With their overly energetic performance style quite a few poets remind me of Wagbo - the character from Harry Hill's TV Burp.

Others are what I call the Ego-Octopus type ... they have eight arms and use all of them for patting themselves on the back.

My goodness - you are confrontational Steve - what have you been eating? You've got me counting my arms and wondering how energetic I am. Surely it's all about the punters. Performance poets should interest their audience - using whatever style they are comfortable with. I don't perform for myself - I get a buzz from feeling that I've made a connection. That is everything to me and yes - I do slap myself on the back if I think I've done it well. :)

I'm not really confrontational, Isobel. It's just that for most of my working life I've been paid to be a newspaper columnist - hence it's second nature to me to opine and and come out with glib satirical observations. People shouldn't, and mostly don't, take offence.

I find the various oratorical styles used by performance poets very interesting. One poet - who is probably the best in the North-West for my money - told me that he (or she!) had studied video of Hitler's speeches, and, I think, of Michael Foot's, in order to perfect his (or her!) performance style.

I'm not going to name that poet, because I find on this site if you name someone, then people start to get huffy and make personal attacks. Women poets are the worst in that regard, I'd say (not you, Isobel, particularly!) though it did get back to me that you thought I'd sold out by NOT doing my trenchantly anti-John Jennon poem 'Imagine Revisited'at the Lennon competition in Liverpool!

I thought your own performance in that competition was marvellous, by the way. XXX

Im yet to debut my poems live steve, but I wont be studying Thatcher speeches, wagbo, or multiplying my arms haha, will just try and read clearly...for now...
Energy and enthusiam are all good, as long as ego does not take over...ive seen some wonderful poets perform, who have been an inspiration to me.

Oh let's do some mutual back slapping - why not - if we aren't to be appreciated by the judges we might as well appreciate each other. I can say quite honestly that I would have seen you and Liam Brayd placed 2nd and 3rd before the actual winners on the night. I say that despite your blatant 'selling out' :) My family agree with me in that also. The right person always seems to come first - but thereafter, in competition, the runners up are always a mystery to me.

I think I know the poet you are talking about. The great thing about he/she is that they really know how to entertain and that is what live performance is about - be it music or poetry. For me there is nothing more tedious than to hear 10 to 20 page poets venting their life's angst all night. That isn't to rubbish page poetry - there is a place for everything - it just needs to be balanced with performance stuff on a stage. Those who can marry the two like Rachel McGladdery are truly gifted.

You know what, I thought the second and third places were wrongly judged. I thought you (Isobel) should have been among the prize-winners.

There you go, now I'm a Social Octpus rather than an Ego-Octopus. I still feel a bit slimy, mind, and a bit Wagbo.

WAGBO!!!

I'm laughing now cos our postings crossed. It seems we respect each other in equal measure. I am truly honoured to have earned that from you Steve - now go get a job back on the newspapers and do a nice review on this lovely poet you know...

Blobby blobby blobby blobby blobby blobby blobby, Mr Tickle and Spongebob Squarepants have been my, um, stencils in the past -- I still throw shapes but they're recognisable outlines you could draw round. Sometimes it's farmyard themed, and sometimes it's the shapes of things you find at the seaside. I hope this helps.

Moxy, thanks, that is SOOOOOOO helpful.

I find Moxy generally sheds light on any subject!

Oh dear, you appear to have shed a lot of O's because of the current slippery conditions. Allow me to help you pick them up.

O O O O O O

There. All safely back in the trailer.

Hello Ann, they call me the light shedder because I have a balsa wood shed. It hovers in even the lightest breeze. They call me the Illuminati because I work as a string of festive led lights suitable for indoors applications. Thank you.

And do you have a kaleidoscopic winking on and off facility?

I have multiple -- programmable -- sequences but the winking is something I have absolute control over so it's more a trait than a facility. I was engineered on the same construction line as Ms Ann Robinson, although her wiring may have been accidentally welded to the sequencer. I hope this helps?

No, you ARE the weakest link - goodbye! ;-)

Just goin to get the coal in . . . . I may be some time . . .

No coal! AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH!
(I think I'm on the wrong blog -toodlepip!)

No coal? No worries. Got snow? Well, a little known fact about snow is that it is combustable. However, it burns at one degree higher than books (fahrenheit 452) so it may take a little while to get ignited.

Haven't seen many 'winkers' on the poetry circuit - but a few that could be described by a rather similar word.

Plus a few for whom the light is on, albeit in a flickering sort of way, but no-one is home.

'Plus a few for whom the light is on, albeit in a flickering sort of way, but no-one is home.'

They'll be on a timer, Steve.

Just so long as the radiators are on. Can't bear folk with no heating. Too many blocked flues no doubt.

One flues over the clerihews nest

I usually overheart in performance, but rarely light anyone's fire, or spark anyone's ire.

Try wearing shorter skirts then ;)

But what if that caused me to flash me Hairy Mary?! There could be swooning, even at the Tudor!

It would be seasonal if there was also a manger and some livestock.

I HATE Wagbo - bring back the Little Knitted Character!!

Are we back to Steve's mohairy Mary?