Peter Giordano at the red room march 2012

Peter Giordano used his stage time to share a response he wrote to a poem by WH Auden. First, he invited Taili Huang to read the Auden poem:

From TWO SONGS FOR HEDLI ANDERSON

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public
doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

For Peter’s response, continue reading…

Wind up the clocks, answer that telephone,
And tease the dog to barking with a juicy bone,
Bang on the pianos and with big bass drum
Bring out the balloons, let the party come.

Let aeroplanes circle dancing up above
Scribbling on the sky the message She Is Love,
Put pink bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear polkadot gloves.

She is my Earth, my Wind, my Flame, my girl,
My weekend fun and my new found pearl,
My rosy dawn, my day, my talk, my song;
I thought that my love would never come: I was wrong.

The stars are what’s wanted now: light up every one;
Tickle the moon and dance with the sun;
Leap into the ocean, run naked in the wood.
For everything now, now and always, is all good.