There is a new discussion topic on ghazals which may interest you :-) Win

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/newsgroupview.php?NewsGroupsID=3&NewsThreadsID=1127#msgcontent_11384

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I am glad you have seen it John, me too, What a brilliant thing / place. Win x

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Hi John, thanks so so much for your amazingly kind comments on my ghazal. xx

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Thank you John, for reading and commenting so nicely on my poem 'Passionate Fib'... I was inspired to try something new. : )

p.s. Funny you think I'm a 'Nightbird'... And you should write a Fibonacci poem about the 'statue type thing'... : )

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Hi John
Much obliged for the comments on Rocket Man - appreciated.

Philipos

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Hi John, Re Ghazals . Yes, I have been studying these for over 2 years now. You can see / hear more background about this here... thanks for looking Win x

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=11578

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I have a lot of respect for everyone who tackles these ghazals - but I must admit to not overly liking the form. For me emotions are best explored without constraints - the echoing of certain words and tight structure makes it artificial in some way - reduces the scope for interesting imagery, also. Just my opinion :) x

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Thanks for your comment on Snow on the Pass, John. It's good to see you back here again.

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Hi, John! Thank you so much for the message you've sent to me. It was really interesting to know that your grandmother knew Pushkin in Russian. I always say that Shakespeare is not Shakespeare if you don't know English. The same with Pushkin. Even if you are the best in English and the best poet you will never be able to show the wealth of the language. I am writing now a new poem " My Pushkin in Odessa". I would be happy to get your comments. With love and warmest wishes, Larisa

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Thanks for your comment John. There will be a very sad follow up to that one and my Original Oak poem. Rising tuition fees make it pretty certain my son will have to study in Oz. He will come out with too much debt otherwise. I imagine he will end up settling there thereafter - that's usually the way. Looks like I'll be doing a lot of travelling and saving up!

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Eh up John - no worries, I enjoyed reading it and commenting. I think a man writing about the female orgasm is very interesting, because although you can observe certain things, (and if properly in touch, can sense the orgasmic energy 'rising' as it were, and share that) you never really know exactly how it feels, so it's quite difficult to do successfully.

Love that lifting hips line :)

Thank you for your very lovely comments on my poems too btw. I wasn't quite sure what you meant by 'expressive freedom', but I am always ready to accept a compliment graciously ;)

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Hi John, thanks for commenting on 'Brimming' - although I don't always use rhyme, I doubt I would like writing as much without it :) Best wishes, Dave

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Yes indeed chaps! My bustle is completely made of varying types of lettuce! I used to be on Crackerjack you know!

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Oh - and as for 'meagre'? What planet is it you're living on?! It's great in many ways - I thought mine was a bit crap tbh!

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Hey thanks for your comment on the orgasm poem - I'm really glad you liked it :)

Acrostic, eh? I didn't even know it was a recognised form. I was just messing about!

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Of course!!!! I really love some of my poems - they are like my family! xx

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Can we have a poem one day please? xx

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Oh thank you John for very kind comments (Crooked Toe) - yes, my feet were indeed bare, not furry with claws on (bear!)(Where you bin? Welcome back!) xx

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Hello mut - nice to see your slobbery face again. Has anyone managed to house train you yet? xx

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Hello John..thank you for your comments on within four walls..you are quite right about the last line..i have removed it..thnx Rosalind x

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Miranda sounds intriguing, John. Amazing who you bump into on the net. I've gone back to the Sandy Denny poem because I wasn't happy with it and am trying to improve it, to do her a bit more justice. Haven't managed to work in the one- night stand with Hendrix yet, though. Greg

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Hi, thanks for your comment on ' the nine'. I have to admit it was kind of just thrown together though i think at the time it felt sort of right. It's about Slipknot. I was listening at the time and thats just how it was then. Tautological - i had to look that one up! You are right though - it is! ;)

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Ha Ha! I have to say that it's very rare i don't get what i want!

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Thank you very very much John for the comment on the poem.We do still love 'em don't we? If it's any consolation, I cried writing it too.Rachelxxx

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Charlie Mingus? ha ha

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Re your problems finding a rhyming word for 'cunnilingus'- have just been musing on it - I like to muse...How about:- love lost lingers, gun slingers, aer lingus, sticky fingers, dead ringers, nasty mingers, sexy singers, pads with wingers, anal clingers.. have I exhausted the possibilities? Look forward to see how you are getting on. x

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Thanks for commenting on Bathtime! I guess I wanted to emphasise the general slipperyness of the whole thing! But I do see what you mean. I guess the soap could slide. As to colour, that doesn't bother me, and those dratted mango stones do remind me of soap, or vice versa! xx

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Hi John! Thank you for your comment and if you want to learn Russian following the steps of your grandma- I am a person to help:))

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Hi John... thanks for the extra info. You know, when I read things I try not to assume anything. In the case of this one I did NOT assume that 1) these were real life events 2) there were 2 boys or a boy and a girl involved. Try looking at it from a strangers point of view and thinking there IS a girl and a boy. Quite a different take I am sure yu wil agree. Win x

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Ah! So his gran ran the local sweetshop! That's why you fell in love! It is all clear now! ;-) xx

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I guess looking back over the poem there were clues - but the humour in the poem tended to obscure them. I had planned to look up the word eutectic but never got round to it... like many things in my life!
A good read - hope the course is going well. x

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Hi John - yes, I sometimes feel that I often just say "I really liked this" in my comments, and it is good to get more complex reactions, and I have been lucky so far. Maybe like me, many feel "if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all" which really makes the comments nothing but a back-slapping excercise. For me, two things. 1) I am not an experienced critic and feel that commenting negatively is not my place. I've only been writing for a short time, maybe I'll get more confident about this, but I am sure that is how others feel too. 2) A lot of us use poetry to tell the world (or at least WOL!) our innermost feelings/experiences, and this is quite brave for some people (though it doesn't bother me really). And so some of us are delicate little flowers, and may well get upset by comments. It is a hard one! xx

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Glad you enjoyed it John. I can do short and concise, but that one is my personal favourite because it's so long-winded and it gives the substance some personification. Your work is good, I like :) S x

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Hi John - re music for funerals! It's problematic choosing music for someone elses funeral. I had to make this choice, and of course it was at a time when you're in a state anyway. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" seemed perfect, indeed it was, the result is I can probably never listen to it again. Also, cos of the words, we had "The Whole of the Moon" by the Waterboys. I had no idea if M liked that song, but the words summed him up, for me anyway. He was probably up there looking down and tutting! I think I'd like "I can see clearly now" by Johnny Nash, as it is so cheerful. But some bastards have recently used it in an advert, which is off-putting! I could go classical and have A Lark Ascending, bit of a cliche, but it is lovely. Re Nick Drake, it's another load of songs that I haven't been able to listen to for a couple of years, but I remember particularly loving Northern Sky. xx

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Thanks John, what a lovely thing to say. I'm glad you liked the poem, I'm trying outsome new techniques at the mo, they don't always work so well and it's great to get feedback.
This is a bit of a hijack by the way but in response to Chris's comment below this, about liking things that make you cry.... I do that exact thing with Elgar's cello Concerto and Paul Gallico's book "the Snow Goose"

Thanks muchly
Rachel
x

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Hi John,
Thanks for your kind remarks about my requiem, and 'Close' - much appreciated. I have to say my favourite is the lachrymosa from Mozart's requiem - always moves me (yes - to tears!). Though I like the Fauré too.
Is it a bit barmy to like something that makes you cry? .....probably. Hey ho.
Cx

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John,
it's good to know people who like music-still more to know someone whose actually heard of a bands I'm writing about. Actually I keep writing about bands I've seen.

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Hey up Our John... me poem is laid in a bi lateral form insofar as it helps me perform ican quickly scan the page to breathe, pause, emphasis, burp..whatever.
However, thats not to say that your suggested edit is not an improvemnt ... because poem to page I think it is, but I would take my version to the open mike...I;ll read and record both versions an try an prove a point, in the New Year, little sense will come from until I have made a fool of myself at the bells.
Have a gud'yun, by the way hope yer bum is on the mend.

Gus

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Awww - you're a sweetie - I've never been called beautiful before. This is one of the rare facial photos I'd bother to put up - am just not photogenic. In fact, I have to look that way cos my nose is crooked if I go the other! Glad you approve though and I hope you won't miss the ankles too much - they were never mine...xx

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John, thanks for your very encouraging comments on cycling home (no hands), it actually had nine verses but I edited it down, if a poem gets too long I get a nosebleed.

cheers

John

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Thanks John for your comment. I'm not sure I'm brave so much as ludicrously confessional. I'm setting myself the task for new year of writing about things not feelings...I hate this time of year so if I write about feelings, it'll all get horribly depressing.
Big thanks for reading and commenting,
Rachel
x

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Only slightly cynical? I do love reading your comments John - you always have me reaching for the dictionary - curmudgeon indeed...I think you are an old charmer at heart - even Augusta seems to be warming to you - though not too sure what that bum comment means. Glad to hear that you enjoy the site - it is important to very many, I think. I love the variety of characters you get on here - they make me laugh. Happy Christmas anyway. x

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I do believe it John , please, please have a very merry Christmas. and I hope all goes well for the New Year and what ever follows.

PS I hope ypur Bum gets better soon !...
Augusta xx

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Thanks for taking a look at Big Fish and The English Teacher, John. What a coincidence that you fished at Masvingo Lake. Were you in Zimbabwe for just a holiday or an extended spell? I did think of making it a tigerfish but it seems they don't grow that big, and I suppose it doesn't matter kind of fish it is. The size is everything

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Trenchant - moi? I can sometimes be persuaded out of a position...
Have really scaled down my commentary of late - nothing personal at all - just blog overload and the demands of my home life.
Was never head girl cos we weren't that posh at my school. Was sent to represent the school when the queen visited though so I must have been an honorary one. Remember it vividly cos my mum bought me a new jumper - a rare ocurrence.
Thanks for your lovely comment - I feel like putting my arms around that dog and giving him a big sloppy kiss. x

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Thanks very much for taking the time to have a lok at and comment on my stuff. It's very much appreciated.
Cheers
Rachel
x

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Thanks for the comment on my poem.

I've decided to start a campaign to bring 'gambol' back into common usage.

I'm gambolling off now.

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Thanks for your comment John. The soundscape is my son's work and he happened to do it at the same time I wrote the poem and I thought they might go well together. They do, in part, but I think I need a rewrite of the words and he'll take my vox sample and do something a bit better then my poor attempt.

Not sure about gamble instead of gambol - is it really archaic? Perhaps my alleged obsession with sheep has something to do with it :(

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John thanks for your more than amusing blog on ' The Enigma of Perception' Far from getting up my arse, I thought your constructive suggestions quite acceptable, in fact if I write a peice like that again, I will structure it in the way you suggest. By the way you missed out super symmetry, 'The Anthropic Solution' and most importantly 'The Grand Unified Theory'. But you knew that didn't you ? ha ha Cheers TC

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Hi John,

Hope all is well with you and thanks for the heads up. If you ever want to get in touch, my email is: jtt@downeshouse.freeserve.co.uk (but don't tell everyone, I fear I may currently be the subject of a fatwa, especially having such misguided opinions - or even ANY opinion!) Although I have never been published, won any competitions or prestigious awards (unsurprisingly, since I've never submitted anything for publication or entered a competition) at least I am happy in the knowledge that I may have at least something in common with a Nobel Laureate!

Yours (certified 100% anger free and happy in my pompous, passive-aggressive, elitist nonsense)
With regards,

A.E.

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