John Z Hepworth

Biography

Gnarled 64year-old unpublished Leeds/Otley performance poet, now rushing into view after an encouraging encounter with Julian at 'Wicked Words' in Leeds. WOL's item on the Olympic Poetry Helicopter reminded me it appears in a poem I wrote in May - and suddenly it seems a good idea to log it somewhere before the actual event.

Samples

POETS & HELICOPTERS ON RADIO FOUR There's mention of the The Sixties. O h y e a h ... if you can remember : Psychedelic king of the buzz-cliches, And, bless it, gaudy utility cloak For much too well remembered missing out. (The programme continues and) Simon Armitage speaks - Level-headed, perceptive, tuneful, Talking about middle age, midlife. (New theories for old, softly echoing). And you there - how old now? Keep it vague if you want : Out of your fifties? Not yet seventy? Could we say sixties then? Swinging sixties perhaps - And you don't have to remember : It's now - and you're there. The poem wants to end But memory buzzes in : Still the radio - immediately a trailer And Paul Farley drawling us in for Friday : 'Night Visions' on the air, and in it too; A flight with the police. Paul, I bet you radiated Farleyness When this fact came your way : That graveyard monuments Gather in the warmth of day And give it back as signs of life To the heat-seeking helicopters Of the night. The poem is laid to rest and rest it does For days, not days and days, just days And then - the radio again. The air Thrums with it, a helicopter-load (100,000 since you ask) of poems : Helped, 'co-piloted', by Simon Armitage. An April fantasy Only because it hasn't happened yet; A fact of recent history for other Times and places. Poems from the air Blizzard to the ground and melt away. JOHN HEPWORTH March/May 2012

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

Blog entries by John Z Hepworth

S N E E Z Y I S M I S S I N G : a Difficult Day for the Snow White Gang. - (Definitely best heard rather than seen, as it works best with a pause for each development; but there is a reason for showing it here, as explained after the poem). (16/10/2012)

RHYMES FOR 'ORANGE' - two in a single sonnet ! (18/07/2012)

ZAARDVAARK THE WORDSMITER (11/07/2012)

ON FIRST LOOKING INTO THE EYES OF JOHNNY SOLSTICE (05/07/2012)

A BORSETSHIRE FANTASY : O CAROLINE (02/07/2012)

DIDN'T YOU EVER SEE THINGS THIS WAY, WOODY? (28/06/2012)

Blog link: https://www.writeoutloud.net/blogs/johnzhepworth