Simon,
I`d love to see you re-do this as a sonnet.

Comment is about September Sisters (blog)

Original item by Simon Austin

Ian,
Nice, neat, apt and delightful rhymer in `ight`...particularly like that `snow-flesh` and the way the `coal` eyes pull it up at the end

(and it`s one of those where the poem actually
out-classes the picture)

Comment is about A Scarecrow Dreams Of Leaving (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

I enjoyed this Greg. Though inspired by your own life, it's outward looking. I hope you now get to do all the mad things that mad people do - just wish I could join you!

Comment is about Phoenix (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Great poem Cynthia - I love the parallels you draw. Man has great capacity for cruelty - sometimes it overwhelms me how accepting of it we all are.

Comment is about Metaphor (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

I like this, David. It opens with an interesting explanation, and closes with a particular experience extended for several lines, presumably to emphasise the grip of that memory which was beyond the casual, the underbelly of the 'tourist-y' attractions.

Comment is about HOME TOWN (blog)

Original item by David Subacchi

Great rhythm to this, John, and well-chosen words: "wither", "wilt", "estate agents' bluster". Maybe you could consider adding another stanza, to give it even more impact?

Comment is about Cuckoo (blog)

Original item by John Darwin

Dave, thanks for your kind comments on Loire. I was admit, I was surprised to find that Angers was twinned with Wigan. But why not? I've just put another one up, reflections on the first few months of retirement ...

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

And sound your thoughts are too, Brian. There's no money in poetry...

Comment is about From Chickentown to McCain chips: but does Cooper Clarke's new ad put you off your tea? (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

hey Jean-dont forget the '?'s...xx

Comment is about Was This the Plan (blog)

Original item by jean lucy thompson

ta very much one and all :)

Comment is about Was This the Plan (blog)

Original item by jean lucy thompson

you always deliver the goods,girly-fantaz!xx

Comment is about Ouroborus (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

ps-will be doing poem with posing pikky of me on my machine in very near future-Mrs Scaredycat Wilde wont be riding pillion she says!ah well! her loss,my gain-on the cost of leathers and helmet!xx

Comment is about Weekend Wanderer (blog)

Original item by alan barlow

cool bike!cool poem! wont be long before my(Mr Wildes)custom chopper is gonna be delivered! cant wait!keep cruising guys!

Comment is about Weekend Wanderer (blog)

Original item by alan barlow

I have a feeling this one will stick in the memory

Comment is about Cuckoo (blog)

Original item by John Darwin

Nice one John. But what is your vision fixed on?

Comment is about Years (blog)

Very moving John - in a sad mournful way. I like the way you juxtapose the tragedy with the inconvenience of it all. I can remember suicides on the underground when I used to commute and how all that tragedy condensed itself into frustration at being trapped or late for work, or late getting home.

Comment is about Cuckoo (blog)

Original item by John Darwin

Love it! Many of us have been on that wheel John - and when you look back, it seems inconceivable that you ran for so long xx

Comment is about Years (blog)

I think that after years of giving us great inspiration JCC deserves the money and at 65 he probably does not have a pension pot to dig at. If living comfortably in old age means selling your soul then well done John. Also as regards to R Mc I think his vocal presentation is really catchy & has inspired me to do performance..
Just my thoughts
BRW

Comment is about From Chickentown to McCain chips: but does Cooper Clarke's new ad put you off your tea? (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

haha Isobel...nice and feisty and camp as Christmas! Loved it and your performance at the Tudor on Thursday xx

Comment is about Beautiful (blog)

Original item by Isobel

I look forward to listening to Char March at your new venue. See you at 8

Comment is about Char March first guest at Shindig launch in Hebden Bridge (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I wish I had something slightly more intelligent to say but lo wow I love this, so encapsulating. Christ I thought I was dark

Comment is about Ouroborus (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

heckofalotof hard work here,with fantastic results-great poem Katy!x

Comment is about Ouroborus (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

a wonderfully written, informative, evocative and entertaining piece of writing. Thank you.

Comment is about Simon Armitage's walk: 'He had vaguely imagined a stroll along the beach' (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

now then Frederick! don't ruin the saintly image we had of you,even if this effin poem is effin good! one thing we cannot stand,is..the kind of b*****rds that just cannot stop f***ing swearing!! unlike us-haha!xx

Comment is about Profitable Profanities (blog)

Hey!
this is alright!
Mister White-
ley

Sleep tight
goodnight
hope the bedbugs
dont bite.xx

Comment is about A Scarecrow Dreams Of Leaving (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

Hi Joseph - a very warm welcome to WOL!

Comment is about Joseph J. Breunig 3rd (poet profile)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

Hello Starfish - thanks for the comment on "The Absolute Need".... Really made me laugh out loud. Glad you liked it. Please say more in your biography.

Comment is about Starfish (poet profile)

Original item by Starfish

I was wondering if there was any way of passing off some of my work as that of someone else?

Something I wrote last week was particularly bad.

Comment is about Forward prize contender in new plagiarism row (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hehe :) :)

Nice one again, chuck

Comment is about Equally bad (AKA Rantings of an antisexist man in a post-feminist world) (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

:) :)

Comment is about Tommy Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Thank you very much M.C Newberry, that really is very kind of you to say, I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

Comment is about Simon Austin (poet profile)

Original item by Simon Austin

Oh Winston, it clashes with Write Out Loud Sale! Heigh ho.

Comment is about Char March first guest at Shindig launch in Hebden Bridge (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hello Simon - If you never wrote anything else,
your poem "September Sisters" should ensure that
you would be respected and remembered. Your
use of the Shakespearean style for this subject is inspired. The drawback is, of course, how do
you top it?!
:-)

Comment is about Simon Austin (poet profile)

Original item by Simon Austin

Really enjoyed reading this at the beginning, then got a shock as the page scrolled down. Ha ha. Graphic and very well-written. Of course, I don't know what any of it means.
Starfish

Comment is about The Absolute Need (blog)

Original item by Jonnie Falafel

Ditto M.C. Newberry
A magnificent piece of work.
Starfish

Comment is about September Sisters (blog)

Original item by Simon Austin

excellent sample poem, Jade. need to have a flick through the rest of your blog, but this is a excellent piece

Comment is about Jade Eloise (poet profile)

Original item by Jade Eloise

Wonderful use of the Shakespearean style to
remind us of the horror of that dreadful day.
One of the best things I've read on WOL.
Deserves its place in any anthology.

Comment is about September Sisters (blog)

Original item by Simon Austin

I knew you'd like that line ;)

It was what I originally meant, but just said better at least in part thanks to our discussion.

Constructive criticism can lead to progress after all!

Comment is about Equally bad (AKA Rantings of an antisexist man in a post-feminist world) (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

Haha - phew - that was some debate eh Mark?! On fire! :D

Anyhoo, not got much time but I will say this...this line is very definitely improved:

"than what might be described inarticulately as more feminine qualities"

and that the rest of that verse is also much improved on the first.

Nice one :)

Comment is about Equally bad (AKA Rantings of an antisexist man in a post-feminist world) (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

Laura- for you, and only for you- I have self censored the image of the woman accompanying 'After the leaving' x
ps your request/enquiry has validity regardless of whom raised it x TC

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

The problem, as you might expect, is not confined to these shores. The Australian newspaper reports that a "little-known but award-winning poet", Andrew Slattery, has admitted passing off as his own the work of other poets. Slattery said in his defence that he was striving for a 'cento' effect in which lines from other writers' poems are incorporated into new, 'collage' poems. But, crucially, he failed to acknowledge his sources, or even say that the poems were centos when he submitted them to competitions http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/books/poet-uses-defence-of-collage-poetry-after-recycling-plath-lines/story-e6frg8nf-1226718041674

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/plagiarism-the-word-that-cant-be-uttered-20130913-2tpha.html

Write Out Loud warns: Don't try this at home

Comment is about Forward prize contender in new plagiarism row (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

The results for this competition are here http://batteredmoons.com/2013-poems-and-their-poets/

Comment is about Battered Moons contest offers £300 prize (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Starfish,
If you see that evil-eyed magpie that shit on our front step last week, give it the second barrell!

(loved that beflip-fopped feet!)

Comment is about Life's a Blast (blog)

Original item by Starfish

MC
interesting stuff,
The 'Reclaiming History' review is based on the 1000+ page full manuscript - whereas the 'Four Days In November' is a condensed version that covers just the 4 days of the 2 (3) murders. I haven't read the full manuscript but may well do now because, as you say, that review sounds very interesting.
Hope you enjoy the read - I came at it with an open mind and really enjoyed it - couldn't put it down and felt like I was watching every scene - a really good writer and a really good read - keep me informed on what you think and if it changes any of your perceptions - I would be interested
Ian

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

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Poets must gather round
to write a line
then for those who
had too many teas - - -

com all go pee

Comment is about September Collage Poem - The Sun (blog)

Original item by Stockport WoL

Here's the original I've edit the piece above so that is now the 2013 redraft...

I may be a mister,

But sister, don’t get pissed yeah when I say in fact - I, am a feminist.

There seems to me to be a need for us to celebrate and debate the culture of nurture over greed,

Which appears an instinctively natural part of almost each and every female’s nature.

Maybe its origins historically are biological,

Isn’t it simple, obvious and logical,

That of the human races pair of parental partners

The very best gardeners tend not to be the human seed planters,

But instead, the seed tenders, the inside lending, DNA blenders,

Who, to bear a child, must share all that they have, all that they are,

Carrying a new life force in a physical pact that is still genuinely gender particular?



Now this is not a tract based on womb envy, because what I want to celebrate goes way beyond that.

It’s vital not to see this as a simple transgender pat on the back

Because these important female qualities have gone from being undervalued, to being under attack.

Some seem to want these special skills from us divided,

So much so that men who show these qualities of consideration, kindness and care are derided

Almost everywhere by guys and girls should show that they know better,

While young ladies become laddettes, painting their life pictures from palettes tainted

As they ape all that is vile and uncouth from the landscape of our modern male youth.



Equal but different were the targets for us I guess somewhere we must have lost focus,

In chasing dreams of equity

We came to be more equal but crucially

We became indifferent to the importance of difference.

Instead, the hard drinking, pint sinking, self serving, status quo preserving, aggression and violence of masculinity,

Came to be promoted as a better choice for you & me than the more feminine quality of equanimity,

In transactions of word, powerful projection is asserted as the only way to make sure that you’re heard,

Thus listening is lost as a skill, our conversations become nothing more than confrontational battles of will.



Our sexual revolution is no completed history - for me her story is at best half done.

For although heartfelt and hard fought were the battles that have been won,

If I am not going mad,

It seems the equal that we have so far become

Is simply equally bad.

Comment is about Equally bad (AKA Rantings of an antisexist man in a post-feminist world) (blog)

Original item by Mark Mr T Thompson

Thank you Solar Winds!

Comment is about Hygiene hats (blog)

Original item by Gareth Glyn Roberts

Hi Steve.A very late(and apologised for)thank you for your nice comment on my poem-
'Preparatory arsenal'x

Comment is about Steve Higgins (poet profile)

Original item by Steve Higgins

oh Starfish! and heres me thinking you were a kindly poet! if its not your big feet in action,it's your (big?)ariss-haha-cheers dude/dude-ess?.x

Comment is about Life's a Blast (blog)

Original item by Starfish

haha! yeah!x

Comment is about Hygiene hats (blog)

Original item by Gareth Glyn Roberts