January 25th, 2009

An Homage / Rebecca is 2009

Last summer, I heard poet/graphic novelist/playwright/performer Mariko Tamaki read a couple times. Everything she put to the microphone was amazing, especially segments from her collaborative (with Jillian Tamaki) graphic novel Skim (not everyone can read aloud from a graphic novel and make it vivid). At the Scream in High Park another wonderful piece she read was a poem of her collected Facebook status lines (I have looked *all over* for a link; I think it’s not online; please correct me if I’m wrong). Like most “found” poetry, I’m sure the artist put a lot of energy into making this piece work rhythmically and tonally, not to mention how poetic you have to be just have high-quality Facebook status lines most of the time when it’s so easy to just write “…is glad it’s the weekend.”

So I make no claim to artistry nor high-quality status, but I find Ms. Tamaki’s idea too irresistible not to try my own version. Perhaps it’s the lure of seeing my name over and over like that, or reliving happy memories of the past few weeks, or how it provides a tidy summary of my state of mind immediately before and since the change of year. But anyway, I give you

Derivative Facebook Poem: Rebecca is 2009

Rebecca wants to put up the new calendars now!
Rebecca listens to the Fleet Foxes.
Rebecca has changed her mind, is no longer ready for 2009.
Rebecca faces facts: 2009 is coming. Rebecca wishes you all kinds of joy with it!
Rebecca is experiencing the future.
Rebecca is experiencing contact-lens issues that make her seem a tragic tearful figure. Don’t believe the rumours!
Rebecca is nostalgic for the good old days, when this apartment had heat.
Rebecca has heat–hooray!
Rebecca mopes for no reason
Rebecca appreciates being indoors.
Rebecca is despondent after failing to locate Germany on a map.
Rebecca is fairly efficient, for a Saturday.
Rebecca is warm now, but anticipating cold
Rebecca is headache grey.
Rebecca is liscious.
Rebecca gets a lot of phone calls before 9am these days.
Rebecca thought this morning’s sunrise was especially nice.
Rebecca is CEO of herself.
Rebecca will soon have eaten all available candy.
Rebecca is flexible.
Rebecca thinks back on high school and wonders, was *anybody* cool then?

RR