Tuesday 29 October 2013

The Vodka Diaries (Part Two)

On Thursday 17th October I presented an updated thirty minute scratch of The Vodka Diaries at The Underbelly, Rumsey Wells. Here is an audio recording. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

Saturday 27 April 2013

The Vodka Diaries (Part One)

On Tuesday 23rd April I presented a twenty minute scratch of my new show, 'The Vodka Diaries', at Norwich Arts Centre. Here is an audio recording. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

Sunday 18 November 2012

Bandersnatch


Beware the usurer my girl,
who lends to see your lips unfurl
and softly, slowly, validate
the body as his interest rate.
Avoid the flatterer my lass:
grinning, cocksure, bold as brass;
but brass won’t pay the surgeon’s bill,
and gold will buy a bitter pill.
Then love the laughing boy my child,
go dancing with him through the wild,
where ecstasy and perfumed sweat
will grant a gift, not claim a debt.
For kisses laid upon the womb
are sweeter than a lonely tomb.

Russell J Turner – October 2012

Pissing up the walls of dollar hell


She's spitting out some screwed-up villanelle
to every Johnny looking for their luck,
she’s pissing up the walls of dollar hell.

And ninety cents an hour don’t cast no spell,
that hot steel peels her cranium unstuck
through spitting out some screwed-up villanelle.

All dried-up bitches with no soul to sell,
them lame floor ladies, they don’t give a fuck–
done pissing up the walls of dollar hell.

Forget it sister, there’s no kiss and tell,
no Catholic girls, no fine young cock to suck,
just spitting out some screwed-up villanelle.

Those stallions won’t drink from this poisoned well,
and Sally’s mustang’s too damn tired to buck–
gone pissing up the walls of dollar hell.

Still waiting for that final graveyard bell,
a New York ticket flowering in the muck.
She's spitting out some screwed-up villanelle,
she’s pissing up the walls of dollar hell.

Russell J Turner – October 2012

Sonnet for Mia


When I first heard Mia Zapata rhyme,
The fist that clenched my soul began to shake
This sleeper, startled, suddenly awake;
A drumbeat dancing up and down my spine.
Like Janis, twenty years out of her time:
Some spirit cast in fire, a tongue to break
Your heart in two, then mend it new, to make
Mad love to thousands on the borderline.
But now I hear Mia Zapata weep–
For there are times when we are all afraid–
Seattle stalks her while her lovers sleep,
Seattle breaks her beauty with a blade;
A ballad of divine profanity,
She sings a soft unfinished symphony…

Russell J Turner – October 2012

Tuesday 6 November 2012

trashcan romance


when the dustmen emptied out the bins
     they started a totally inappropriate relationship
all over the garden and onto the pavement
     so I warned them that they were making fools of themselves
mixing up the landfill and the recyclables
     but they told me to mind my own business
I went completely ballistic
     said something about stones and glasshouses
threatening to call the council and the police
     which was a bit close to the bone
but that seemed to have the desired effect
     leaving me in floods of tears
shaming them into clearing up their mess
     and then they snogged in the middle of the road just to rub it in

Russell J Turner – November 2012

Monday 5 November 2012

An escalated war against my nerves and my soul


able to fit inside one suitcase
the whole thing is as plain as a sock on the jaw
An invaluable tool
It all started in March of last year
during the surgery, they went ahead
which would remove nearly every person
when it is best for him to keep his lips
Language is wine
How odd to use it as an insult
Latin was an elective
to get a taste of the history
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
to give you the straight dope
we have to resort to long and arid dissertations
we have to resort to long and arid dissertations
we have to resort to long and arid dissertations

Russell J Turner – September 2012