Kristelig bodegareportage

Fra dagens Kristeligt Dagblad, ved journalist Evander Pedersen, smukt navn!:

"Morgenkaffe, pilsnere og Gammel Dansk stod i vanlig stil klar på bordene, og en håndfuld stamgæster havde fundet deres plads på træstolene på værtshuset Diligencen i København.
Det usædvanlige ved denne mandag morgen var, at også litteraturanmelder Lars Bukdahl, direktøren for kulturfestivalen Golden Days, Svante Lindeburg, og yngre lyrikinteresserede mennesker havde bevæget sig ind bag den western-inspirerede træfacade i Korsgade på Nørrebro for at læse Peter Laugesen-digte fra 1970' erne.
Anledningen denne morgen var begivenheden Gamle mænd, gammel lyrik og Gammel Dansk, som er en del af den årlige litteraturfestival KBH Læser, der netop er i gang.
(...)
Mandagens lyriklæsning var arrangeret af Golden Days og er blot ét af omkring 200 litterære arrangementer, der i denne uge finder sted i hovedstaden.
"Arrangementet er en diskussion af, hvad en mand er. Vi tager den hårde, men også klichefyldte side af at være mand ved at rykke ind på et værtshus og servere Gammel Dansk, og så tilsætter vi lidt lyrik. Det passer godt til den moderne mand, som indeholder både den hårde og den bløde side og kan rumme det uden at falde fra hinanden," siger Svante Lindeburg, der håber, at arrangementet har åbnet døren ind til lyrikken for dem, som måske kun har læst ganske få digte i deres liv.
Peter Rønsbo på 51 år var en af de omkring 10 fremmødte stamgæster på Diligencen.
I fredags var han med til et lignende arrangement, hvor der blev læst Dan Turèll, og Peter Rønsbo var så begejstret, at han også deltog på værtshuset mandag, hvor den altså stod på Peter Laugesen. Arrangementerne er geniale, og jeg har hørt fra flere af de andre stamgæster, at de nu pludselig skulle hjem og have fat i deres gamle digtsamlinger, som de aldrig før har gidet læse.
En af de andre mænd, som er over 60 år, fortalte mig, at han altid kun havde forstået prosa, men nu skulle han altså have fat i sin Dan Turèll-samling." Lars Bukdahl bemærkede da også engagementet fra de fremmødte stamgæster. "Jeg kunne frygte, at jeg skulle stoppe poesi i halsen på folk, som ikke var interesseret i at smage på det. Men stamkunderne var enormt lydhøre og deltog i diskussionen på deres egne kaotiske måder, men de var med," siger Lars Bukdahl.
Peter Rønsbo, der indtil for ganske nylig var hjemløs, var en af dem, der benyttede lejligheden til at afbryde Lars Bukdahl for at bidrage med sin fortolkning af digtene.
Det gjaldt blandt andet tolkningen af sætningen " Mamma mia belladonna flop"."Jeg sad og morede mig, fordi jeg vidste, at belladonna er en giftig urt, man kan ryge eller lave te på. Jeg er nede på det lavfrekvente niveau, og lyrik er mere simpelt, end man gør det til. Det kan være fedt at køre lyrikken op, men nogle gange skal man også bare køre det.".

- Nemlig, Peter R!

Jævnaldrende, psykedelisk mistænksomme tilhørerfodnoter

En erfaren, med digteren jævnaldrende tilhører på Diligencen denne morgen gjorde opmærksom på, at rable-ordet "belladonna" i "digt" nr. 1 hentyder til dengangs brug af planten af samme navn som et psykedelisk stof, og "belladonna flop" dermed = dårligt belladonna-trip  - frem-googlet info:

Belladonna

By Sorrel

"Throughout the accounts of the witchtrials of the 16th and 17th centuries, one of the constant elements recorded was that of "flying ointment". A number of recipes for this have survived showing that one of the ingredients almost inevitably listed (along with aconite or monkshood) was belladonna - deadly nightshade or Atropa belladonna as it is also known. It is known that "flying ointment" was concocted from a blend of several ingredients, each of which produced a particular physiological effect.
Its common name derives from its use in eye drops by women from the Roman period through to the Renaissance. It contains a muscle relaxant and acts on the eye muscles to relax the eye and therefore dilate the pupil - hence mimicking the effect of sexual interest or arousal and leading to its being known as "beautiful lady" - or belladonna. An alternative explanation of the name claims that it derives from Bellona, a goddess of war, and as a bringer of death such would not be inappropriate!
The plant is generally uncommon but grows in southern counties of England on limey soils in thickets and woodlands and sometimes naturalises in the vicinity of old buildings and quarries. It is a bushy perennial, growing up to 4' high, bearing dull purple bell-shaped flowers during June and July and purplish-black berries in the autumn; the latter are about the size of a small cherry. In folklore belladonna was the Devil's own plant and so keen was He on its cultivation that only at Beltane could He be diverted from its care and attention so that it may be gathered - hence one of the old folk names for this plant is the Devil's Cherry.
Atropa belladonna contains a number of alkaloids. The main one is a powerful and extremely dangerous psychedelic called hyoscamine. Added to this is scopolamine, which has been used in the interrogation of prisoners as it has the effect of causing profound confusion and disorientation, and atropine, which gives the plant its Latin name and is essentially a nerve poison. Atropine takes its name from Atropos - she of the Three Fates whose job it was to cut the thread of life. Again, not inappropriate!
A belladonna trip apparently starts out with pleasant hypnotic and "visionary" effects. Later effects during the trip, however, include blurred vision with unpleasant light-sensitivity, dry mouth and incoherent babbling. The general effect of this combination is one of extreme confusion, panic and anxiety. Permanent damage to the eyes may result, as may permanent brain damage. The effects of an overdose include vomiting and convulsions leading to collapse, heart failure and death. Other effects of the plant are to dry up mucous membranes and inhibit secretions (not an aphrodisiac, presumably!) and as a muscle relaxant.
By far the most poisonous part is the root with the leaves being less toxic and the berries less again. Mrs Grieve reports that an adult may eat a couple of berries without significant ill-effect, though one berry is enough to kill a child. When used in native areas the dosages range from 30 - 120mg for the root and from 30 - 200mg for the crushed and dried leaves thought it must be stressed that the upper ranges are not to be regarded as safe! Either way it may be eaten or smoked. Neither way is it recommended.
Belladonna is still used in modern medicine - it is found in some common sleeping pills for example, in Contact 400, where it acts todry up runny noses, in some asthma drugs and in surgery as a muscle relaxant before the anaesthetic is given. It is possible to overdose on a number of prescription asthma drugs and thus obtain a rather unpleasant belladonna trip courtesy of the NHS!"

- mere tvivlsom er måske nok samme tilhørers insisteren på, at det uforglemmelige barokke-visionære billede "Der vokser æbler på opvaskebørsten" i "digt" nr. 3 kan forklares med rygning af knuste grantæblekærner, endnu et populært 70'er-tripperi!?