Penelope by Anthony Howell

I have been listening to the Heroine episode of Words and Music on BBC Radio 3, 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0b5sz5m

and the following poem grabbed my attention

PENELOPE

To do what you undid
The night before
To undo what you did
The day before

To undo what you undid
Again the next night
To do what you did
As you do the next day

Only to undo it again
Just as you did
The night before
In order to do it again

Just as you did
The day before
The day before
Just as you did

In order to do it again
The night before
Just as you did
Only to undo it again

As you do the next day
To do what you did
Again the next night
To undo what you undid

Anthony Howell

It will take me some time to get my head around this poem, but it is reminding me of the act of compensation; how one may do something one day in order to compensate for the day before. For instance, "I needed to have a lie in this morning because yesterday I did not get a good night's sleep." This act of compensation could then lead to other compensatory behaviour being necessary. And so the cycle continues in a perpetual manner.

Martin Creed - Words and Music

Artist and musician Martin Creed has been performing Words and Music at The Studio in Edinburgh as part of the International Festival and British Council season Spirit of '47.



It is billed as "a delightfully nonconformist evening of words, music and more" and audiences are advised to "expect an extraordinary encounter between artist and audience, a bit contemporary music hall, a bit art lecture, shot through with Creed’s renowned wit and absurdity, and delivered in his own highly original style. Expect to be surprised, and you won’t be disappointed."





Creed has always produced musical compositions. He has composed for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta; launched his own label – Telephone Records – in 2011 to release his albums of ramshackle, catchy folk-pop; and performed at music festivals throughout the UK and Europe.

https://www.eif.co.uk/2017/martincreed#.WaA8RJOGO-5

I appreciate the way that Creed is able to talk about difficult issues such as loneliness, but avoids it becoming a sob story.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewxxj5/live/cbn6v2

His music is lighthearted and hardly melodic, yet the lyrics are poignant. The simplicity of the words and music and his casual method of delivery emphasise his vulnerability.