good one Paul - some nice turns of phrase and well put together. 'umbilical wool' is a great image regarding those gloves tied with string :-)

Comment is about Between The Hats (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

What a pleasure to be involved with this event. I've been dreaming of it for years. Looking forward to more poetry/music collsborations in the future. Thanks to Julian, Greg and co. for organising and for all the performers who travelled far to turn out for something which was more than the sum of its parts.

Comment is about Shades of the Beats: a poetry-jazz happening in the heart of the Pennines (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks for that Dorinda

The only thing we missed was the collage poem
maybe next time.

Like the photo Maggie and you got a mention well done.

The Road

On a road
no signs seen
following the person
marching in front.

We ask him
wait a minute
are we going
the right way?

He turns around
saying to us
who of you
made me leader?

Comment is about Stockport WoL (group profile)

Original item by Stockport WoL

Extraordinary how the best laid plans and the
rigorous training can be ruined by something
so mundane as a "jammed" weapon. Having read
accounts of this mission, I'm amazed that an
automatic weapon had no immediate heavy calibre
(.45 ??)revolver back-up...as the latter was
rarely prone to failure. Even Colonel Colt's
famous old Peacemaker was made with tolerances
allowing it to fall into mud and dust and fire without failing. The grenade that drove foreign matter into Heydrich's body was literally "hit and miss", in retrospect and
his subsequent death from the blood poisoning
that resulted was certainly more chance than design.
The ghastly Nazi revenge at Lidice was "par for
the course" as far as reprisals for killing
their personnel (let alone such a prominent
hate figure) was concerned. They did this sort
of thing all over the place in occupied
territories.

Comment is about The Hangman of Prague (blog)

Original item by Dean Carroll

Lines that could only have been written by someone
whose heart had also known the dreadful arena of
conflict. In peace, it is easy to put aside
the reality of war and its cost...but we should
never ever forget the debt we owe.
We speak that we might be heard
We listen that we might learn.
For truth is like the flight of a bird
When all that we value we see burn.

Comment is about Gentlemen of the Cotton Towns (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

It's funny how attitudes vary towards that word from culture to culture - and geographical region even.

I always found it much more highly used down South and more frowned upon up North. The Irish use it like anyone else would say damn.

It does seem to be embedding itself into our vernacular in subtle ways.

Children now say 'What the...' not really realising the implications of what they are saying.

I tend to like using it for real effect - if I'm exceedingly, exceedingly angry - if it becomes too everyday - what do you use for effect?

Comment is about Wtf? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Sporting poems are rare so any additions to the
genre are to be encouraged. Not the easiest
to write and well done to the author getting it
to the man himself!

Comment is about 'Made from grit and granite': Tony Walsh's stirring poetic tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hello there - and thank you for commenting on the
posts about mental health - result of Tom Doolan's
poem "1 in 4".
The subject is always emotive - from various
points of view - especially as the suffering
takes many forms and claims many victims. Talking
- or in this medium: posting - can be very therapeutic. The exchange of information and
support is always a positive thing.
Keep writing!

Comment is about Dean Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Dean Carroll

lovely, tom. the use of the first line is quite clever and builds really nicely. well done

Comment is about Fall Into Autumn (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

blimely. excellent stuff, dave. keep encouraging him.

Comment is about The Autumn Season (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Very nice all 3 :) congrats

Comment is about new poetry published (blog)

Original item by Andy N

Jude, thank you for a wonderfully written review which captures the spirit of our annual feast of poetry that the Poetry Jam has become.
Such quality indeed. A mighty thanks to all involved, including all the poets who really stepped up, those who came to listen so attentively; and I particularly want to thank Greg and Drew for the hard work they put in behind the scenes (offers of gofering help for next year welcomed).
Viva la poesia!

Comment is about Write Out Loud's poetry jam: an eye-opener for a reviewer (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

wonderful!(albeit sad)Paul.x

Comment is about Between The Hats (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

interesting n rather moving 8 d same tym!!

Comment is about Between The Hats (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

I really enjoyed reading this, and it sends out a message of sadness and need. I particularly liked the lines 1-3, and the fact that there is no punctuation.

Comment is about Between The Hats (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

simple n beautiful ann!!

Comment is about breathing (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Extremely politically incorrect. Of course, political correctness is a transient function of the times we live in. In the Iron Age where this is set it would have been at the cutting edge of pc.

Comment is about "For These" said the father "Are The Things A Boy Should Know" (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I'd be rather disappointed if anyone didn't see that coming.

Comment is about Wtf? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Haha Ian - said it before, will say it again - separated at birth me and thee! ;D

Oh god, though! How awful for you! To have it knocked down :( Did you just stand there for a while, staring at the space, thinking 'It was here! Where is it?' :( I'd be well gutted. My old school got knocked down and a private housing estate got thrown up on the site. That kinda makes me sad cos I'd have loved the chance to burn the fucking place down myself ;)

Harry - I know you're being flippant, but you're right. Even the smell has changed in there. I'm going back today, and I will try to keep the contempt out of my face this time. The carpet though...that breaks my heart!

Comment is about The Demise of the Library (or, Xanadu Deceased) (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

thnq mam...i will follow ur advice and soon i will be available in blog section

Comment is about SATYAJIT BEHERA (poet profile)

Original item by SATYAJIT BEHERA

Laura,
When you were taking in those deep breaths, it was the smell of those old books that you were trying to re-cover, that lovely
nostalgiac smell...Oh, to be young again!

(not you - me)

Comment is about The Demise of the Library (or, Xanadu Deceased) (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Cherish him Dave - the child is a natural rhymer -cherish him!

Comment is about The Autumn Season (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Murders committed by mentally ill people are probably insignificant statistically when compared to murders committed by drug addicts and other criminals - though I admit to not having done any research on that. I just think that the newspapers make a big thing of them because they like a lurid story with a shock factor. They also like to play the blame game.

You can't keep every person with a mental health problem in hospital forever, just like you can't keep every criminal in prison forever. They have to do risk assessments - I suppose no-one can ever guarantee 100% never making a mistake with that though - cos you've no idea how changing circumstances might impact on a person. It's like all these tragic 'baby X's' that periodically are murdered - they put steps in place but someone always slips through the net, because people and systems aren't perfect.

I don't think we are really adding anything to this discussion now. One in four people suffer from mental illness - that's someone in every person's family - someone we all love - who wouldn't hurt a soul - yet potentially will suffer from all that stigma.

Good on ya Tom for writing about it.

Comment is about 1 in 4 (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Personally, I like to remember the lovely Vivienne
Leigh as "Scarlet O'Hara".
I enjoy watching faces when I scowl and exclaim
with some vehemence "Oh...F...iddle-dee-dee"!

Comment is about Wtf? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

What happened here then?

Comment is about Head of Steam Station Bar (blog)

Original item by Graham Ramsden

oh.................
flip!

Comment is about Wtf? (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Laura
seriously good stuff this - funny, because I've been having musings about the EXACT same topic - only recently went back to a little library I was a member of from age 4 to 13 - AND THE BASTARDS HAD KNOCKED IT DOWN! so I didn't have the chance to re-tread the steps as you did - so I couldn't write about the nostalgia - because there was just a pile of fucking RUBBLE!
anyway - this is one of the best things I've read of yours - there's a really great rhythm to it - it rolls along and the reader feels like they're taking those steps with you. You capture the ambience and the trepidation expertly - and then the frustrations of adulthood - all of this while leading the reader on - hand in hand - saying 'look at this' and 'isn't this interesting?'
I really love it!
did I say I liked it?
Yay

Ian

Comment is about The Demise of the Library (or, Xanadu Deceased) (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

class act again Tommy - there's a real heart beating behind that hard bastard exterior - and if you're not careful folk will cotton on :-) really enjoyed this - as always a simple form but with so, so much power in every word and phrase - no excess fat on these bones mate - just raw emotion - brilliant!

Comment is about Blackened berries (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

great stuff Steve - very simple and understated but very powerful - good 'un

Comment is about Lampedusa (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

thanks for your kind comments regarding the cuckoo waltz poem MC - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about M.C. Newberry (poet profile)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

thanks for the supportive comments re 'the cuckoo waltz' Dave - my favourite comedians of all time - just ahead of Morecambe & Wise :-)
Ian

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

thanks for your kind comments regarding the cuckoo waltz poem Steve - totally agree with you about the Chaplin/L&H comparison - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about Steve Higgins (poet profile)

Original item by Steve Higgins

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfylleth & graffiti poems John - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about John Coopey (poet profile)

Original item by John Coopey

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfylleth poem Andy - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfylleth poem Laura - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfylleth poem Starfish - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about Starfish (poet profile)

Original item by Starfish

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfylleth poem David - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about David Blake (poet profile)

Original item by David Blake

thanks for your kind comments regarding the winterfyllth poem Harry - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

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

Original item by Harry O`N eill

thanks for your kind comments regarding the JCC poem - sorry i'm a bit late in responding - I'm getting a bit behind due to other commitments at the moment - so in catch up mode with the thank you's - anyway, very kind of you - cheers
Ian

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

this is a 'Johnny Wilkinson' of a poem Ian.One not to be 'passed' by.If you need any needle and cotton to sew your sides up due to the quality of my humour,let me know!(good one matey)x

Comment is about Full Contact (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

very,very nice.I think scarecrows are always a great subject for poems.Thanks Tom.x

Comment is about Fall Into Autumn (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

I think that the trepidation that many feel
contemplating mental illness in others is affected by the manner is can suddenly
manifest itself - or just as worrying -
disguise itself.
Isobel - your observation about the rarity of
incidents I mentioned has not been helped
by a number of attacks "out of the blue" on
innocent persons - one, a young girl stabbed
without warning on a bus; another young girl
stabbed in a park, and a third person pushed to their death under a tube train...with mental
illness being cited in the assailants. This is not very reassuring for "Joe Public" and
only exacerbates the unease that can be felt
when the term "mental illness" is mentioned.
It is the unpredictable nature of it that can
feel most threatening. Of course, those who
suffer have their side of the story to tell but
it should be accepted that there are victims
OTHER than those who suffer the disease in whatever form.
Lastly, a personal recollection.
I was once walking down a local street after
leaving the gym in my tracksuit when I was
struck on the head without warning from behind.
I turned to see a woman (unknown to me) walking
away - holding a carrier bag that she had
used to hit me. That bag COULD have contained
a brick or worse and I might have been left
lying at death's door. This is what I mean by
the sudden and worrying unpredictability of
mental illness in the public arena. Should I
blame the woman? the system that she may nor
may not have been subjected to? her freedom to
move around and assault without reason a total stranger?
Simple - it is not! But we need, as a society
to be aware of what's out there.

Comment is about 1 in 4 (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Thank you for the comments and thank you to all who turned up to both events. Greatly appreciated after a small team of us worked so very hard to put it on. I agree about the noise, David, and will have a think about that. I dislike having to ask people to be quiet which they did at first, then it came back up, though got better in the second half.

We decided to pitch to do this quite late in the day, so it was a minor miracle that Barney, the festival artistic director, agreed to put it on, it being a bit of an experiment really. I think we have learned a lot from doing this.

There were some last-minute hitches too, which seem not have been noticed - I hope - by the pleasingly big, enthusiastic crowd.

Thank you to our fantastic performers: Ralph Dartford, Dave Cooke, The Green Door Ensemble (Dave Morgan, Kevin Bates, James Hartnell), Anjum Malik, Lavinia Murray and London's Jazzman John Clarke.

I want to single out the musicians, Edward Henderson on piano and Louis Archer on tenor sax, who did an incredible job of improv behind some of the poems. They are at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music at Greenwich University and we shall be putting more up about them and this once we have reviewed and edited the video footage.

I really want to go on record here and thank Greg Freeman for his heroic support over the weekend, above and beyond the WOL of duty. it just would not have happened without you. Thank you.

The weekend at Marsden has a brilliant atmosphere with music in every pub and club and cafe. Do get yourselves booked in for next year.

Comment is about Shades of the Beats: a poetry-jazz happening in the heart of the Pennines (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

LOL - then I shall post again, just to take it to a very lucky 15!

I think mental illness manifests itself in many different ways - from the 'blues' that wouldn't be that noticeable the average person, right through to the depths of psychosis - which would. I suppose we all have our own experience of that reality which will colour our own views on the subject.

I hear what you are saying about an uncaring society though Mike - and the lack of understanding for the kind of trauma any returning soldier might feel.

From my understanding of it, sedative medication is a starting point, to give the brain time to heal - then in mild doses a defence system against the stresses of day to day life which might otherwise cause re-occurrence

It would be great if they could invent a proper cure that just magic-ed everything away - perhaps one day they will.

A better society in which people didn't have to struggle to survive might also help. I don't think it would ever be possible to remove negative experiences though - they are part and parcel of life.

It's good that we've all been able to talk about this though. More openness is so important to the mental health issue.

Comment is about 1 in 4 (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Fantastic mix of poetry and jazz. Great to see something so different at the festival. It was a shame that the layout of the pub and the chatterers at the back made it difficult to hear some of the words.

Comment is about Shades of the Beats: a poetry-jazz happening in the heart of the Pennines (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Really was a fantastic session with such a great family friendly atmosphere. Thanks for the review, Judy and Greg.

Comment is about Write Out Loud's poetry jam: an eye-opener for a reviewer (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks Ann

Comment is about Paul Hawkins (poet profile)

Original item by Paul Hawkins

hello mate , welcome to the site ,
and thanks for your comment ,
ive not been into slayer for long really but have been a fan of necro for a while and he is influenced by them .
plus ill bill has done a song dedicated to slayer where he says their album names in order and i liked the flow
i liked the idea of all their song tittles in order making a long dark poem
anyway mate enjoy the site !

Comment is about Dean Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Dean Carroll

......laughter can help but, only recently Tesco had to withdraw it's stock of Halloween costumes that depicted, 'a mental patient.' It still seems the norm that those who are mentally unwell are ridiculed. As for the cessation of medication by a sufferer, I cannot blame them. If big pharma had there way, we would all be on medication for something or other. Not only that, but some medications are more harmful than that which we are supposed to be relieving. I still say, as most would, that prevention is better than cure. At the moment, we go about treating the symptoms, often only sedating a patient, without getting to the root cause of the conditions. My suggestion is, if we got to the root cause, we would have to change society for, we live here in the UK with a history of child abuse, social problems emanating from poverty, let alone those who are exposed to trauma in service for our country, service in faith that goes overlooked once they come down with varying degrees of mental ill health.

The way we treat people who have these conditions is appalling yet, it is better than some countries who still practice archaic forms of incarceration for sufferers. I have said it before and I will say it again; Mental Ill Health is like a scab we place a plaster over, but not to treat the wound, but for fear of contaminating ourselves.

One of the main reasons Mental Ill Health is not out there in regular discussion by the medical practice and politician alike, is because it is not a vote winner. Once the powers on high, recognize just how prolific, just how demeaning too, these conditions are, they may well go some way into changing the way society conducts itself, starting perhaps with something so simple, such as the cessation of hitting children. If they could responsibly acknowledge this fundamental parameter of experience many sufferers go through, they may well conceive a more caring society in the future. The Swedish Model's statistics speak a lot about this issue, and it is perhaps something we could learn from. Alas, 'we' still won't acknowledge what we do to our young, yet alone what we do to each other as adults.

Just my two penneth, and for the record, I posted this to get past 13 comments. 13 might be an unlucky number! I have humor as a sufferer too, but in all seriousness, know that we have to change the way society conducts itself, for the sake of our future generations.

Best wishes, mike.

Comment is about 1 in 4 (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Sensitive and quite touching. Thank you.

Comment is about Blackened berries (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll