Oh wow! So glad it came out eventually:D This made me smile...and I must admit, I can relate - while eating macadamias at work last year, I laughed and snorted one up the back of my throat and into my nasal cavity...made for interesting lunchroom conversations, i now feel much less alone! thanks for sharing :D

Comment is about I quite like raisins, except for the one that got stuck up my nose! (blog)

Original item by Pauliegreg

Good on ya Hollie :)

Comment is about Hollie McNish: 'My mum worked night shift as a nurse and had two kids. This is nothing!' (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Jacqueline,
Who got the poor kids out to school...You
didn`t leave him to do it, did you?

Well, I`ve heard of forgetting things....!

Comment is about Sunday Evening & Monday Morning (blog)

Original item by Jacqueline Phillips

So long as you sent it, David - so long as you sent it!

Comment is about THE DAY BEFORE VALENTINE'S (blog)

Original item by David Subacchi

M.C.
Whatever government we end up with, `we aint seen nuthin`yet`! ...apart from the savings `skim` the pensioners haven`t been touched..so...after the election??????.

Comment is about TAXING MATTERS! (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Hello MC,
We're all encouraged towards tax avoidance (TESSAs, PEPs and ISAs) but I think the distinction with this latest episode seems to be the collusion of the Inland Revenue with the Honkers and Shankers to condone tax evasion.
As the old joke goes, "What's the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion?" "About 10 years".

Comment is about TAXING MATTERS! (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Abusive relationships such love less controlling partners, glad you have found love ( : ♡

Comment is about My aching heart (blog)

Original item by Pauliegreg

Hi Paul my brain needs a reboot ,stress is so debilitating,Heard you are starting a new life in Torquay keep the poetry alive down there ♡

Comment is about What's going on inside my head (blog)

Original item by Pauliegreg

Love this poem, really thought provoking :) Love it!

Comment is about Turning Over Stones (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Loved this poem when you read it at the old court last night, spooky! :)

Comment is about Mama... (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

There is a vivid yet very human imagination at
work here. There are questionable uses of words
and phrases e.g. a girl wouldn't usually be said
to "bark" a reply. And the "soon struck by her
mother" has an ambiguous meaning before later
words enable the reader to know that this refers
to a sudden blow and not an "impression formed".
The content needs other revision appertaining
to tense and appropriate words used BUT the
overall impression points to a story teller
with something worth hearing.

Comment is about Above The Skyline (blog)

Original item by Aly Hatcher

An intriguing little vignette of human behaviour
across the generations, leading the reader on,
wanting to find out more...the essence of all
short story writing.
N.B. "fourth" should surely be "forth" in this
context.

Comment is about Untitled (blog)

Original item by Becka Brush

Powerful points made.
Civilised lands recognise & agree to boundaries
of behaviour in war that subsequent peace would
not tolerate being transgressed. Barbarians
know no such bounds and their deeds condemn
them. The absence of certain countries as
signatories to the Geneva Convention serves to
remind us of recent savagery. The pity of modern warfare is in its mechanised killing
en masse that undermines the essential humanity
that seeks to prevail when any conflict is
done and the world moves on. I refrain from
using "progresses" for a reason!

Comment is about On the day the first Gulf War ended (blog)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Takes me back to my youth in Newcastle. Walking home.
Cos' we missed the last bus, which no longer runs.

Comment is about 222 (blog)

Original item by dazzer

Recalls a time which I've left behind. Thanks for the memory.

Comment is about BATH NIGHT (VERSION). (blog)

You can find more of my poetry on line including some performance videos simply by searching for SUBACCHI POET.

Comment is about THE DAY BEFORE VALENTINE'S (blog)

Original item by David Subacchi

Quote
Some men disagree with this philosophy, and comment on Write Out Loud whenever something about Loose Muse is featured.

When followed by this...

Quote
You have an absolute right to make such comments any time you want, Chris, and whenever we run a story about Loose Muse.
Unquote

Through your editorialisation you have created a dismissive, false and unreasonable narrative arc.

How?

Simple. Firstly your comment confers a judgemental tone to anyone disagreeing with the sexism implicit in this event. You said "some men" disagree with this philosophy. In other words - men only, this is factually false. In actuality, some women have also disagreed with the philosophy behind this event.

One of the operative words in one of your statements was "whenever", by which you meant, every time. You were in fact saying that every time this event is mentioned “some men” always complain or for what of a better phrase “have a go”. I have to say this sounds very much like an implied accusation of sexism towards these men…interesting.

So if a man complains about sexist behaviour, he is inherently sexist and a misogynist himself for making the very complaint in the first place? I am sure you will say you didn't mean that, I certainly hope you didn't mean that, as that sound pretty awful. In any regard, even if we pretend it came with no added judgement - we are still left with “some men”.

Shall I tell you how many times Loose Muse has been commented upon Greg?

I went through the listings and from what I can see most articles from Loose Muse receive no comments at all.

That said there was a total of 5 comments on their articles. There were three comments from three separate men and two comments from two separate women.

There was one article that drew criticism from myself - one comment from me, one as in singular. Two women commented in that very same thread and both of them agreed with my comments. Two of us in the thread disagreed with this event and the other understood why I felt as I did.

I looked for other articles. That is where I found one other thread where two men commented, their comments also indicated a disagreement with "this philosophy".

So then, let us look at the facts Greg.

I made one comment prior, ever, one! Yet in your comment here you emphasise how I am welcome to always comment on articles on Loose Muse. Implying I was one of "those men" that always comment. How so? How could I be one of those men that always comment when the sum of my prior contributions was - one!

How?

How could any of the men be those men? In fact Greg how could there be “some men” at all in regards to always commenting?

See Greg you have created pure fiction with your statements. And it was your editorialisation, your factually false statement of "some men" that drove me to comment.

Prior to this article - no one person has commented more than once on Loose Muse articles.

Total comments 5, two from women, three from men. Of the 5 comments received, depending on how you read what was said, either 5/5 people disagreed with this philosophy - all men and all women. You could argue that one of the women who commented had some time for the idea in principle. In which case it would still be an even split between the women and 100% of the men who are against this and 5/6 people against this philosophy. Now Greg, can you see why I would be irritated given how your comments paint an entirely/ completely different picture from reality :-/

Sorry for the repetition, I just wanted to avoid ambiguity. Had you had just posted the event and reported upon it, I would have said nothing. But you didn't do that. You felt the need to post your editorialised viewpoint on the issue and in so doing - made what appears as a judgemental attack on those that have not agreed with this event. Done that with a false bogey man of "some men". Some men are not the bogey man, here. The bogey man here is sexism paraded as equality. The tone of which is don't dare to critisise - or we might just paint you as the sexist.

Greg here are the words, verbatim from the lady that runs this event. Here are her words verbatim from the Write Out Loud website – as she advertised!

Who is the sexist do you think?

Quote
But is there still a need for a women’s writers’ night, I hear you ask? Well, yes there is. So many other events are testosterone-fuelled, antler-locking events where alpha males lock poetic horns and read “love” poems that are really “shag” poems, and where women (especially if they’re over 40) are often patronised or minimised. I’ve seen some male hosts practically dribble in lust-filled anticipation at any young or attractive women writers who take part in events…not an attractive scene.
Unquote

P.S

Nothing personal, far from it, but the support write out loud offers this group and the editorialisation in their favour – it just doesn’t look good Greg. Thankfully the site and stories are generally of a high standard and much better than this.

We should all wish for an end to all “isms” and embrace and push for equality and equality of opportunity in all areas of life.

If anyone suggested women could come along to poetry nights and listen, but not contribute. I know what we would all think about that. Poetry is about removing barriers - not erecting them!

Comment is about No need to mind your language, Mab: loose talk that's about women's lives (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Nice review. Sounds like a good night but, as an employee of Network Rail, I'm wondering what the leaves on the line comment was about.

My first two Fine Press publications were of Simon's 'In Memory of Water' and 'Considering the Poppy' - if you're interested you can see details here http://www.finepresspoetry.com

Comment is about Simon Armitage in Washington DC, 2015 (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

On Neutiquam erro

Had to look it up

Yes Mathew 18 indeed

maybe a spiritual truth

Thanks Harry

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

Original item by Harry O`N eill

You have an absolute right to make such comments any time you want, Chris, and whenever we run a story about Loose Muse. I was keen to see one of their nights for myself. There were four or five chaps in the audience last night, including me and the husband and son of one of the guest poets. It was a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, certainly not "anti-men" whatsoever. As I said in my final paragraph, some feel that a women-only ethos is outdated, and I can't imagine what a men-only poetry night would be like. But I suppose we'd be perfectly free to organise one, should we want to. I certainly wasn't suggesting that women are in danger of being assaulted at your average poetry night - but I'm sure you didn't suspect me of suggesting that either. Apologies for editorialising, if that was what I was doing - maybe I was just trying to anticipate and address your objections in advance.

Comment is about No need to mind your language, Mab: loose talk that's about women's lives (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Beautiful Natalie,so beautiful!
The 'sub' didn't happen to be yellow did it?

That look on your face-
sooooo 'cheeky monkey'ish!


;0)x

Comment is about Submarine Dream (blog)

What are we supposed to take from your closing comment Greg?

The obvious inferences that can be taken from your implying words are as follows.

Either:

a) Men in general are to be feared and women require a women only environment, such is the threat of rape in public from men in general.
The only problem here is, this group welcomes men, so long as they are second class citizens. They are welcome to listen, but not contribute.

b) the poems you mention could not be read at poetry nights that welcome both men and women, and in fact people from any background regardless of race, age, socio-economics, political persuasion or creed etc. or at least such poems would not get a fair hearing. One can only presume, because of some inherently implied notion that men, all men, are in some way insensitive, bullying and other such things. These were the exact things the leader of this group was saying when speaking up for this event in the past (out and out sexism, though obviously there is little care for sexism towards men).

If your words imply something else Greg, can you please elucidate?

The beauty of poetry is that it BREAKS barriers, breaks down barriers of all kinds. I have seen this week in week out, year in year out at poetry events in Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Rochdale, Bolton, Yorkshire, Wirral, Wales etc etc. it is something I saw in running poetry events for over six years and it is something that I and most of the poets I know have found on a personal level. By that I mean, looking at many of my poet friends I see men, women, old men, old women, young men, young women, gay men, gay women, Tory, liberal, socialist, libertarian, working class, middle class, rich...men and women.

As a result of poetry's open door policy to anyone, one of my best friends for the last decade...has come to be a 75 year old woman.

Do we see oafish behaviour at poetry events? Absolutely. Is it common? Absolutely not. It is so rare to be a non issue and when. I or other people I know have spoken about it such behaviour is just as often from woman as from a man. Because bad behaviour relates to ignorance and ignorance is a 'people' problem.

Back on track. Poetry's special gift. Its one great and true gift is its ability to break down barriers, not erect them. When we hear someone read, we hear the individual, the inner person. We find respect and admiration for a persons mind.

I'm sure the gig and the poets at the gig were excellent and My comments are not about casting any aspersions. Equally putting on a gig, especially time after time takes some doing and deserves respect.

But the bottom line is this needs to be said. And it doesn't matter how much anyone tries to editorialise to the contrary.

Comment is about No need to mind your language, Mab: loose talk that's about women's lives (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

And you too, Mab! Hope you had a good journey back to Cardiff. Keep in touch with Write Out Loud!

Comment is about No need to mind your language, Mab: loose talk that's about women's lives (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks for this review , Greg. And, good to finally meet you. Mab

Comment is about No need to mind your language, Mab: loose talk that's about women's lives (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Romance need never die if we enjoy fanning the flames... :)
Best wishes, Dave

Comment is about Interlude (blog)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Thanks for commenting on 'Last Hope Of Redemption' Harry. As the saying goes, if we don't change what we do, we can't expect the results to change either. So it's up to Joe Public to tell the government we need more than token changes that just waste billions without any effective action...

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

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Thanks for commenting Harry. As the saying goes, if we don't change what we do, we can't expect the results to change either. So it's up to Joe Public to tell the government we need more than token changes that just waste billions without any effective action...

Comment is about Last Hope Of Redemption (blog)

Original item by Dave Dunn

Thanks for this overview of what sounds like quite a momentous evening, Julian. Do you really see him as maybe the next Laureate? Interesting. Would he accept if offered? Carol Ann did and everyone asked the same question back then I seem to recall ...

Comment is about Simon Armitage in Washington DC, 2015 (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I don't mind at all Jackie, anything that whet's your whistle, so to speak. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Comment is about BATH NIGHT (VERSION). (blog)

I was scared just looking at the picture you attached and even more so after I read your poem. Good spooky stuff.

Comment is about Mama... (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Ha ha - thanks for making me smile :-D

Comment is about Oops (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

So deep and moving, I very much enjoyed the rich descriptive language. I painted the picture brilliantly and yet wasn't to wordy. I am afraid I tend to be a little too wordy with my own poetry but will be aiming to use this poem as an example when I write my next piece. Thanks for sharing

Comment is about Crucifix (2/10/2015) (blog)

Original item by Zach Dafoe

Hi Travis, loved the poem, it inspired me so much I have shared my own. I hope you don't mind.

Comment is about BATH NIGHT (VERSION). (blog)

Thanks Lea, I aim to make connections with others and see if we're sharing the same experiences.

Comment is about BATH NIGHT (VERSION). (blog)

This really captures how I feel on Sunday nights, thanks for sharing :)

Comment is about BATH NIGHT (VERSION). (blog)

Heh heh!! I absolutely love 'comma constipation'
(And I agree with the sentiment)
Thanks for sharing x

Comment is about Feedback (blog)

Hi. Nice to meet you, too!

Comment is about Tommy Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Hi Rashida, nice to bump into you

Comment is about Natasha Tingle (poet profile)

Original item by Natasha Tingle

The world is well acquainted with man's
inhumanity to man over the documented centuries of human existence but facile
comparisons to make a point about "race" is lamentably short of the mark in any worthwhile debate about the current
situation that sees IS flaunt its
black banner on behalf of a dangerously
corrupted and insidious form of Islam.

Comment is about HOSTAGES TO CHARITY (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Jocelyn hi, advice?...write about everything, destroy nothing. Revisit, rewrite, then abandon it. :) Tommy

Comment is about Jocelyn Diane (poet profile)

Original item by Jocelyn Diane

The murder of Native Americans, Blacks and Mexicans are appalling "terrible" and should not be subjected to a head count. You really do not have a grasp of historical forces nor their consequences. T H Carroll

Comment is about HOSTAGES TO CHARITY (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Interesting interview Greg :)

Very refreshing and down to earth.

Comment is about Hollie McNish: 'My mum worked night shift as a nurse and had two kids. This is nothing!' (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

excellent stuff. sorry i couldn't be there.

see you all next month all been well.

Comment is about February Collage Poem: Cages (blog)

Original item by Stockport WoL

No longer caged
a Collage Tiger
Roars out poetry.

To the applause
Clapping and shouting
Ever so pleased - - -

W.O.L Appreciation Society.

Comment is about February Collage Poem: Cages (blog)

Original item by Stockport WoL

I fear the air-strikes won`t be able to do it, sooner
or later we`ll be forced to go in on the ground...
At the moment it must be a better terrorist training ground that Afghanistan ever was...And they`ll be coming over here much more intelligently trained.

Comment is about HOSTAGES TO CHARITY (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

True, Dave,
but - sadly - t`was ever thus.

Comment is about Last Hope Of Redemption (blog)

Original item by Dave Dunn

Matthew 18

Comment is about Neutiquam erro (blog)

Original item by Ged Thompson

Rose has it right! This is definitely a good way to settle a conflict.
Good write, Stef. x

Comment is about The Christmas Truce Cup (blog)

Ian,
I like the orderly eight line stanzas...which made me think - as it is a ghost story - if it could be made more creepily effective if you changed the order of the stanzas?...I`m undecided myself. There are three places you could start from: as now, the spinster, or the workman...it got me wondering (could be a really
spine-chilling reader)

Comment is about Mama... (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Welcome to WOL Bailey I like Blistering Blue eyes. it could equally as a song. But either way it's good. I look forward to more.
Martin

Comment is about Bailey Lewis (poet profile)

Original item by Bailey Lewis