counting buzzards was a great expression, loving your work as usual.

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

This is really very good, Dave, and have to say, I agree with you, my God would be like this. xx

Comment is about Christmas (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Such a sad and lovely poem, Ann.
All the Best for Christmas,
Love, Lynn xx

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Thank-you very much Steve! :-D

Comment is about La Sombra (blog)

Original item by Steven Kenny

Hi Cynthia - re: Rockpools - blessed I feel by your v kind comments - much obliged indeed

Comment is about Cynthia Buell Thomas (poet profile)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

A lovely poem throughout Ann and where IMO the last line text was powerful enough not to need enlargement

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I agree with Cyn - and sometimes just one unexpected word can do it for me... this is when poetry transcends normality & becomes sublime

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I had a 'literary' friend who once said that if even one line was striking then a poem had been worth reading. 'counting buzzards' does it for me.

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

win, i sang 2 lines of the song very badly then choked and walked off stage...i dont know how this pic manages to make it look like a smooth, funfilled laughter fest but there you go, dont believe the hype...you didnt miss a thing xx
nice boob shot tho...

Comment is about Jeffarama & Rachel Bond at the Tudor, Wigan December 2010 (photo)

Enjoyed this Ann. The pace of the early stanzas perfectly matches the mood of wistful reflection. And then the ENDING!!! Which I like

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Not sure it needed the final boldness and accentuation...it is tremendously subtle up until that point. Fabulous poem. I don't think it needs any 'font trickery' or punctuation to get its message across.

I think exclamation marks have no place in poetry...ever!!!! (but that's just me....oh, and nearly everybody else, except a few...and who cares what they think?)

Just be confident that its message is there...

Lovely stuff.

:-)

Jx

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Thank you very much gentlemen for your gracious comments... As for a lyric...well tis the season

Once again many thanks

Gus

Comment is about Waiting for 'Big' (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Hi - all I can do is not to try & force it - I basically never set-out to write anything. I get periods when I think I've said all I want to say.. and then I go & write 3 or 4 in a day. I keep them all in a file on my PC & rarely post straightaway, as I know I'll want to fiddle later. Re-reading afresh & I can ALWAYS see improvements and/or pare them down. I'll pick-up words or phrases in the paper, mags, TV or music that somehow seem unusual & maybe they'll just set-off a train of thought. My wife says things that crack me up cos she's foreign & her command of english is good, but not great. She says things like "my eyes were asleep, but I wasn't"... you know what she means but it sounds funny & sometimes that'll start things off. There's one well-known poet (cant remember his name now though) who writes some interesting words on scraps & just moves them around til something jumps out - I think it all depends on whether you want to write "solely" from the heart or if you'd like to do more wacky stuff as well? I can give you some ideas on how to if you want to ?... but it's not everyones cuppa though, but it often gives me a spark that sets things off :)
all the best. B xx

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Lovely & SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(and not just because you said nice things about mine).xx

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

BTW - just gone back & there is yours - can you believe - I was going to use this exact same Klimt image... spooky !! (lovely painting)

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi - (going nowhere) - I dont know about sexy, or pervy more like - but thanks either way !
I've amended it - maybe it reads better now ?
Serves me right for not following my own rules - I always wait at least 2 weeks from writing to posting (sometimes years) - to let me make amendments that are not always obvious to me (like here). Thanks. B xx

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

It's always possible to enjoy a hym irrespective of belief.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRobryliBLQ

:)

Happy Christmas.

Chris

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Very touching and true of heart.

Christmas is many things.

My best Ann.

Chris

Comment is about questions (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi Laura,

Thx for the comment on the ill room poem. I'm glad you felt the ending worked as I wasn't entirely sure.

Hopefully see you at an event in the new year.

Have a Happy Christmas

Chris

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Thx for the feedback on the ill room poem John.

Hope to see you soon at an event the other side of Christmas.

We can have a talk about what I mentioned too.

Have a great Christmas mate.

Chris

Comment is about John Darwin (poet profile)

Original item by John Darwin

Thx for the feedback on the ill room poem Andy.

Glad you felt it worked.

Have a Happy Christmas...hope to see you soon at an event.

My Best

Chris

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Thx for the feedback on my ill room poem Dave.

I have added another comment on the page.

Happy Christmas

Chris

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Thx for the feedback on the ill room poem Win...appreciated.

Hope to see you at Hebdon when the weather improves.

Happy Christmas

Chris

Comment is about Winston Plowes (poet profile)

Original item by Winston Plowes

Thanks, John, much appreciated.

Comment is about John Darwin (poet profile)

Original item by John Darwin

Thanks, Isobel.We've had the mood swings too but you can't put everything in a poem can you? I was going for subtle.

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

Sorry, Laura, thought Al Andalus was a typo!By appendages I meant that at the end of every verse but one the last line is a lot longer. If that's deliberate then fine but why miss one verse out?!

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Ello lovely :)

Thank you re moura encantada. Yes, it does sound very songlike doesn't it? Kinda in keeping with the mouras themselves and their siren songs :)

Oh, and I had to google quite a lot too ;)

Comment is about Shoeless Carole (poet profile)

Original item by Shoeless Carole

Hi Laura - many thanx for feedback on The Hospice Cat - I should keep a pet really but next door's Labs got into my garden yesterday ripped up established fruit bushes and generally turned the place into a devastation zone - so pleased I don't - owner at work all day of course

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

an extraordinary poem, puts my attempts on a similar theme to shame.

thanks
John

Comment is about The War of Attrition (blog)

I like the unsentimental way you handle this Ray and the way you compare the dog to the woman.
Your conclusion has me wondering whether it just wouldn't be better to be put down as a dysfunctional adult. Your poem doesn't handle the vile mood swings that such a person can be subjected to. My poor sister has to cope with this - sweet old dears who want to regress back to their youth are one thing - snarling old people who chuck you out and bad mouth you to all, when all you are trying to do is help - well that is something else.

Comment is about The War of Attrition (blog)

For some strange reason, when I read this I read it in the voice of Barry White. Like those words he often speaks softly in the opening few bars... you could add songwriting to your many talents Mister J.

Comment is about Waiting for 'Big' (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Aw, thanks Andy, much appreciated and have a fab christmas
Rach
xx

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Hi Win

You've flummoxed me there - I suspect you know far more about the Metaphysical poets than I do. That said, I would turn first to George Herbert, who was such a big influence on Vaughan. Vaughan seems to me to be a little flowery and extravagant, Herbert more economical, compact and precise, and thus more intense. But what do I know? For sheer compacting of thought, Herbert's 'Prayer' must be hard to beat. You could write a thesis on each 2 or 3 word combination in it, such as 'Angel's age' "Christian plummet' 'a kinde of tune' etc. The thinking in it is very dense (in the best sense of the word) and yet he manages to make it remarkably poetic as well. A desert island poem for me.

Comment is about Winston Plowes (poet profile)

Original item by Winston Plowes

Dave, you have posted something in the discussions section about Andrew Marvell ! Never heard of him till spent a day in Hull in a very nice square near a very nice church. Performed in the shadow of a statue all day which was of.... yes, Andrew Marvell. Looked him up since but struggle to connect with his work. Big fan of other met' poets e.g. Vaughan. can you recommend something? Win x

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Thanks for your comments on 'Fresh' which just seemed to run off the end of the pen

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

yes, liked this. Guitar strings breaking. now thats a powerful image.

Comment is about slithering sediment (blog)

Original item by owen calvert

liked this , an origianl idea really well executed. (Sorry) Win X

Comment is about The War of Attrition (blog)

Just showing Bobs guitar how its done!

Comment is about Jeffarama & Rachel Bond at the Tudor, Wigan December 2010 (photo)

Our little book was a great start, but it was just the start of things, x

Comment is about Marianne Daniels (poet profile)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

what a trio!

Comment is about Music at the Tudor, Wigan December 2010 (photo)

Dear M . You are too kind. your own style is something special and rare. never compromise the truth

Win X

Comment is about Marianne Daniels (poet profile)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

The connection between the two and what occurs due to age and infirmity are touching.

Good subjective fly on the wall social commentary without the need to overly explain anything or tie up any loose ends.

In terms of the language I think the first stanza is of the highest quality. It just feels right in the palatte when read aloud.

Chris

Comment is about The War of Attrition (blog)

Thanks for the comment on Synechdoche.
Dave

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Thanks for your spandagulous comment on Synechdoche. Have a good Christmas.
Dave

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi Greg,
Thanks for your generous comment on Synechdoche.
Dave

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

... and for 'Jesus', too!

Comment is about David Cooke (poet profile)

Original item by David Cooke

Hi David. Thank you so much for your kind words about 'At Cromer.' I appreciate it.

Comment is about David Cooke (poet profile)

Original item by David Cooke

Thanks to all and wishing you a very happy Christmas too.xxxx

Comment is about 2010 Onward (blog)

Fit to formula stuff really: create a cynical world of drudgery in a peculiarly engaging and beautiful way and have fun bashing its cheeky face in til its own mother wouldn't recognise it.

I probably ought to start selling these things as kits together with self-assembly instructions.

Comment is about What she said (blog)

Original item by Dermot Glennon

I dig it daddio - real cool

Comment is about Waiting for 'Big' (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson