I wrote this setting of Julie's poem for her 2013 event 'Love in Leamington'. Whenever I write a song, I make a rough recording. This is one I made that year. I'm sharing it as a tribute to, and in memory of, Julie Boden, a beautiful woman and fine poet.

Illustration by Brian Lewis from the Love in Leamington souvenir booklet.

He Said She Said - Julie Boden & Heather Wastie

Christmas gifts in ALDI’s centre aisle,
Tinsel everywhere you go.
Grit trucks ready for a Christmas Eve dash,
In case there’s any Christmas snow.
Everybody queues up High Street past the Ravens Court
Just to see the Christmas Tree:
Lit up and complete, right by Jigger’s huge feet –
Such a wonder to see.

Another ALDI’s on its way. 
The high street changes, life moves on from day to day. 
And if you ever pine for things that never last,
Check Brownhills Bob for photos of the past.

There’s more to say about the season here,
From Hussey Arms to Anchor Inn.
So get out and see what delights wait for thee,
Now the nights are drawing in.

[piano playing intensifies]

If your Christmas exercise is very fine,
It’s because they have transformed the railway line,
And volunteers with happy smiles
Have their plans to extend it for miles.

And so, amid the noise and busy-ness,
Pause with me, don’t mind the clock.
‘cos we’re thankful for Bob and his Brownhills Bob Mob.
Merry Christmas – you rock!

BB Christmas Song (B side)

This is an original song of mine entitled "I'm worried right now". 

I'm worried right now

messing around with a Boss RC 202 loop station

ARSY TUtU

I went to a very special wedding. This is what happened.
Responses emailed to me: 
‘Thanks Heather that was excellent!’
‘Ha ha - brilliant! Must have been quite a wedding!’
‘We loved that song. So good.’

A Marriage Of Inconvenience by Heather Wastie

To be included in upcoming book A black country chap's Life of rhyme

Tramwags

A poem inspired by the Feminine Power-the divine to the demonic' exhibition at the British Museum, 2022.
Image for the Kuan Yin Oracle by Alana Fairchild
Goddess is in my poetry collection 'Caterpillar Soup', which you can order here: https://vervepoetrypress.com/product/lorna-rose-caterpillar-soup-out-march-2024-pre-order-with-free-uk-pp/?v=79cba1185463

Goddess

How I got from where I used to be to where I am now, via punk rock music...

(I used to be the punk who danced to) disco funk

Football song. (Soccer, Rugby, US, Aussie Rules)
Recorded at Paramount Studio, Nashville.
2005.

Take It Right To 'Em

Rupinder Kaur's 'Songs with Mum' explores growing up between Handsworth and West Bromwich as a child who held three languages in her tongue. The conflicts she had along with my relationship with her mum, how music influenced her and drew her towards the beauty of Panjabi poetry and then poetry in general. Now West Bromwich is Rupinder's home and she couldn’t be prouder.

Rupinder Kaur is a Birmingham Panjabi poet, performer and creative curator. Her debut poetry book Rooh (2018) was published with Verve Poetry Press. She has also been featured in SPAKE Dialect and Voices from the West Midlands (2019) edited by Urszula Clark and Jonathan Davidson published by Ninearches press along with other publications. Rupinder’s work explores womanhood, language, culture and history. She has featured at nights and festivals across the UK, performed at Pass of Mic for Festival of Audacity partnership with Beatfreaks, BBC world music day and BBC Asian network (2018). Rupinder also works as workshop facilitator within the community and schools to create awareness about poetry. She is the founder of Azaad Arts which aims to explore traditional and contemporary arts within South Asia connecting strands of film, theatre, art and literature together within the Diaspora. Also co-founder of Gully Collective which aims to create multidisciplinary zines to platform the voices of South Asian creatives. Previous projects include Sada Chidiyan da chamba (our temporary nest of birds) – Exploring Panjabi Wedding folk songs through a female narrative supported by the Creative Black Country Open Access Seed Award and co-produced by Slanguages, Creative Multilingualism (2020). She was recently awarded DYCP from Arts Council England to work on her next poetry collection. And is currently a BBC New Creative developing an audio piece. Jugni is a play, co-written by Rupinder, commissioned by Slanguages – Creative Multilingualism due to be performed next year. On her days off writing she’s mostly living her retro Bollywood dreams.

Songs with Mum - Rupinder Kaur

Since You're Leaving

Poet/writer/composer performing around the West Midlands. Using GarageBand + instruments to create backing tracks/standalone pieces.
Running monthly spoken word event Spoke in the Lamp at Brownhills (Walsall)
Also on Reverbnation albarz9
Facebook AlBarz, Twitter @AlBarzP,
Instagram barz445, LinkedIn AlBarz
and elsewhere

Take It Right To 'Em

Al Barz

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