The joy of when they get it

Being a Canadian writer in the UK has given me a new perspective on word choice. I can definitely say that my vocabulary has increased (my favourites being snog and plunker). But there are some references I don't get and some my audiences don't get as well. The main way I've worked around this is to use my obscure references in a way that readers/ listeners who don't get it, can still understand the poem. Like Simpson-ic poetry.

One of my poems is about how I have the musical tastes of a teenage boy (it's the second poem in this clip that I recorded a couple weeks ago):







Tonight my friend Sara was at my gig at the Poetry Cafe. I start the aforementioned poem and get to a part in the middle about playing hacky-sack. Now. In the poem, I say "Hack-y-sack. Hack-y-sack." This isn't random chanting but rather an obscure movie reference. In "She's All That," Zack (played by Freddie Prinze Junior) tries to make a girl who he's dared to date trust him. So he goes to a strange poetry night and she tries to shake him up by signing him up for open mic. He pulls out a hacky sack and this is his poem:




For those of you who can't partake in the gloriousness which is YouTube at work/school/your mother's basement, here is the poem:
(taking a hacky sack out of his pocket)
It's a hacky sack.

(he starts to bounce it (hands, feet, etc) to strange music)

Hack-y-sack.
Hack-y-sack

Bounce
Bounce
Gotta keep bouncing.

Can't let it drop
Never let it drop.

Com'on Zack
Everyone's watching
expecting
Never let it...

Drop.

Everyone's counting on you zack.
Don't let it drop.

Don't. Ever. Let it. Drop.

(drops it)

Sooner or later, it has to drop.


Sara is a Freddie Prinze Junior fan. She has probably seen She'll all that a million times. So normally when there is just silence after my hacky-sack part. One belly laugh emits from the crowd. It is so loud and I'm so surprised someone recognized that reference, I burst out laughing too. There is some sort of sputtering. But we had a moment. and finally I feel rectified for putting it in there. It's funny if you get it. And finally someone did.

As a side note, Ross Sutherland did a poem for someone in the audience using their name. That someone was me. I only got half the poem recorded but it was all kinds of awesome. I may be slightly in awe of him now. Shhh. Don't tell.