"Poetry" in YouTube

Just uploaded a poem that I haven't performed for a long time and forgot about it. It's titled "Poetry". It's about what poetry can do to us all human beings under any experiences such as loneliness, freedom, and etc. (all mentioned in the work). The video includes my recorded voice, which I was able to sing a bit. Translated the whole work into American Sign Language (ASL).

Here is the YouTube page for you to click on and see the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oSTH1mZ_pc&feature=youtu.be

Here is an English-written poem, copied/pasted below.

"Poetry"

Poetry is a shining star.

Poetry is a steel guitar.

Poetry is a blooming rose.

Poetry is a search for hope.

Poetry is freedom.

Free like birds up in the sky.

Free like angels up in the sky.

Free like a violin's sweet sighs.

Free like the first kiss in the night.

Poetry is the working lament.

Poetry is the love absent.

Poetry is the bar blues.

Poetry is the loneliness blues.

Poetry is healing.

Heal us from the pain.

Heal us from the rain.

Heal us from idleness.

Heal us from loneliness.

Poetry is the shining sun.

Poetry is making love.

Poetry is laughter.

Poetry is our teacher.

Poetry is learning.

Learn to expand our minds.

Learn to enhance creative minds.

Learn to explore more.

Learn to want more.

Poetry is tears in our eyes.

Poetry is loss of sigh.

Poetry is darkness.

Poetry is sadness.

Poetry is a reminder.

Reminding us the beauty of life.

Reminding us the search for light.

Reminding us  love is always there.

Reminding us  humanity is always there.

Poetry is spiritual.

Poetry is ritual.

Poetry is anything.

Poetry is everything.

"Fragile Earth" ASL Poem in YouTube

I uploaded this ASL poem titled "Fragile Earth" into YouTube. This particular poem is about destructions on planet Earth caused by the human race while I imagine myself as an alien in a cocoon above Earth, seeing the whole mess going on down below. It's a powerful piece of work and this poem has been published several times in e-zines plus it will be published in an upcoming anthology printed book soon. 

Click on this YouTube site to see this poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpCn6fLK8ds&feature=plcp

"I'm An Artist" ASL Poem in YouTube

I uploaded "I"m An Artist" ASL poem into YouTube for the world to watch and enjoy. The poem is about me being an artist facing anti-art, fear of creativity, denial of truth, and so forth schemes or activities that exist in reality, and that as an artist, I should never feel ashamed, guilty, or bad about my work, creativity, truth, and so on. It's my revolt against anti-art attitudes or political ploy against freedom of expressions. It's my fight against fascism or ultra-conservative extremities going on. 

Click on this YouTube site address to see the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdrISR9hgUg&feature=plcp

Dangerous Signs To Perform for Fringe Festival

Dangerous Signs, an ASL poetry/performance arts group, will perform for Rochester's upcoming Fringe Festival in September. Luane Davis Haggerty, (Director/Voicer/Actress) got Dangerous Signs to become part of the whole Fringe Festival. The Festival will show all kinds of stuff: poetry, dance, music, and etc. Troy Chapman, myself (Eddie Swayze), and others will perform poetry, performance arts, and storytelling in American Sign Language at this particular Festival.

Luane, Troy, and I were at the Little Theatre downtown Rochester to be part of their Press Release celebration. A few performers (hearing) did their short skits on stage at the Theatre (P.U.S.H., Kasha Davis - drag queen performer, and a few others). Speeches were presented as well. Thomas Warfield, a renown dancer/singer/actor, who teaches Dance at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) were there. We are all excited to present our talents for this special Festival. Details of dates/time/etc. will be posted in here soon.

Dangerous Signs Photos at the Deaf Festival

Here are great photos of my and 3 other guys' performances in our titled performance group, Dangerous Signs, taken at the Deaf Festival, 2012. The performers are Eddie Swayze (myself), Troy Chapman, Nic Shaw, and Joseph Fox. Interesting enough, there were so many comments on Facebook of our performances that they had to be scrolled down to read them all. I am to interpret that Dangerous Signs turned out popular from all those positive responses on Facebook, which is a good thing. Since I brought up the idea of presenting Dangerous Signs to the Deaf Festival this year, Luane Davis Haggerty (director/voicer/performer) thanked this great idea and should do it again next year. Deaf Festival will take place at the Genesee Park as a better, bigger place and its 5th year by then. We will strive to continue, grow, and pursue as a touring group down the road.

Dangerous Signs Performance at Deaf Festival

Luane Davis Haggerty, our director and participant, had us rehearse and then present our performance at the Deaf Festival on June 9th in Rochester, NY. I (Eddie Swayze), Troy Chapman, Joseph Fox, and Nic Shaw as Dangerous Signs (name of group) did American Sign Language poetry, sign along a song "Crazy", and some skits in front of the audience under the tent at the Deaf Festival on Ellington Park. The crowd was great and the show went very well. Mostly of what we performers did was to interact each other when doing the poetry, song, and skits. The interactions helped me expand more than just being a single performer and it is a fun challenging thing to do. It's good to perform with cast together than being myself for a change. I was the one who came up with the idea of having our Dangerous Signs perform at the Festival and it became a reality. Luane and I think we shall present for the Deaf Festival's upcoming 5th year next year.


In picture, from left to right, Eddie Swayze, Troy Chapman, Joseph Fox, and Nic Shaw.

I am pleased to have my one poem titled "Magic in the Sky" published in Silver Blade Magazine. The publisher uploaded my electronic music with my recorded spoken words of the poem in it, a GIF animated slideshow of my 4 computer-generated science fiction images I created, the written poem, itself, and the biography of myself and what I do. They did a great job and I am impressed with the sound quality of the music in their music player, the animated slideshow of my sci. fi. images, and the rest of the whole thing. This is a paid work. I'm honored to be part of their science fiction and fantasy magazine.


To read my "Magic in the Sky" poem, hear my "Magic in the Sky" electronic music, see the animated slideshow of the sci. fi. images, and etc, click on the Silver Blade site address:

http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=1237