Bun Stop
hail the starlings
of amen corner,
their anarchy
tamed by the pulse
of murmuration.

hail the melody
of stone & brick,
of bulging glass,
these jaded domes
& gilded spires.

hail the rhythms
of footfall & heart,
the blood & sweat
of struggles spent
& yet to pass.

hail the tension
in this puddle’s skin,
the fragile dialectic
of gravity & mass,
its face bow-taut,
each stance conflicted.

hail to the hoar
on the cobble’s pout,
these gutters choked
with poet’s whimsy,
hubris & votives,
rhetoric floundering
in the lort burn’s swill.

hail sycophant & sage,
the muddle of denial,
cold land of lad
& bloated laird,
of thrones usurped
or quietly vacant.

hail these bridges
& the arc of their stature.
hail the municipal
& the muted keep.

hail snowdrop & bluebell
& the toll of our losses.
republic of goose-bump
& high street dandy,
fiefdom of magpie
& impotent ghosts;
each spurt of growth
constricted by romance.

hail this dance
of scant advancement,
the cadence of decay
in the tyne’s chill madrigal.
confluence of meme & gene;
each artery clogged.

hail the kittiwakes
of spillers’ mill,
proclaiming their prayer
to fractured dawn,
a clutch of notes
to do their bidding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Process
Dan Douglas and poet Paul Summers set out to find beauty in the grimiest parts of Newcastle.
Together with brilliantly talented composer Roma Yagnik we created Bun Stop which we hope is the first of a few short poetry films about the North East. We want to work with other local composers and actors, the overall project will be called Confluence.
Bun Stop has had the honour of winning the Heart & Mind Zine Judges Choice award “This is exactly the kind of multi-media art collaborations we love at HMZ, in fact after receiving it, I was quick to review the work and have given a perfect 60/60 score earning your film our “Judge’s Choice” award… The imagery, poetry, and music all come to together in perfect unison to create a powerful experience.  I can honestly tell you I have tears in my eyes and goosebumps after watching the piece.” Tomovi Keoni, Editor-in-Chief, Heart & Mind Zine

Poet Paul Summers
Paul Summers is a Northumbrian poet who has recently returned to the North East of England after a five year stint in Central Queensland. His poems have appeared widely in print for almost three decades and he has performed his work all over the world. A founding co-editor of the ‘leftfield’ UK magazines Billy Liar and Liar Republic, he has also written for TV, film, radio, theatre and collaborated many times with artists and musicians on mixed-media projects and public art. His latest book is straya , published by Smokestack Books in April 2017. Previous collections include: primitive cartography, union (new & selected), Three Men on the Metro, big bella’s dirty cafe, cunawabi and the last bus.

Film Maker – Dan Douglas
Multi-award winning film maker Dan Douglas has been producing video content for over 15 years and has worked on a huge range of both creative and commercial projects both for his own production company and on a freelance basis for others.
www.dandouglas.org

Composer – Roma Yagnik
Based in Newcastle, Roma is a professional composer with a diverse client list including BBC, Sky, EMI, Universal, Tottenham Hotspur and Tate Britain as well as some of the brightest independent film talent around. Roma is currently a BAFTA Crew participant having been selected for 2016’s intake. Her work can be found at www.romayagnik.co.uk