In five simple words-
They will pretend you don’t
Have the right to say
What needs to be said.
Anne Leighton's Poetry Book, THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION
In five simple words-
They will pretend you don’t
Have the right to say
What needs to be said.
Night Dedicated to Spoken World Artist’s Late, Great 100 Year & Two Day Old Mom
Art in the Basin Presents Working Gal Rock and Roll Poet and
Spoken Word artist Anne Leighton, who will share her poems on February 20, at 7
pm. This event takes place at Mon Amour Coffee & Wine, 234 W 238th St, New
York, NY, The venue phone is 718-
708-7804.
This get-together takes place off of Broadway, in Riverdale,
and is on the 9 and 12 bus routes, and the 1 Train.
Art in the Basin’s event page is www.eventbrite.com/o/art-in-the-basin-30517892264?fbclid=IwAR13Q5UGqChS1jH8ioTETiMjDkVgMrrR3l5A4BQzpORwvbRdzk0zmEOhgsU.
Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/artinthebasin
Anne’s program will include new poems including one dedicated to her female ancestors, especially her late Mom Halin, who would’ve been 100 years and two days old on the day of her reading. “My Mom taught me to collaborate with my creations,” says Anne.
She also plans to read fan favorites from her poetry and prose book, The Leighton Explosion (Soul Asylum, Canada). Her work shows a range of stories and interests, especially in rock music and creating peace and love in her world. Anne’s publisher Ken Cowle says she “made me laugh.” Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, who writes the book’s foreword, praises her “lilt” and “personality” in an encouraging note to her.
While Anne usually works as a music publicist with musicians including Jethro Tull, Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train, and Michael Veitch, she’s made money and helped improve her social status from her poetry work. The “rock climbing” includes appearing on the Grammy-nominated album, Healthy Food for Thought: Good Enough to Eat, (Audio & Video Labs) with Anne reading her poem “Feed Your Parents Well.”
Her poems have been published in The Indie Collaborative’s “Holiday Program,” “The Literary Parrot Anthology,” “Elephant Journal,” “BOG GOB,” “Powerline,” “the Aquarian,” and “Nickel.” A member and occasional officer in the Bronx Toastmasters Club, she has performed live at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Peter Max’s Studio. Some of her plays have been performed live—one by the Poets Repertory Theatre of Long Island and another by the San Antonio Living River Church, and at New York City’s Howl Fest.
Anne’s other books are Paws For Thought: How to Understand What Your Cat is Thinking (Rockwell Books, UK), Using Your Art & the Media to Comfort People (Free To Run Books, West Hills, CA), and the self-published e-book, Get the Gig (Common Sense Career Consulting). Anne recently started producing pop singles.
Poems and songs on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/the-leighton-explosion?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Angel and Devil
on each shoulder
changing their minds
sometimes
we agree
and disagree
ambiguously
unpredictably
-Jan.2024
Bad Jaki and I painted basements
In Summer of ‘75
She taught me to sing “Rock and roll all night
And party everyday”
While I did most of the sweating.
I sing, "Babe, I’m a hard-work woman"
Jaki belts “Get It While You Can"
‘cause rock stars expect sex and not my brains
and I should learn to fuck
instead of being who I am
In college I developed clout
to learn that Kiss rocked that live
and me on the radio through the night
dancing all the way to class
mates that rock us inside and out
I smile and hug Kiss’s music
The gateway to more rock and roll
jocks liking artier notables
Todd Rundgren, Frank Zappa, Queen
New wave, punk, fusion, progressive.
Good Jacquie made me listen
in Buffalo my gigs went up
I got big bucks to teenybop!
Scorned by big jocks, I still gushed
loving living a rocking fan!
Friends for life, Jacquie gave me
kick in the butt, work me harder
to move downstate for my career
read letters to Hit Parader
and after work show biz soirees!
The same room with the demon
His voice like a radio host
Filling a room with clarity
A warm basso resonating
Welcoming this pushy woman
Paul dancing gave us good views
His energy made us hot
“And nobody’s gonna change me”
He sang, “‘cause that’s who I am”
Eric Carr & Bruce liked my moves. 😊
Jacquie gushed all over it.
On a long distance phonecall
She said I’m moving to L.A.
I went to work the next day
The boss scolded ‘cause I danced
Screw him, ‘cause that’s who I am!
So sad he doesn’t understand
It’s about the demon—the man
I met Gene Simmons last night
I’m gonna interview HIM!
We talked about his mother
And how she taught him to grow up
His ideas on how women talk
They think with their hearts, he said
That’s still making me wonder.
One night Hit Parader rocked
Sponsored a Limelight show with KISS
And indie rock bands we respect
Gene & the guys in the lounge
They liked my look all dressed up
Chubby me wearing a t-shirt
Smiling he said they were pretty
I never thought that of me
I felt more like a bad ass
Not needing my editor’s snort
I know my boss thinks I am weird
But I’m faithful and love my work
While discerning what I hear
I get on with most people
Loving them all near and dear
I transition as freelancer
supporting artists, bit by bit
Bruce and I reconnected
Through Grand Funk with Don, Max, Tim
seen in the Kiss newsletter.
Read KISS AND MAKE UP in college
I studied Jewish history
It’s bad people keep hating
I like he’s anti-bullying
It makes me feel extra blessed.
And I love all the dramatics
Live rock and theatre are kin
You collaborate you win
That lets you let it all hang out,
Which makes you fly past the limit
spectacular influences
From Twisted Sister, my friends
Helen Wheels, Gwar and Poison
Michigan rock stars Madam X
all inspire the audience
My friend Phoebe - Phoebe Legere
Always working magic live
She said Gene gave her advice
You can tell, ‘cause her shows go big
She won’t say what he taught her
Jacqui’s ears were buzzing
For a week, we talked tongue and star
She cried—we lost Eric Carr
We loved Black'n’Blue and Badlands
We loved Buffalo Rock City
In nearby Rochester
And far out in California
I found something similar
All these guys named Mike- all true fans
Small world learning from our rock stars
Something I once had seen
of Joe who’s most special to me,
A photo of him wearing
Sunglasses, playing violin
He looked like a brother to Gene
Joe was like an old soul
Who kept going as his best fan
A book, concerto, his band
Collaborations connecting
On stage and off, he’s rock and roll
Imagine Gene’s support
Buying Joe’s merch at stratos band
Dot com slash shop for album,
cup, and sheet music, mp3s
I dream of Gene, such a great thought….
Sigh!
They built such an Empire
State Building support in the end
at Madison Square Garden
The idea whatever you do
is to light your passion on fire
Good Jacquie’s loving KISS
She’s working in L.A. with smiles
and her friends it’s often good times
Customer service and great art
It all inspires her to do this.
Thank you, December
and anthropologists that love cultures.
I’m grateful to the complainer
that didn’t want the crèche in Town Square.
“Gracias” to this last month.
That exclusion gave me realization
all holy days are for all from now on.
Holy days holidays for anyone.
“Shehr-scher,” holydays, for epiphanies!
Bodhi, Kwanzaa are journeys
Yalda and Christmas help families.
Hanukkah, Winter Solstice love peace
“Ahhh Bahd,” December 8
Bodhi Day is what Buddhists celebrate
and their own enlightenment
and that Buddha awakened!
Hebrew: “To-dah Rah-bah,” Hanukkah,
8 days lighting the menorah
500 BC a temple restored
in Jerusalem where many found their Lord.
“Moo-shoo-sha-kuh-rahm,” first day of winter
The Solstice and Yalda December 21rst
Yalda is Zoroastrian from Persia
Pssst! Freddie Mercury’s their most famous worshipper!
“Goh ruh MAH Hahhguct,” gods and goddesses
The Pagans’ fires and earth’s excesses
are the sun’s life-giving manifestations
and Winter Solstice’s celebrations!
“Danke Schoen,” Christmas day,
created for baby Jesus in the Middle Ages,
doesn’t have to be about money.
It’s really a day that you create
If you’re trying to
see where I’m going
I’m trying to learn what
I’m knowing
Like promoting my
poetry
And asking to help me
get a reading
Somewhere with
somebody
I asked a friend who gets
on these bills
She told me I’m unreasonable.
Time to boldly hug like we've done before
Hugging we need it more each day, and even more
There’s no scene if
people are mean
Hugs Hugs Hugs in the
Hood
Life would be the way
it should
If we all understood
The power of good
Hugging for everybody
Including me!!
Bring back Hugging
Hugging in the Hood!!
I’ve been dealing
with the politicians
They’re saying they’ll
bring jobs to the Bronx
I speak up for
musicians
Making sure they get
compensation
For feel good
entertainment
Playing for exposure doesn’t
pay bills
Politicians, it's time to be respectful.
Time to boldly hug like we've done before
Hugging we need it more each day, and even more
There’s no scene if
people are mean
Hugs hugs hugs in the
hood
Life would be the way
it should
If we all understood
The power of good
Hugging for everybody
Including me!!
Bring back Hugging
Hugging in the Hood!!
This bridge is about the guy I love
I want to see him
rise above
But he acts like an
unhappy schmuck
the bearded evil Mr.
Spock
not humane as normal
Star Trek guy
and I observe lies no
matter how hard I try
he finds ways to be
mean and play games
sad to see we were
never twin flames
He could be helped by
some crazy hugging
Doctor McCoy healed just
sending good vibrations
To him, my poet
friend and all the politicians!
Woo!
Hugs hugs
Everywhere a hug
Hugging up the scenery
Hugging my mind deliberately
Healing--
Hug me, don't stop that
Can't you hug my mind?
Time to boldly hug like we've done before
Hugging we need it more each day, and even more
There’s no scene if
people are mean
Hugs Hugs Hugs in the
hood
Life would be the way
it should
If we all understood
The power of good
Hugging for everybody
Including me!!
Bring back Hugging
Hugging in the Hood!!
-2023