Topicality apart. Nothing of outstanding merit an unremarkable commentary of a very tragic event

Comment is about 'Airways, Breathing, Circulation' by Peter Knaggs is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Sometimes the only response that can be given...sigh ;)

Comment is about Your emptiness (blog)

Original item by Maria

At least they can be voted out in a general election -
and out elsewhere in more local elections.
The most important vote comes on June 23rd...when
democracy itself is at risk for us here in the UK.

Comment is about Universal Suffrage (blog)

Original item by terry ireland

Thanks chicken! Am ridiculously excited about it haha :D

Ooo you called yourself a southerner!! There's no going back after that you know :p

Thanks so much xx

Comment is about Helen (poet profile)

Original item by Helen

'bidderbin' was another one much enjoyed Matt.

Rose

Comment is about We're off to Never never land - Paracetamol, cucumber sandwiches and the Lost rent boy (blog)

Original item by Matt

Yes you are right such feedbacks spur poets like me to fight injustice across the globe.You see lately I have joined a group Poets Unite Worldwide!

Comment is about Liberating the mind before the land (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Thank you elpintor. I wish they could find peace. I don't object to the state of Israel, but their tactics are an obscenity.

Comment is about Warsaw 1944 Ghetto (blog)

Original item by mentalelf. Philk.

Tough humorous truthful and from the heart. Thank you Terry.

Comment is about Universal Suffrage (blog)

Original item by terry ireland

I read this piece when you put it up a couple of days ago..it's very compelling and I feel I can't refrain from commenting..

I saw a movie several months ago..a very touching story that I feel references the delicacies of the relationships between these two peoples..

It is called "A Bottle In The Gaza Sea"..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPbja6AXj44

Thank you.

elPintor

Comment is about Warsaw 1944 Ghetto (blog)

Original item by mentalelf. Philk.

Pity the character in the piece didn't get his/her arse into gear earlier perhaps more lives would have been saved. Also the mention of fans milling about- the fans did more to save lives than the ambulance staff and police combined (Remember the hoardings?)

Comment is about 'Airways, Breathing, Circulation' by Peter Knaggs is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks Thomas. Just playing with words really !

Comment is about O C D (blog)

Original item by ray pool

This stylised soliloquoy is great and it does reveal the fascination of the depths of Shakespeare; very enjoyable. Ray

Comment is about sleep (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Exquisite fluid use of simple words in a masterful description of something so familiar. It almost feels like a meditation. Nice to read you in this frame of mind.

Ray

Comment is about Head In Hands (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

A really effective treatment of an everyday gesture with consequences to consider , deep layers of possibility, and your captivating short lines. Ray x

Comment is about Cigarette Burns (blog)

a lovely vignette , a moment sweeping in on a nostalgic sunset. I can't help thinking of the Edward Hopper corner diner with the lights on.

Ray

Comment is about diner (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Hey hun, just read your update. Congrats on the book. I will buy it! Wish I could be at your launch but us southerners don't venture to anywhere north of Brum lol x

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Wonderful. This really moved me. Some really beautiful lines and excellent imagery throughout :)

Comment is about Sea Dreams (blog)

Original item by Pixievic

My own thoughts, MC, are that there is no future in going back.
The one certainty in all the arguments on both sides is that I know what Stay looks like. I haven't a clue (and neither does anyone else) what Leave looks like.

Comment is about SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Just daft stuff, but thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Anyway, back to my cuppa...

Comment is about A mugging (blog)

Original item by Andy Smyth

Having noted your comments, I had a look through for "Retriever". Made me bark with laughter.

Also enjoyed your "lost shoe" poem (spelling mistakes and all). Reminded me of moving to a new area at age 13 (Dad's fault) and starting a new school where I knew absolutely no-one. Spent all morning on the loo before Dad dropped me off at school. I didn't lose my shoe, but it pretty much felt like I had. God. Memories of growing up, so painful, yet, now, quite inspirational as far as verse goes (it was still Dad's fault).

My poem - "Fragment of a tree" has the same sentiment but not the impact of yours, so well done my man, Enjoyed it. Wrote mine yonks ago, so not trying to steal your thunder or dig up those carefully hidden bones...


I feel the sting of your harsh rebuke
I sense your annoyance and dripping disapproval
Rather than rudely sticking out my tongue
And legging it, I stand to face the music

I adopt what I think is my best plaintive, hang-dog, expression
Slowly lower my eyes and dip my head in shame
Whatever I think, I can’t argue too much
We both know who wears the trousers around here

Understand who is the master, who takes the lead
Who puts the roof over our head, dinner on the plate
But I do feel, for once, you’ve been a bit short-sighted
You probably should have seen this coming

I don’t think I should really take all of the blame
After all, we’ve been here before
And when you lobbed that gnarled fragment of a tree
Right into the middle of the slowly meandering river

Let’s face it, you were always going to get wet
When I lovingly brought it back,
Dropped it expectantly at your feet
And vigorously shook off the excesses of the river.

Cheers,

A

Comment is about Andy Smyth (poet profile)

Original item by Andy Smyth

Too true mate. I have to go to the Dentist tomorrow at 10:00 am for a filling, then have an interview at 14:00 for a Local Government Authority in which I have to give a 15 minutes (timed, then told to stop) Powerpoint presentation on how to digitise Local Government... Then on to the 1 hour F2F interview.

I am looking forward to the Dentist.

But if I can (and I don't know if I can yet), perform a meaningless PP presentation for 15 mins in front of a stern faced panel trying to stay awake, then why should a 2 minute Poem/verse/made-up-crappy-thing present a problem? Who knows. Tell you tomorrow!

Andy

Comment is about Andy Smyth (poet profile)

Original item by Andy Smyth

This has a great rhythm to it. Keep up the great work. There was a lot of emotion, and it invoked a lot of intentional imagery. I really enjoyed this

Comment is about Liberating the mind before the land (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Interesting thought

Comment is about O C D (blog)

Original item by ray pool

I know exactly how this feels. Thank you for putting this pain into words, and keep up the creativity. Create something beautiful when bad things happen. It's the ultimate way to appreciate that self destructive emotion, and convert it into a positive passion.

Comment is about Divorce=Loss (blog)

Original item by Richard Alfred

Time to smooth out the kinks? :-)
At the time of the decision over joining the "European
Community" in 1975, the Treasurer of the "Yes" campaign
is reported to have said:
"The whole thrust of our campaign was to depict the
anti-Marketeers as unreliable people - dangerous people
who would lead you down the wrong path. It wasn't
so much that it was sensible to stay in, but that
anybody who proposed that we came out was off their rocker or virtually a Marxist".
Fast-forward to the present administration and Cameron's description of today's "antis" as loonies and
fruitcakes. Does that approach seem familiar?
Now - define the difference between "free trade" and
"harmonisation" (EC choice) - in meaning and cost.
Finally, outside the EU, a place with the World Trade
Organisation presents itself; inside the EU, it does not.
As for the process employed to get us this far:
I remember the deceit, then the denial, then the
dissembling, then finally the decision - as originally
planned! This is NOT OUR WAY and now we can
act - with far more knowledge and awareness than
we had previously - to get our bearings and our
future back.

Comment is about SHOULD WE STAY OR SHOULD WE GO? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Wow thanks chaps :)) -
Graham thank you - I started writing this while listening to a cello piece - it stuck with me!
Jemima - thank you so much I'm glad you liked it!
And
Stu ...... praise indeed! I'm glad you stuck with it! It's not my normal style I thought I'd give it a go - so Thank you indeed xx

Comment is about Sea Dreams (blog)

Original item by Pixievic

Our Guest Poet Patrick Bond prizewinning poet from Lewes. Patrick has years of experience as a poet and reader, and student of John Clare, as well as nine years as a Forest Worker. Winner of the 2013 Torriano Poetry Competition

Review is about The Poetry cafe on 11 May 2016 (event)

A harrowing piece Alem. It's awfulness came through after several readings. Tommy

Comment is about The better evil (revised) (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Ha-ha!

Comment is about Psycho-babble, doggy paddle (blog)

Original item by Peter Ray

Thank you Martin, Graham and Peter. Means a lot to me.

Comment is about Ego (blog)

I really like this, Trevor. I love the last line especially :)

Comment is about I Thought I Knew You (blog)

Original item by Trevor Alexander

I think that the country are with you on that one Sian. ;-))

Comment is about Sian Bird (poet profile)

Original item by Sian Bird

cheers ray! to be called hitchcockian is quite a thing.

Comment is about the jackdaws... (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

this is really good. my wife made me watch that film and i think this poem has more creative merit. maybe the book is better...

Comment is about Is The Fault In Us? (blog)

Original item by Abi Thomson

this is as far from my cup of tea as you can get but its beautifully written and does have some great lines in it and loads of imagery and assonance. 99 out of 100 of these i start and dont finish but this one i read in full and im glad i did. i love the closing lines to. nice to have you back.

Comment is about Sea Dreams (blog)

Original item by Pixievic

Short, sweet, nice.

Comment is about Ego (blog)

My sort of poem. Real.

Comment is about A mugging (blog)

Original item by Andy Smyth

Wonderful Pixievic! Thank you.Jemima.

Comment is about Sea Dreams (blog)

Original item by Pixievic

A poem about Hillsborough seems appropriate this week, and this one is just excellent. Great work, Peter.

Comment is about 'Airways, Breathing, Circulation' by Peter Knaggs is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

so lovely to read real poetry Katy,for which we thank you.

P&S xx

Comment is about Immortal Soliloquy (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

fave line-

'there is always time to spend destroying you'

and the rest was brilliant too.

P&S

Comment is about Playing Thin, Thin and Loose (blog)

Original item by confirmstatushere

we just popped on to high five and collect a laugh and a little tear.

P&S

Comment is about A mugging (blog)

Original item by Andy Smyth

"The murmur of the surf plays in her ears like muffled
notes bowed on a cello"............

I like those words a lot!

Comment is about Sea Dreams (blog)

Original item by Pixievic

In a class of its own Stu for sheer descriptive lines - perfectly captured like a Hitchcock moment.

Ray

Comment is about the jackdaws... (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Good to see you posting Preeti.
Short and sweet and an interesting idea.
Can wounds fly deep?
I like the brevity though.
More please!

Comment is about Ego (blog)

Haha, aww thanks Rose. I'm not a Manc, I grew up near Blackburn but live in Huddersfield now. Bokkle is possibly better but it's not really how we say it. It's more like bo''le, but you wouldn't be able to read that and I couldn't think of another way of writing it. Which other poems did you read of mine?

Comment is about We're off to Never never land - Paracetamol, cucumber sandwiches and the Lost rent boy (blog)

Original item by Matt

..sounds like navigating treacherous terrain in a tentative vessel..so sad that a journey is sometimes incompletely understood until experienced.

This hits hard..thanks for putting it up.

elPintor

Comment is about Tips for my Daughter, How not to get raped, pt1 (blog)

Original item by confirmstatushere

Well what can I say... From near relegation to winning a premier league title within 12 months. Fairytale ending. :)

Comment is about Tommy Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

I get the picture of a lawyer preparing a case. The final line is particularly weighty.

I've read a few of your latest poems and really enjoy the spacing tactic you use in your presentation..it moves like a camera shutter..a very effective device.

Thanks for putting up the great work.

elPintor

Comment is about Cigarette Burns (blog)

Thanks, Martin and Rose, for reading and your comments. I'm pleased that you found the metaphors compelling.

elPintor

Comment is about nightfall (blog)

Original item by nunya