Great review.

My first ever poem on here was spurred by a writing exercise by Jackie that was on the front page of Write Out Loud, when I first found this place, so I will thank her for evermore for that. I love how she's taken this hugely traumatic event and used it to create art. That's a proper poet is that :)

Comment is about Jackie Hagan, Manchester, 2015 (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Beautifully evocative this Ian - loving the jukebox stanza and the bronchial fog. I really like the structure of the walk past all of these places that you dream are there - that did used to be there. It not only takes in the various shops and places, but does it in a deceptively simple way - replicating a simpler way of life. I quite often ramble about my home village and the shops that were there, and the people who worked in them.

Comment is about Once Upon A Time (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Many thanks Steve - knew you'd know that ;)

Been quite some time since I was inspired to write a political rant. In fact, last week, I was genuinely starting to believe that I wouldn't be able to perform half of my set after the election as they'd be out of date and irrelevant. Hey ho, not so.

Blue collar my arse. They're already starting to make the Daily Mash irrelevant!

Comment is about Majority (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

this started our day with a BIG smile and an even bigger laugh.xx

Comment is about THE BALLAD OF BOB THE BUN (blog)

Original item by THE PEN AND THE PAGE

very powerful piece Martin and very well written.x

Comment is about How dark (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

harry you make a heat felt point and Btw we love our country and hate what its become, hope the poem chimes in some

Comment is about Shut Down (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

hey colin maybe i am , but welcome you comments and time taken thanks

Comment is about A life laid out. (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

"I dreamt I saw Joe Hill last night,alive as you and me,
Said I' but Joe you're ten years dead ', 'I never died said he.'
Standing there as large as life and smiling with his eyes,
He said what they forgot to kill went on to organise.
Went on to organise."
Keep the Faith! love your work
Steve Smith

Comment is about Majority (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

I actually been plagiarized quite a few times myself, I've sent out about a dozen DMCA takedown notices in the last two weeks alone, and it always amazes me how lax publishers and sites like Amazon treat the issue. It's theft plain and simple, whether you call it "appropriating" or not, any reputable publisher would drop her like the proverbial hot potato. She's a thief, by any name. Btw, I started Facebook group to alert others of plagiarism, should anyone be interested. That's how this article came to my attention, it's a public group called "Plagiarism Alerts - Poetry and Prose"...feel free to join.

Comment is about Poet apologises for 'appropriations' as poems are withdrawn and book is pulped (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Wow - what a walk down memory lane. I enjoyed this too - some great pieces of description.

Comment is about Once Upon A Time (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Yes - very reflective and evocative. I like your use of lines too. We're all affected by them, when you think about it - crossing them, hemmed in by them, blurring them. I also like the unanswered questions. I've long believed that if you have to ask, there's something amiss.

Comment is about The Lines (blog)

Original item by John Togher

The undisputed intention of the SNP today is an "independent Scotland".
In short, the same aim of those described by the
German Minister in Dublin to Berlin in WW2 as the Scottish Independence Movement.
In 1940 and again in 1943, radio messages sent to
Berlin (deciphered by British codebreakers in
Berkeley Street, London) called for a German-Scottish
Alliance" and made various proposals in pursuit of a Scottish republic that are a matter of public record.
Fact is often far more interesting than fiction.

Comment is about PUBLIC RECORD (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Thank you very much for the feedback, i really appreciate it

Comment is about My Bedroom Floor (blog)

Original item by Genevieve

Thanks, Jeremy, for your comment and for posting the Larkin interview. I shall look forward to having a good read of it. Fascinating stuff.

Comment is about Poetry in a time of data: protecting acorns, adders, catkins and herons from language loss (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Martin, thanks for the comments on 'In the Wrong Place'. They are much appreciated and I'm glad you liked it.

Comment is about Martin Elder (poet profile)

Original item by Martin Elder

yes well the dictionary is obviously pandering to the buzzwords of the age - urban edgy contemporary etc

and then I doubt what words - do or do not - go into a childrens dictionary will have much effect on nature poetry

the real danger is those buzzwords - urban edgy contemporary etc - but it is not a new phenomena as this interview with philip larkin from 1982 points out - http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/3153/the-art-of-poetry-no-30-philip-larkin#.VUBOpdWFJDY.twitter

"Some time ago I agreed to help judge a poetry competition—you know, the kind where they get about 35,000 entries, and you look at the best few thousand. After a bit I said, Where are all the love poems? And nature poems? And they said, Oh, we threw all those away. I expect they were the ones I should have liked."

Comment is about Poetry in a time of data: protecting acorns, adders, catkins and herons from language loss (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Many voices crackle
then verification strikes
mixing many minds
into one collection.

Comment is about May Collage Poem (blog)

Original item by Stockport WoL

Thank you Ladies.xx

Comment is about Croupier of my fate (blog)

They don't know what a treat they missed, Greg.

Comment is about There's poetry in Trainspotting (article)

Original item by Julian Jordon

75 years ago heh? hmm... 75 years before that the speed limit was 2mph and the Liberals won the election hahaha.

Comment is about PUBLIC RECORD (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

"Somewhere near Liverpool Street" is about right, Julian. More Poetry can be a difficult place to find, which might help to explain the low turnout, despite the pleasant coffee and cake vibe. Or it might just have been the identity of the guest poet! We got there ok, myself and emerging poet Trevor Breedon - keep an eye out for that name - and met up on the pavement outside to shoot the poetry breeze with David Andrew and Jazzman John Clarke. But on the way back David and I got completely lost and ended up at Aldgate. No worries, just another stop along on the Circle line. And nice to see Ken and Juli again.

Comment is about There's poetry in Trainspotting (article)

Original item by Julian Jordon

Harry,
many thanks for your generous words about 'In the Wrong Place'. I'm glad you liked it and more importantly I'm glad it made you think.

Comment is about Harry O`N eill (poet profile)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Are you dead and writing from the grave? I think it would read better if you started from a different perspective: 'all his / her life was laid out' etc.

I quite like the first half but get confused from your wet banger onwards. Eye, me, cry, me, eye? IMO of course. x

Comment is about A life laid out. (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

Tommy,
Yup!..................and?

Comment is about Is (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Dave,
I put down the list (from a newspaper) as an example of the desperate promises that were made to win 11an election which has both surprised and (I think) left the winners in a state of consternation (they were hoping that - even if they won - then their alliance partner would stop them carrying out half of it.)

Concerning austerity: there hasn`t been any of it yet...
all those people who have been forced back into work are probably on in-work benefits, and productivity (which was so important in my trade union days) is as flabby as a Sumo wrestlers belly. All of which doesn`t augur well for a trade-led recovery.

The oil-price collapse - which looks so handy -might be hiding an impending slowdown of the world economy.
To be talking about leaving the protective European Union at such a time seems to me to be sheer lunacy.

Concerning the hunching my shoulders bit:... The fact that the politicians didn`t want to upset the pensioners before an election doesn`t hide the fact that their pensions take a huge slice of government expenditure, nor that the fruits of decades long prosperity sit in their bank-balances like juicy red plums for the taking....It seems to me to be a target too obvious to resist. (well before the next - distant - election)

The huge monster looming over us is that bloody deficit...so watch your wallets folks!

Ken,
I absolutely love living in this country.

Comment is about Shut Down (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

Harry, thanks for you comments and suggestions. I see what you are saying but I'll leave it as it is.

D.

Comment is about A LONELY LAMENT (blog)

Original item by THE PEN AND THE PAGE

Darren,

I feel that the last three stanzas of this poem would work more effectively on their own.

Assuming this was so (just three stanzas) I think it would
`run`a bit better with the `if` deleted from line three of the shorter set up and the `now` deleted from line seven.

I feel that this would make a good poem excellent.

(the picture fits it well)

Comment is about A LONELY LAMENT (blog)

Original item by THE PEN AND THE PAGE

Great picture! Thanks for your coverage, Greg.


It was good to meet you at the Surrey Poetry Festival 2015.

Stephen Davids

Twitter: @swdavids

Comment is about Stephen Davids (photo)

I have rewritten this work 3 times. I feel a bit obvious in asking you this, but if you would like my latest version I will be honoured. Tommy

Comment is about Vertices (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Leather bound poetic spell
You cast yet again
Slave to his mistress
Craves for much more.

Comment is about Momento Mori (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

Thanks Michelle.

Comment is about A LONELY LAMENT (blog)

Original item by THE PEN AND THE PAGE

this is terrible to read and sadly not the first case i have read of this over the past few years. it makes you wonder whether any more in this book are not the author's own work (silly, silly)

Comment is about Poet apologises for 'appropriations' as poems are withdrawn and book is pulped (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

The fate of those poor people is expressed so well in your last line - Brilliant.

Comment is about 56 (blog)

Original item by jeremy young

another powerfully observed moment... I really like how like how you do this. M:)

Comment is about posing (blog)

Original item by jeremy young

I really like the feeling in the poem. Being beside someone as they die, waiting for the final moment. A great write. M:)

Comment is about A LONELY LAMENT (blog)

Original item by THE PEN AND THE PAGE

apology accepted, poets do not forget their poems

Comment is about Poet apologises for 'appropriations' as poems are withdrawn and book is pulped (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Sheree Mack's long-winded 'explanation' fails to mention one word: theft.

Comment is about Poet apologises for 'appropriations' as poems are withdrawn and book is pulped (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

A lovely poem, a sweet rendition of love

Comment is about Croupier of my fate (blog)

awwww! this is simple/sweet.I hope its about you two?


True love at its best! x

Comment is about Croupier of my fate (blog)

It certainly will! thank you, that's very kind of you both :)

Comment is about Scattered Thoughts From an Ale Stained Collar (blog)

Original item by Obviously Charming Delinquent

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for the kind comments, yes, I do write from the heart, and I absolutely love doing so, yet technical stuff is really important too. I see the two as complimenting each other, not as being as opposed as some might.

I love writing and striving to improve is always the way forward.

Thanks for the comments.

Carol

Comment is about The Loaded Gun (blog)

Original item by Carol Fenwick

sorry to be boring,but will WOW! suffice? xx

Comment is about Scattered Thoughts From an Ale Stained Collar (blog)

Original item by Obviously Charming Delinquent

Thanks Rose.Yep,will use your clarifying suggestions.

Patricia.xx

Comment is about Old flames old pains (blog)

right now..
thefarmer is dead
love this poetry

http://www.puisiprotes.ga/

Comment is about New Farmer (blog)

Original item by Alex Smith

kindness has died and now five years of real pain

Comment is about Shut Down (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

Bet you wouldn't live any where else Harry. and you David

Comment is about Shut Down (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

David,
What are you worrying about?...think of the promises they have made.

1...Give the NHS an extra eight million a year by 2020.

2...Extend right to buy scheme to housing association tennants.

3...Build 200,000 starter homes.

4...Take everyone who earns less than £12, 500 out of income tax.

5...Lift minimum wage workers on 30 hours a week out of income tax.

6...Increase the minimum wage to £8 by the end of the decade.

7...Double the free childcare allowance for three and four year olds to 30 hours.

8...No above-inflation rise in rail fares until 2020.

9...Increase the inheritance tax threshhold on family homes to £1million.

10...cut £10billion of red tape.

11...Raise the threshhold for the 40 pence rate of tax to £50,OOO.

12...Lower the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23000.

13...Same-day GP appointments for the elderly and the right to a named GP.

14...Freeze the BBC license fee.

15...Reduce number of M`ps to 600

16...Protect pensioner benefits including free bus passes
and the winter fuel payment.

17...In/out EU referendum in 2017.

18...End any new public subsidy for onshore wind farms,

19...make a decision on expansion of airport capacity.

It`s all in the newspapers. (and pukka!)

And all this at a time when (given the ukip lesson given to the ruing party) we are quite likely to leave Europe and face the growing competition of the huge emerging economies - and the remaining European bloc - all on our petulant little own...at the time when we have really got to get down to reducing that bloody deficit.

I wonder what happened to all that austerity they were talking about?

As a member of the pensioner/NHS-demanding ageing population bloc (that huge consumer of government money) which is also the tempting location of so much of the accumulated wealth of the last few prosperous decades, I - personally - am hunching my shoulders in expectation.

whoever said you couldn`t fool all of the people all of the time?

Comment is about Shut Down (blog)

Original item by David R Mellor

Still waiting : )

Comment is about Fran Isherwood (poet profile)

Original item by Fran Isherwood

thank you lynn

Comment is about ists (blog)

Original item by jeremy young

Beautiful, Nat, this one has such an evocative mood, You've really captured that sense of loss x

Comment is about Regret (blog)