Write Out Loud - Poet Profile

Dave Morgan

Email: thisisnotparis@ntlworld.com

View biography

View samples

Last blog entry: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:42:16 pm

Profile updated: Wed, 19 May 2010 12:21:00 am

Write Out Loud Profile: http://writeoutloud.net/poets/davemorgan

Write Out Loud Blog: http://writeoutloud.net/blogs/davemorgan

Biography

I was turned on to poetry after winning a plastic army lorry for reciting "I had a little pony" at the Coronation celebrations, held in our local pub, "Scrimmies", in 1953, aged 5. I have never looked back although the prizes never seemed to get bigger or better! "Write out Loud" is my third or fourth poetic reincarnation, with years of fallow in between. I have often thought of being a novelist. I'm sure you have too. While I think about it, I write poems as synopses of no-longer-voguish kitchen sink dramas, which went out with the kitchen sink. Now we've got a dishwasher I might become more forward-looking and "modern". I set up my first poetry group, "Morg Soc", at Uni abetted by a group of friends, who shared the fantasy of literary immortality and adulating women. "Write out Loud" is a little more sophisticated, a little more grounded, but the fantasies remain the same. Favourite poets Dylan Thomas (for his prose)Gary Snyder (for Han Shan and Rip Rap particularly)and Hovis Presley. In my days as a Chinese cookery demonstrator at Pontin's, people marvelled at my wok and chopper work.Hovis could have made that sound quite funny.Having hated my RC upbringing and "mis-education", I now find myself drawn back to the Irish diaspora, and drink a lot of Guinness as a political statement.Thank you to all the Write out Loud regulars and irregulars for providing a platform, a couch, and an audience for my ongoing therapy.

Samples

Once they’re gone, they’re gone

Roll up, roll up, get yours while stocks last.
A genuine, never-to-be repeated offer.
It’s not bankrupt stock, it’s not counterfeit,
Once they’re gone, they’re gone!

It wasn’t meant to end like this.
He was supposed to make a couple of charges and singe my beard,
And I was supposed to smack him vigorously on that bit just above his shoulder where the scales are very thick.
He’d roar, she’d scream and I’d sweep past him
And with one hand lift her onto my steed.

I knew it wasn’t going to go wrong, I had this feeling all day.
You shouldn’t under rehearse these events.
People want their money’s worth.
Well they certainly got it.
The last bloody dragon in Christendom
And I had to kill him.

It was the knave what got him.
I told him not to tie the rope too tight.
She ends up still tied to the post, half-naked,
I’m on the ground clutching a handful of white chiffon.
And there, over there, with a great gobby tear running down his pale green cheek,
Is Derek, with a ten foot red and white barber’s pole stuck up his arse.

He left me with a haunting look,
As if to say,“ Georgio, you bastard, you never paid me for that last gig”
And then it was over.
What am I going to do now?
Lions don’t breathe fire,
Crocodiles don’t stand on their back legs and bellow.
There’s so little call for old-fashioned melodrama these days.
People are just too sophisticated, too cynical.

Ah well, must be going, the tourist chariots are arriving.
Roll up, roll up, genuine dragon skin handbags,
Get yours while stocks last.
This is a never-to-be repeated offer.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone!

St George’s Day, 23 April 2006

CHOKER

“ We played “Loaded” by Primal Scream the other day. It made me think of the lads up north, one lad in particular, a close friend who we lost. I just got a lump in my throat and didn’t pull it together in time. When we got back on air I was all choked up”.

Sarah Cox : “lastline” column, “Ministry”, July 2001

So I’m leaving Leeds
And over drink we are making our comparison
Of football teams and their supporters
And I mention Leeds United and Tony Harrison.

Not for the first time
I draw some sharp unknowing jibes,
And condescendingly explain
The poet’s anger at some eighties mindless soccer scribes.

Harrison’s venom split the nation,
Railing at “fuck” daubed in a Leeds graveyard,
His work itself was written off as desecration,
He was never Thatcher’s favourite bard.

Then Stephen quietly said
“Graveyards have a tale to tell, there’s much to see
As in my own small town near Glasgow
Whose history can be traced across its tidy cemetery.

Across the back wall lie the older tombs
You notice all the kids who’re under five,
Dying from disease, and hungry to their bones.
The mammies seldom saw their bairns survive.

And here the paupers’ graves grassed over,
And there the marble tombs of civic patrons.
In life they were not equal, in death it so remained,
The ones unmarked, the other crafted lavishly by city masons.

And in the corner there the regimented stones,
Memorials to those butchered in the mud of France,
A ritual culling of the cream of Scotland’s youth,
Who wanted to be heroes but never had a chance.”

“And here” said Stephen, “a generation lost to glue and drugs.
Young men, they were my friends, just sixteen years or so.
Don’t think I’m joking, I survived through luck
Why I was saved I just don’t know”.

So Mike is “safe in his Saviour’s arms“,
With Paddy whose now “set free”
And here is Sean “a loving son”,
And the space next to Martin “was meant for me.”

We stared in silence at our pints,
Stephen’s rep was as a joker,
We’d lurched from Leeds United into life and death,
We hadn’t bargained on a choker.

Revised 3 Feb 2007

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.

Last blog entry

Today

Posted on Friday 15th January 2010 5:38 pm

Today

The Palace and the tax office are rent asunder

And the dogs and swine lord it over the corpses

And the officials are queuing for the first flight out

And the Palace and the Tax Office are rent asunder

Yeah verily the Palace and the Tax Office are rent asunder

And Papa Doc smiles from the beyond

And the undead rise and their places filled by the newly dead

And the lunatics are delivered from the asylum

And Papa Doc smiles from beyond

Yeah verily Papa Doc smiles from the beyond

And the fundamentalists call upon the bible

For lo they did wreak it on themselves

And their devil worship did spawn many awful films

So the fundamentalists call upon the bible

Yeah verily the fundamentalists call upon the bible.

The laughter of the racketeers pervades the forest

For it is an ill wind that does not blow someone some good

With the price of rice and peas already soaring

So the laughter of the racketeers pervades the forest

Yeah verily the laughter of the racketeers pervades the forest.

Humphries is struggling with the answer

How do we reconcile this to a merciful God?

The Archbishop has no problem with the question

But Humphries is struggling with the answer

Yeah verily Humphries is struggling with the answer.

The Palace and the tax office are rent asunder

And the dogs and swine lord it over the corpses

And the officials are queuing for the first flight out

And the Palace and the Tax Office are rent asunder

Yeah verily the Palace and the Tax Office are rent asunder.

Previous: Having a shower after watching the news headlines

View or make comments. (3 comments)

Read other blog entries by Dave Morgan

Counter: 4307

Do you want to be featured here? Submit your profile.

Comments

Stephen Pass

Thu 12th Aug 2010 10:26

Hi Dave, It was nice to chat to you the other night in Wigan and cheers for your good advice. Just read your poems above, poor old Derek, what a way to go! I really like 'Choker', I know what your mate means about graveyards, they are very powerful places. Hope to see you about soon, cheers Stevex

Rachel Eley

Thu 4th Feb 2010 23:44

hi dave. I definitely haven't retired yet! Unfortunately i haven't been able to make it to dgps recently for various reasons including moving house. I'm actually now living just round the corner from the everyman, so i have no excuse to miss it. I will definitely be there soon. Hopefully see you there.

Paul

Tue 5th Jan 2010 15:40

Ta for being my 6,000th visitor and your generous comment - truly thou art a sage and onion!

Rev Two-Sheds

Tue 29th Dec 2009 22:07

Cheers Dave - glad you spent a happy half hour round our gaff... plastic army lorries are the best, wish I had won one when I was a young'un... maybe I'll wax lyrical about my plastic fire engine... [maybe best not eh... it's a sad tale, all radiators and plastic memory distortions... never quite got over that weird sticky disintigration virus of rubber wheels on some of the dinkies, a bit harder to rhyme so maybe I'll leave that one ... anyway... happy new year to you and all
kindest regards
R2$

Paul (Admin)

Tue 22nd Dec 2009 20:51

Thanks for your thoughtful comments on my poems. I'm sure the mayor will love my peon to Bolton. And I was as surprised as you to find Dermot and his Mrs in the attic.

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sun 20th Dec 2009 13:03

Methinks thou dost protest too much. Any poem with an intentional 'kick' is surely ironic (I would have thought, 'kicking' being its very essence). Moralizing is not always a bad thing. You are too good to be under-rating yourself. Who are you trying to impress - or dis-impress? (Ha! New word of the week.)

Nicola Beckett

Tue 15th Sep 2009 16:34

I hope the night went well. Sorry I couldn't be there. It probably rolled and rocked the way that we wanted it to.

Antonionioni

Sun 6th Sep 2009 13:06

Well spotted, Dave - it is indeed Lichfield, and The Ladies of the Vale, with their three spires. Erasmus Darwin's house is in the left foreground, too...

Nicola Beckett

Sat 15th Aug 2009 16:39

Hello
Help. Lynne Jelly has booked a ticket up from London for the 2nd sunday in September. Ste (my husband) says there may be some musicians interested as well. Like himself, Paul Crompton, Dave Lomax, Rach. And of course Lynne herself.
I will ring you. If not I will ring Julian.
I will get in touch somehow as it seems a bit close.
N

shoeless

Thu 13th Aug 2009 18:41

x hope to see you tonight ,

winston plowes

Mon 3rd Aug 2009 10:03

hi dave, Thanks for your comments on rats / fish / barrels / poetry etc. Maybe this was left in the barrel when all the shooting was over! Inany case I think its ok but you are right, it is easy to write this type of thing and maybe thingsof greater worth only come with greater effort. See you about. P.S. I still love you too.

Nicola Beckett

Tue 28th Jul 2009 20:12

Ok that sounds good. I still have your mobile number I think. Will text you my new number. I thought Lynne was in South America travelling. Are you sure it was her? Shes been emailing me about her travels unless she's suddenly back. We will have to get together for a coffee or something and I think we should invite some of Johns friends so they can contribute. Will be in touch x
Nic

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sun 19th Jul 2009 14:18

Hi, Dave
Regarding our particular 'moon' poems; not cleverer at all ... just different.

Mike Anthony

Thu 16th Jul 2009 17:24

Hi Dave

Thanks for your comments, it's always good to have some constructive criticism. Reading through some of your stuff I like the way that you set the scene. Good stuff ma man!

Answering your question about who inspires me?... I share a house with Mia Darlone! enough said! ha ha

Jeff Dawson

Sun 12th Jul 2009 19:35

Hi Dave, I wondered if you would see my reference to Stoke - the city formerly known as the Potteries! Ha, thanks anyway, see you friday, will put you down for an open mic, cheers

Nicola Beckett

Tue 7th Jul 2009 18:41

What a great idea. Lets set a date and get some people together. Is September his anniversry?I think it should be mainly the people who knew John but he would argue all are welcome. I dont want to run the thing but probably think we can all share the responsibility and it will run itself. maybe we should all go for a curry or something afterwards or am I being too ambitious? let me know what you think. We can dedicate the night to Johns memory?
X Nic

Jeff Dawson

Sat 4th Jul 2009 18:10

Hi Dave, cheers, not sure Harvey Goldsmith has much to worry about yet! Thats convenient about the Crescent, have put you on the list, spread the word lets get a few in, cheers Jeff

John Togher

Sat 27th Jun 2009 18:40

Submissions still being accepted for MV.

Nicola Beckett

Fri 26th Jun 2009 12:24

Thanks for the John Jelly head poem.
I will dig out my effort too- 'The Seagull'
he would be proud of what Write out Loud has achieved, spreading poetry to the masses.
hope you are well. I will let Lynne Jellyhead know about this site as I'm sure she would appreciate the comments and tributes
regards Nic x

Jeff Dawson

Mon 25th Aug 2008 14:24

Hi Dave

Good to see you last night, thanks for what you said about my "Singing lound and proud' poem, I assume you've seen it but if not its my last blog on here. I thought best to keep neutral then any footy fan like yourself can feel the emotion and experience of the good old days!

cheers Jeff, ps Hope the Potters along with the Trotters of course stay up, a poem in there I think!

Bethan Townsend

Mon 18th Aug 2008 12:20

Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for your comments and encouragement :) Just thought I had to say it

Thanks!

Bethx

paul

Mon 18th Aug 2008 10:04

He's Rock and he's Roll
Got Be-bop, got Soul
He's a Chef
And he's cooking words
Dead-beat Dave Morgan!

Using "dead" meaning "really" as in "dead good"

Nicola Beckett

Fri 1st Aug 2008 22:39

Hi Dave,
It's me Nicola - the face from the past. The difficult one! Please post some more of your poetry. I know from memory I like it - I remember the one you wrote about Ranjit - in a school playground, hard hitting, socially alert stuff, with a voice.
It's got to have a voice you see poetry, not just pretty or with a beat.
I have a problem with all this slam stuff at the moment, it's very fashionable but will wilt eventually just like the housing market. You see I like word on pages, show me some of your stuff. The other day I wandered into a bookshop, I had an enormous feeling of loss because John Jelly was no longer in this world - to advise and guide me artistically of course. We must meet up for a drink and a chat some time. Check out my page - it needs updating - see you soon hopefully - NicolaX

sarah clark

Thu 10th Jul 2008 22:28

hiya Dave
i love the way your poetry is so describable,
i can see in my mind what you are writing,
like reading a lovely story from a enjoyable book

i hope that makes sence lol

keep up the good work

sez x

If you wish to post a comment you must login.