"Overheard Poetry"

Don't get excited, it's not nearly as interesting as it sounds.

A few years ago, I had this zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany idea to write down or record any words, sentences, or snippets of conversation that I heard from passers-by, in a predetermined length of time or over the length of a journey.

Not their whole conversation or anything like that (I'm not MENTAL), just a line or word that clearly stood out from the rest of the background noise.

It made perfect sense at the time.

Anyhoo, some were made in coffee shops, supermarket checkout queues, etc. I came across one the other day that had been scribbled down while walking home from town.

Each line or word was spoken by a different person, and was overheard as I walked past them. Written in the exact order that it was heard.


"Swinging your glow sticks 'round with gay abandon"
"You've done what?"
"It's not busy out there"
"We can do it tomorrow"
"Bye!"
"I'm alright thanks"
"Get away from me"
"I'm stuck! I'm stuck!"
"Who told you that?"
"Do you think my chair ballet will catch on?"
"Uh-huh, oh yeah, alright"
"Okay, you're gay"
"Because this was Julia's first night"
"English to Japanese"
"Oui"
"It's like....."
"Right now I'm stepping into a yard"
"She's really massive"
"You can't beat them"
"Left-handed, one-handed for a fiver"
"They're alive, it serves you sodding right"
"In heels, stilettos"
"All the way down to Hell"


Well! What a fun little project that was. It makes you wonder just what on Earth most of us are talking about while we're wandering around.

Or is that just me?

(I'm not crazy.......)