Poetry

When words and image work together

In Peter Goode's practice poems do not merely comment on artworks: they belong to the same movement of invention, resistance and sharing.

The texts presented here draw on fragments explicitly quoted in the source documents and place them alongside images that extend their atmosphere. The contemplative mode darkens the interface and lets the poem take over the whole scene.

Ink postcard associated with the poetry page

For Peter, his art and his poetry were one.

Josie Pollentine

Readings

Poems and fragments

A small selection meant to let Peter Goode's verbal texture be heard.

The Bell

Ring the bell

Fragment quoted in the documents around leaving shame and entering adult education.

It s not a shame to ring the bell. Unclean, unclean... It s encouraging, if you hear another bell. But when you ring your own, it does hurt. Shall I, shan t I? And at first it s about tolling it and being in tune with where you are at the moment.

The poem binds fear, hesitation and the emerging dignity of asking for help.

The painting echoes the idea of an inner movement beginning.

The Wall

High advantage view

Closing lines of The Wall as quoted in Opening Time.

I stand up, I am on top. I shout aloud to my friends. Those bees, the birds, the trees Are all at my command. Thank you wall for giving me such a high advantage view.

The wall is no longer only an obstacle: it becomes viewpoint, elevation and reversal of stigma.

Tree, birds and height resonate with the poem.

Poetic captions

All life lives on a leaf

A phrase associated with Hebden Bridge Arts Festival and Brian Taylor's photographic documentation.

All life lives on a leaf. A touch of pollen. Reaching for the fruit. The spark of pollen. With Peter, captions often act less like titles than like openings in language.

Peter's captions frequently replace conventional titles and keep the works in a very open linguistic register.

The ink postcards prolong the same lyrical density.