Thanks chaps - Tommy

Comment is about The end of an affair (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Wild but good

Comment is about the spoons (blog)

Original item by Maxine

You must know the same witch ! ?

Comment is about Red Stain (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

I see you enjoy F Scott Fitzgerald ? I was recently directed in a short play written by him called 'Porcelain and Pink'! It was such an enjoyable read and even more to be a part of! Plus being on a bathtub on stage was pretty daring i must say. Haha.

Comment is about AM Cash (poet profile)

Original item by AM Cash

Andy, get the Tesco lady up here, more relevant than ever, AMC

Comment is about Andy Millican (poet profile)

Original item by Andy Millican

Brave

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Great insights here looking forward to reading more.

Comment is about Charlee Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Charlee Freeman

Fantastic poems full of great imagery.

Comment is about Anne Enith Cooper (poet profile)

Original item by Anne Enith Cooper

Lovely imagery in this poem.

Comment is about A water drop in the ocean (blog)

Original item by fries luca

Great poem theme of hard social reality with empathy.

Comment is about Just in chaos (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

Liked this strong sensual theme.

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

nearly missed this beaut!






Rose (wild thing-Casserley) x

Comment is about You make my heart sing (blog)

Original item by Chakraj

and Wendy,you don't mean to tell me you've forgotten the Lords prayer?


Rose x

Comment is about No Words (blog)

Original item by Wendy Higson

This is awesome. Love how it says celebrate who you are because we are God's children. Yes, we are broken, but if we let Him in He heals us.

Comment is about Listen to your heart petal (blog)

Original item by Chakraj

Louise - I take it this is a protest piece in the wake of an employer's lack of support and understanding, which could/should be construed as discrimination. Mental health is all over current news, so employers, especially public bodies, should really get with the programme or be exposed. Impossible to handle this alone though, so the press or a solicitor or both should be alerted. No-one should have to put up with stigma any more.
Rob

Comment is about Written Off (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Louise - although this is seen from the female perspective and qualifies as acute observation, what about the 'male voice'? You could try a second stanza, almost in reply, from his point of view. I think it would give this piece balance, especially with the current title.
Rob

Comment is about Perfect Pair (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Jemima the advice given was unless the fire was in your property you should place wet towels at your doors to block the entry of smoke and await rescue.

People were still being told that on the night, by the police and fire service on the phone. People that would be alive if they had left with said towels over their heads.

This policy is known as 'Stay Put. It is based on the previously reasonable premise that fires are contained internally. The cladding that burnt made this premise invalid and turned the policy into a death sentence.

The fact that no resident was treated for burns suggests that they did what I suggest I would have done (I once lived on the 12th floor myself). They stayed put.

Comment is about Stay Put (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

easy to say with hindsight what one would do if in that situation,but,and with the greatest of respect,why didn't we hear of anyone at least wrapping themselves in water soaked blanket's etc?.There again I suppose due to the ferocity of the flames,even that kind of protection would have only lasted for so long.Would it have been possible and of any use for water carrying helicopter's to be deployed? So many if's and but's.Let us hope lesson's WILL be learned.Thank you.Jemima.

Comment is about Stay Put (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

A valiant effort to achieve the impossible task of putting our feelings into words: the compassion and the anger. Heads rarely do roll, I fear. It's often the rest who suffer, it seems.

Comment is about Stay Put (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

Thank you Mark. I have no words for this horror, so thank you for writing yours.

Comment is about Stay Put (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

I'm not sure this is so much a poem as a paragraph from a 19th century French novel by Emile Zola, Balzac or Maupassant and for that reason I absolutely love it. Bung in some punctuation, a few troubled characters, a plot twist and Zut Alors! a short story will be born.

you do realise that I am setting this as homework for the weekend Keith ? Good luck, Col.

Comment is about The Formative Years (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

for me the key line in this poem Mr T is 'I fear some in high places' - there is a comparison to be made here between those on the wealthy top floors of authority to those on the top floors of a burning substandard tower block in the poor part of town.

your title is well chosen - those two words and all the ghastly film clips and sound bites will haunt us for a generation to come, like Hillsborough. Heads surely need to roll. But where will the buck stop and who will end up being the fall guy when so much of the system is at fault?

thanks for posting,
Col

Comment is about Stay Put (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

"you usher me into the space where my eyes are alert,
where I am at once nothing and everything"

I love this piece Dana. You've sublimated the encounter to anther level. Journeying into a spiritual space in mind.

To crown it all is the wonderful title. Well done.

Raj

Comment is about Cell Dissolution (blog)

Original item by Dana Lyn

Beautiful Travis. I like that sequence of sin, repentance, redemption. Thanks for sharing.

Raj

Comment is about Broken (blog)

Original item by Travis

A quick note to let you know I have mentioned your new book in a blog post, today.
https://francesmacaulayforde.wordpress.com/2017/06/16/after-hours/
Looking forward to a good read.

Comment is about David Cooke (poet profile)

Original item by David Cooke

wow, thanks all for the kind comments. nice to logon and see all of these. i'm very receptive to feedback and can see how the first three lines could be seen as superfluous. i'm a sucker for a casual and abrupt phrase but see how the poem could be tightened up with their exclusion.
In another way I find it very hard to edit poems once I've finished them, when I go back to a finished draft I'm a bit blind to improvements and I'm a bad editor so these opinions are always welcome!

Comment is about An Hour Before (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Wow! I really do picture a venus flytrap now that i read it over again! That is really, really cool

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Good Evening M.C. I have always been inspired by the words of Alexander Pope that Hope springs eternal in the human breast. If I thought for one moment that hate springs eternal then I think I would leave home this instant and throw myself under the first large oncoming vehicle and end it all. Thank you for your considered comment. Keith

Comment is about Justice & Peace (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Hello M.C. It is only in the Creation Narrative of the Book of Genesis, Chapter One that we are told that God created man in His own image. This does not feature in the Quran. The term image is one used to describe man as being a likeness or resembling, but not the person of God himself. Sadly religion is frequently used by all religious extemists to justify their atrocities, similarly we can assume with some certainty that nearly all those employed in the Nazi Concentration Camps were baptised Christians. What a dilema indeed. Keith

Comment is about BOMBING GOD (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

I love the poem Tom, and on reading the comments can see the first three lines for me could be more in a flow as an afterthought at the very end instead of at the beginning. This would perhaps give a reflective end instead of a contemplative start. Just my opinion. The whole feel of the lines is superb.

Ray

Comment is about An Hour Before (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Safe in my cage of advanced age, all I can say is I appreciate what you have written here - most imaginative and it reminds me of those venus flytrap plants (check it out)! Daren't say more.

Ray

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Thanks so much Tom Martin Colin Stu and Suki for all your appreciation. I thought I would try something a bit mysterious this time. The idea of a man/bird came to me, then I took it from there. I used swifts and swallows mainly for the alliteration. Again the stern to bow was the formation front and back .

Love to all. Ray

Comment is about BIRDMAN (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Reading it back now, I am surprised by my own ironic humour. I think this one has legs in the future.

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Robert I feel this is a stronger piece too. I would love to make this into a novel. Maybe one day...

Comment is about The Dead Dolls (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

A lot of poems written at this time are almost a stream of consciousness. It was a very dark period but I find looking back gives me a strength to move forward. Robert, your comments have drawn me to the poems with a reflective head on. I can almost see how hard my journey has been reflected through my work.

Comment is about Rest (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Michaela a real quickie that was. Just the way you wanted it. Obviously there's many sides to you and you seemed to have broken the mould. Pieces like this are a sure sign of release....a culmination of good/bad/dirty emotions. I thought the title was charming.

Poetic and erotic!

Raj

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Michaela - I hope you get what you're looking for, but you know what they say - 'Be careful what you wish for'.
Haha
Rob

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

haha nope, thats exactly what I was going for! Wanted to write something dirty on a page and this is what showed up from it! Something bad seemed good since i am having a not so nice day

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Michaela - this reads like a drunk text 'booty call'. Is that intentional or does this need an edit? Either way, it certainly shows you in a different light. Haha
Rob

Comment is about Suckle Numple (blog)

Original item by Michaela Sheldon

Louise - I've tried something similar:
https://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=54112
I think this subject is fertile for poetry and I like your piece, although I think it should be re-edited or polished up. Always available to help if needed.
Rob

Comment is about The Sand Man (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Louise - I hope you know the expression 'Can't see the wood for the trees', which sums up this piece. Often we are too close to the problem to recognise it for what it is, and despite assistance and reassurance from others, our understanding of what is happening is fogged. I like the self expression here.
Rob

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Louise - before I read the other comments, I got that the protagonist went from killing dolls to actual murder later in life due to a less than happy childhood. Don't they say that psychopaths show no degree of empathy and often practice on small animals (or dolls) before stepping up their murderous intent? I suppose the question that arises from this piece is 'What does it take to make a murderer/psychopath?' I really enjoyed this one.
Rob

Comment is about The Dead Dolls (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Louise - I'm afraid this one doesn't work for me.
Rob

Comment is about The Nail Bar (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

Louise - Bram would be flattered I'm sure. Nice work.
Rob

Comment is about Whitby Abbey (blog)

Original item by Louise Clarke

And hope springs eternal!
Sadly, the human condition has hardly advanced in terms
of either cooperation or competition, with the two
constantly at odds in a ceaseless conflict of interest.
For every sensible and considered opinion on any topic,
there will be an ill-informed rush to criticism driven by
immaturity and inadequate education. Perhaps "hate
springs eternal" is the more relevant comment on the world
today, despite the huge advances in benefits to the health
and wellbeing of human existence obtained by the
selfless (or even selfish!) efforts of a relative few brilliant
and inventive souls among the teeming masses from
whom recognition or gratitude are rare indeed.

Comment is about Justice & Peace (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

interesting critique for your poem Tom. I'm going to stick my neck out and say I love the whole piece including the first three lines which for me provides a slightly disquieting opener prior to the waking up line - as if the words have come to you on the last breath of a dream.

And the typewriter analogy is just ace and ties in beautifully with the first three lines as if taking over from that narrative. Thumbs ? up all round from me.

I have to say, this is what the comment boxes are all about - sharing opinion, interpretations, knowledge - all good stuff that benefits us all. Respect to everyone.

Col.

Comment is about An Hour Before (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Tom,
The very powerful `stand alone-ness` of lines four to nine seem to make the rest of the poem superflous.

Comment is about An Hour Before (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

You can`t seem much odder than that Linda (I should know...I am one)...eccentricity doesn`t even get anywhere near to describing the oddness of it

I like the self awareness of the wit in this...particularly the size of the hands....It would be a humdinger to perform!

(about sons...should the `never forget my birthday` be in quotes?) ?

Lovely poem.

Comment is about Martin Thinks I'm Catholic (blog)

Original item by Linda Cosgriff

All systems demand a price and the weakness is human
ambition and its desire to "succeed" - corrupting to
a degree that, when it becomes known, is held up as
endemic in its range to undermine the good work of others.
Those who have served in public life understand its
reality and rise above the indiscriminate generalisations
aimed in their direction by the disaffected and dissatisified
to soldier on undeterred, albeit occasionally disappointed by
the lack of faith and the recognition they deserve.

Comment is about Left Behind (blog)

Original item by Mike Bartram

An intriguing and entertaining commentary on the vagaries
and cost of "love, love|" and its place in the human condition. Years ago, the Beatles sung "All you need is love, love - love is all you need". Hmm. Maybe - to a
point...but it comes at a price that has to be paid.

Comment is about The Bad Omen To My Happiness (blog)

Original item by Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Rahman