ignorant or uninformed of the original argument.