Ah, oui, excuse-moi: toc toc. Il y a quelqu'un?

Comment is about testing (blog)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Yes, I am often not thrilled to have actors reading poems. Oh, with some it can work but I think of John Nettles ballsing up the Nation's Favourite Poems thingy. I do think these work, though not quite as great as Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas.

Comment is about Think only this of them: War Poetry on video for today (article)

Original item by Julian Jordon

Many thanks for your comments on However it may seem. Take care, Tony.

Comment is about MNtality (poet profile)

Original item by MNtality

I feel you.
To have a passion so strong,
yet it's seems like it goes unnoticed. "unspoken refrain"

thanks,
-MNtality

Comment is about However it may seem. (blog)

Line 29 - oh you can give me a shine!

I love it John - love it, love it, love it - the song and the poem and the idea. You have it in a nutshell - the power of words :)

It's a song I've long wanted to do with my sisters cos the harmonies are brill - Christmas maybe? :))

Comment is about The Power of Words (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

A moving poem Mike - from someone who really does know what it's all about.

Comment is about The Poppy (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Enjoyed this, Greg. But I ashamed to say that, for someone who enjoys railway poetry, I only recognised Auden's Night Mail.
My own favourite is Betjeman's Pershore Station.

Comment is about Railways cento (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Whichever way the wind blows
you still have the number.

Comment is about Mobile (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

I like it-lots.
And so much so I think I'll have a go at my own found poem, later. Thanks for the inspiration!

Comment is about Railways cento (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

This is very sad John but it reminds me of life in HMP for some people, especially the 5 points you make. As for the poor animals in Zoo's what did they do to deserve to be caged and poked fun at, they are prisoners for our entertainment,but as Isobel states we take our children to see them, Q how would we like to be put in Zoo's? Oh please don't get me started on the rights and wrongs of domesticating animals, Q does this bag of dog dirt belong to anybody? regards Paul.

Comment is about Ape Shit (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Hog of the Hedge. Great line! I like this. Take care, Tony.

Comment is about Poem for childern (blog)

Original item by Peter Asher

Thanks for this. Beautiful. Take care, Tony.

Comment is about A short poem for a girl who lived for only 50 minutes (blog)

Original item by Peter Asher

Beautiful and moving. Take care, Tony.

Comment is about The Poppy (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Isobel,
yOUR REASON FOR KEEPING IT AS IS ARE
SOUND.

Comment is about Small Talk (blog)

Original item by Isobel

This was a nice idea. It's good to explore different vehicles of presentation. I think I would have enjoyed hearing an anonymous voice though - without the faces and expressions of the actors. Just voices with battle scenery in the background. Then I could have focused on the words, rather than someone's hairstyle or teeth - or acting skills.

Comment is about Think only this of them: War Poetry on video for today (article)

Original item by Julian Jordon

Well let's hope not John! I love your stuff and I loved your performance at the Tudor on Thursday.

Whilst there's humour in this, I also found it a bit sad cos there's a lot of truth in it and in what Harry says. We've entered a new era in poetry. I wonder what the future will hold. Perhaps one day people will look back on our stuff and think how clever it was and regret their own future input? Red wheelbarrows to the power of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comment is about Avant-Garde Verse - The Last Rhyme (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I'd agree with Dave Carr about the last verse Sid. It finishes in an abrupt way - I'm sure you could do something to improve it and round it off better.

For me, you would have to keep the line.

"I told him where I'd like to stick my cross"

It would be interesting to catch up with some of the great idealists of my youth and see just where they were working and what they were doing right now. I bet a good proportion of them haven't been true to their younger principles.

Very witty :)

Comment is about Sky Garden (blog)

Original item by Ray Miller

As I have migrated stuff from the old cross cultural poetry group to here, I add Winston's link on ghazals as a comment here.

Winston wrote
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

Comment is about Poetry in Translation Group (group profile)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Not sure how you've done it Cynthia, but this poem demands attention and makes one really think about each word (which I'm in agreement with too).

Comment is about Thoughts Coupled (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

I like this Katy. It's a great image. 21st century emotions and lifestyles eh?

Comment is about Mobile (blog)

Original item by Katy Megan

Powerful poem, Izz. Nothing to apologise for in it at all. The emotions locked up in the way that the military typically feel about their buddies are very strong, and you have caught that just right - it's all in the one gesture.

Comment is about Remembrance Observation (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Thanks Greg. Like yours, mine could have done with a bit of an intro to explain what it was about and where it came from....

This was a bit of a quick write, after watching some remembrance day clips and interviews. Two were with veterans from the Falkland war. What struck me was their sadness at leaving those colleagues behind, one buried in the Falklands, the other at sea. What impressed itself upon me was the way one of them punched the stone - like you would punch the shoulder of a friend you loved. It was a familiar gesture - but against a stone memorial, resonant, for me at least. Being a poet makes you view the whole world through different eyes, I think. You see the depth of meaning in simple gestures that others might not notice - and them you exploit them for art - or perhaps you just open a few eyes - I'd like to think the latter :)

I'm sticking with plunge cos it is supposed to hang with the verb 'could' as in 'could plunge'. If I'd spent more time on this, I could probably have expressed myself better - but I wanted just to capture a moment and not agonise over it for a change.

Thanks again.

Comment is about Remembrance Observation (blog)

Original item by Isobel

knock knock : )

Euh... toc toc ?

toc ?

Comment is about testing (blog)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Should be good.

Comment is about An evening with Write Out Loud - and Tony Walsh (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

John,

I like the way the mournful music fits the theme.It`s strange the way Rhyme seems to have practically vanished from the competative scene. (I smile at the way the poets now and then throw in an apologetic half-rhyme effort as a sort of embarrassed memorial)

But there is nothing like the right sound hitting the right word in the right place - and rhyme`s servicable for any kind of poetry.

Your own rip offs show the conection of music to rhyme themselves....I wish I was more music savvy.

Comment is about Avant-Garde Verse - The Last Rhyme (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Is there anyone there? One knock for yes, two for no.

Comment is about testing (blog)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Sid.

Witty, satirical, and `runs` impressively.

and lots of almost perfect rhyming.


Look forward to your future ones.

Comment is about Sky Garden (blog)

Original item by Ray Miller

Thanks everyone for your comments - very much appreciated.

Comment is about FOR LINDA ...Just turned fourteen....? (blog)

Fine Remembrance poem, Isobel. Like your last one, brevity assists its cause. The violence of words like "punches", "knuckle" and "fist" are contrasted with "sleep"; anger and stillness. I just wondered whether plunge should be "plunges", or even "plunging"? Greg

Comment is about Remembrance Observation (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Thanks for commenting, Isobel, and my apologies for not explaining what I was up to.I was taking part in Win's excellent Write Out Loud workshop exercise, http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=32699, in which I grabbed lines from other people's poetry to fabricate something new. The words are from The Branch Line (Patricia Beer), Adlestrop (Edward Thomas), In A Waiting Room and At the Railway Station, Upway (Thomas Hardy), The Whitsun Weddings and I Remember, I Remember (Philip Larkin), Night Mail (WH Auden), The Metaphor Now Standing At Platform 8 (Simon Armitage), and Dilton Marsh Halt (John Betjeman). The last line was my own, from a poem called Bagni di Lucca. I found it interesting to shuffle the lines in such a way that there seemed to be some kind of music and narrative. Greg

Comment is about Railways cento (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

LOL - Have just realised why I found some of the poem a little disjointed - also why I found it odd to have a little boy with a violin in it...

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=32699#page_comment_104067

I see it is a patchwork of different poetry lines.

You still manage to get across the mood I was suggesting. But I guess it may not be about remembrance as I first imagined.

Comment is about Railways cento (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I like the mood you create with this poem Greg.

I'm struggling to understand the title. I thought it read ceno at one point and thought it was an abbreviation for cenotaph - or perhaps cento is the abbreviation for that - I don't recall ever seeing it abbreviated before. It's probably me being stupid.

That minute lasts an awful long time when you are in a crowd. I like the idea of train spotting mixed up with poetry and the remembrance of the dead - it's an unusual combination. Also liked the idea of the platform being made of sleepers - it's sad but gentle - the foundations of life as we know it.

Love the irony of the last line - the fact that we can become in touch with our own humanity by connecting to the dead.

It's something I can appreciate.

Comment is about Railways cento (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks for a great idea, Win. Here's my effort

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=32810

Comment is about Write Out Loud's poetry workshop: the cento (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks Isobel, John, and Cathy!
I'm not going to quibble over a penny, John ;-)
and I'm really pleased you enjoyed the City description, Isobel. :-)
and I'd like to think it works live, Cathy! :-)

Thanks again.

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

I really enjoyed this Steve. I bet this is brilliant live.

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Ignoring, for a moment, that it should have been 'Seventeen pence, cash' (as any poet no) http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=7838 what a cracking poem.

Possibly the best I've read on here for many a long month. Thank you!

: )

Jx

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Thanks Laura x I did double check with her that she didn't mind!

Comment is about Posh Tramps (blog)

Original item by Cathy Crabb

Now we have made the news

I hope we have a good turn out

The theme for the night for anyone new coming is what does the Art Gallery mean to you!

The Meeting Place

White walls
Picture palace
Poets gather
Collective thoughts
Written verse
Listen digest
Minds travel
Each line
Different direction.

Comment is about Stockport WoL (group profile)

Original item by Stockport WoL

Definitely x

Comment is about An evening with Write Out Loud - and Tony Walsh (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Heh heh - one just gets a little tired of the inevitable 'banker wanker' rhyme...

I also find a lot of it just doesn't transfer to page. It's great to find one that does :)

Having just reread this after a little more sleep, I can't eulogise enough. As well as humour, there is class in this - and beauty.

and as the winter sun
breaks through the clouds
and the windows of the City
are a seamless wall of gold,


WHAT A CRACKING DESCRIPTION!

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Good to see you back Cynthia!
If true sensuality is about the senses and not the body, I'm right with you.

Comment is about Thoughts Coupled (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

Thanks, Anne. I was on here before but in the persona of Pop Up Poetry. I couldn't change the clown logo photo I'd originally put on and in the end deleted the whole profile to do it! I've made a group profile on here for Pop Up Poetry now - I have 71 on my Facebook group of that name but I don't know if they will join Write out Loud as well.

I shall put poems on every now and then, on the blog, though I'm wary of publishing online too much in case I want to enter a competition or submit to a publisher.

Comment is about Janice Windle (poet profile)

Original item by Janice Windle

Thanks again. I'm very pleased I managed to sneak a political poem past you, Isobel! ;-)

And Janice, thanks very much for posting it on! And for the offer of a feature spot at Pop Up Poetry. I'll drop you a line. :-)

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Hi Chrissie - a warm welcome to WOL. I love your poem. Clever and extremely moving too. Hope to see more of your work on here. Try putting a poem in the blog section, esp if you'd welcome any feedback.

Comment is about Chrissie (poet profile)

Original item by Chrissie

Hi Janice - a warm welcome to WOL. I loved the poem about the den! I remember friends and I had a secret society for a while. I decided to sign some message in blood but cheated and used blood from a nose bleed! (Too much info - sorry :) It'd be nice to see some of your poems on the blogs second. Hope you enjoy the site!

Comment is about Janice Windle (poet profile)

Original item by Janice Windle

Love is all we need. Nice one, Dave. Take care, Tony.

Comment is about Night & Day (blog)

Original item by Dave Dunn

Love this! Nice nod to Gary numan. Take care,Tony.

Comment is about The Scifi prophet's dream. (blog)

Yes it is a brilliant piece of work! I've posted it to everyone I know! You must perform it when you next come to Pop Up Poetry as a feature - January? February? you choose!

Jan x

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Brilliant poem. I'm not always into political poetry - but you make your point with tons on humour which I really approve of! Intelligent, dry humour - love it.

Comment is about No-one likes an angry poet. (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

I've had to re- read this more than a few times to make sure I'm understanding it correctly. It's an admirable poem and concept. Yes - it would be rare to find someone you could be like that with.

Comment is about Thoughts Coupled (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas