If Bertrand Russell couldn’t convince you I’m certainly not going to try. I’m not that evangelical about my atheism. In fact some of my best friends are Christians. My Dad bought me the book for Christmas many years ago, not that we celebrated Christmas. He was like the pope of atheism. I believe it had something to do with being a bomb aimer in Lancasters during the Second World War not that he talked about it much. His older brother had been a Japanese prisoner of war and became a Methodist lay preacher on his return. They would have some wonderful discussions, warm never heated. My Dad had the last word at George’s funeral when he started the eulogy with the line- I hope George is quickly coming to terms with the lack of an afterlife.......

Comment is about Dave Bradley (poet profile)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Hi Lynne - yes, Hayle is a few miles away but I often pass through it on the bus - on my way to St Ives. Do you ever visit your sister? Cornwall is great! xx

Comment is about Lynn Dye (poet profile)

Original item by Lynn Dye

The feedback on the protest poem- appreciated Laura.

The lines that you quoted were exactly the level of contempt and targets I was aiming at...bloody tragic.

My Best

Chris

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Hi Andy, thx for the feedback on my latest.

Chris

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Thx for reading Tommy- appreciated.

Hope you are well- my best

Chris

Comment is about Tommy Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Lynn, thanks for comments on Santa. Appreciated.

Comment is about Lynn Dye (poet profile)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Hello Cynthia. Thanks for comments on Santa. I can see what you mean about Dickens, Darwin, but the way I say the poem it would disrupt the rhythm too much.And rhythm is king.

Comment is about Cynthia Buell Thomas (poet profile)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

Ann, thanks for the comments on Santa. Appreciated.

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Could be a slow poison, Lynn. Of course, he's given you every incentive to get better. Enjoyed.

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

A very enjoyable one, Lynn. I'm the proud owner of the invaluable 'Cooking for Blokes' which does give all the detail which all those fancy cookbooks don't. However, even Cooking for Blokes must assume you knew what a baking tray was, because it isn't defined in the very basic 'Tools' section (pages 6 -14). (-:

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

If you'd been married to someone who criticised anything you ever cooked - for its fat content, its digestive content, its lack of imagination, or its timing, you might just learn to adore the man you've got :) Sometimes it's good not to live with 'perfection'.
An amusing poem Lynn. x

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Lovely images Marianne. Really enjoyed this. x

Comment is about Rhombus (blog)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

Hi there Marianne I particularly enjoyed the last line Kistch of cunning - where did you get that stonker from - a great take on dualism as well - well done

Comment is about Rhombus (blog)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

I really like this too, Ray. Lots of very good lines. x

Comment is about Santa (blog)

I don't doubt it, Francis. Thank you for comment.

Glad it made you laugh, Rachael, thanks. Actually, hubby laughed too!

Thanks Stef, luckily, I can do pity!! ;)

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

The last line is superb; a punchline that sums up a whole idea needs great skill. IMO, I would drop the two 'Charles' and leave 'Dickens' and "Darwin' to tell the whole point, making a snappier line as well. 'dreams are melting; drip, drip, drip go the decorations' is a super metaphor using vibrant alliteration and onomatopoeia.

Comment is about Santa (blog)

ooops - thanks Cynthia, didn't see that typo! x

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Another evocative timely observation that catches your readers by the heartstrings. Did you mean 'plump blonde girl starts to laugh' ie no 's' for a plural? Liked your point about not laughing out loud at canned comedy; your mind is probably scads ahead of the script.

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I really like this Ray
"The last of the believers has outgrown
stockings and keeps her own counsel"
and
"December cracks and there's condensation
above the bed where I'm not sleeping"
being my favourite bits. Full of the disillusion of being a grown up, as we used to call them (us!) Have a good one! x

Comment is about Santa (blog)

"I'm just being a boring old miseryguts fart of late!" I'm like it all the time.

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Some lovely imagery here, Marianne, in my opinion. I particularly like 'my body is a hare'. I have a thing about hares – I find them 'spiritual', is that odd?

Comment is about Rhombus (blog)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

Very good I think, Lynn. I enjoyed it. Not all men are like this, of course. In fact, I'm the best cook in our house...

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

haha Lynn, thanks for making me laugh...x

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Hi Alison, have to say, I enjoyed this just as it is.

Comment is about 42nd Noel (blog)

Original item by Alison Smiles

Thanks Francis and Andy...this song is on my album 'Alpha Ghost'
nice to strip out the music sometimes. Let the voice do the work :) x

Comment is about Seasons left behind (blog)

yeah but-yeah but-yeah but...I can boil eggs and pour water on pot noodles-I do however struggle opening bags of crisps-have pity! SW-xx

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

wonderful Isobel...vocal talent always runs in the family, :)

Comment is about Gaudete (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Ah Tom, I was married so long ago there were no modern men then!! And he is certainly not useless in other areas. Just a bit of fun. Ta for comment.

Ann, yes, you are right, he has been a good lad, love him really. xx

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Hiya Steve – thanks for taking another look at Iconic. Yes – I think it needs more than one read to fully understand – I didn’t appreciate that at first. I’ve started telling people who the icons are now before I perform it so they have time to get the references (John Lennon, Lady Di, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Che Guevara, Martin Luther King). I wanted to get Elvis in but it would have been too much of a squeeze ;)
Sorry you can’t make Thursday – Christmas does get manic with dos to go to – though I’m not too bad this year. Will look forward to seeing and hearing from you in the New Year – your stuff always makes me laugh! Take care and have a good one. xx

Comment is about Stephen Pass (poet profile)

Original item by Stephen Pass

well, it's nice that you can still take pleasure in someone else's happiness.
I end up laughing at the one-liners in the card shops - I can't help it ! everyone must think I'm a complete nutter :)

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Oh, he means well! Poor lamb! ;-)

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Erm, Lynn, did you not meet your spouse before the engagement? How could you not ascertain the fact that he is a dufus?

Comment is about Oh, For A Modern Man! (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Thanks, Isobel. Good to be back. Wolverhampton can wait.

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

Hello Laura. Thanks for the comments on Santa. I've actually been Father Xmas 3 times at a kids' nursery. The red nose and beer belly help a lot.

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Excellent, Isobel and family, I am well impressed!
Merry Christmas to you too xxx

Comment is about Gaudete (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Hi Isobel, Hope you're doing alright. Soz I'm not coming to Wigan tomorrow as I'm working late (after the Christmas Party tonight!) but will get along in January. Hope you have a good Xmas and New Year. Just read and heard your Iconic poem - I needed to hear it a second time after Wigan and also read it to appreciate the craft of it as there are complicated themes (for me!) in there - it sparked the old debate for me in pubs, would you prefer to live a long life or burn brightly and out? I thought the recording was great also - I do love your use of song! Take care and all the best for Xmas. Love Stevexxxxxxxxx

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

Ta chaps. Of course I laugh out loud, in real life as it were. But I simply can't laugh at comedy, on TV, radio, live etc.. I know I'm being egged on to laugh so I can't. Just plain cussed I guess! I might crack a smile! This is another train journey poem. I so envied her, cos of her sheer natural joy. While I sat gazing out of the train window she had brought her own jolly world into the carriage with her. I'm just being a boring old miseryguts fart of late! ;-)

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I also love "cute as a muffin top". so why cant you laugh out loud ? is it plain inhibition? or is this just the narrator talking?? you should hear us at work - all the belly laughs on all sorts of subjects - most of them not very "PC" xx

Comment is about plump blond girl (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

nice piece, rachel.. particularly like the repeating of 'Yesterdays shadows

Are in seasons left behind' xx

Comment is about Seasons left behind (blog)

Cheers Philipos for the comment.. I'll double-check for the typo later on.

I know my Uncle Percy was a member of the Lancashire Fullisers - as far as I am aware he wasn't one of Wingate's Chindits but I will have to ask my father over that...

Comment is about Percy (blog)

Original item by Andy N

Very invigorating! xx

Comment is about Gaudete (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Yes beautiful, love this.

Comment is about Silver (blog)

Original item by Shoeless Carole

Eat your heart out Steeleye Span. Lovely

Comment is about Gaudete (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Hi There, Thankyou for looking at Ghazal (branches) you comments were and are always really appreciated. A detailed reply left on the blog entry itself, Win x

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Enjoyed this, very conventional look at Christmas and that loss of innocence both in terms of santa but also kids growing up too fast, the lines about celebrity culture being more popular excellent and sad. I find it difficult to write Christmas poems because of the 'bah humbug' thing but you tackled this brilliantly.

Comment is about Santa (blog)

Christ liked to rebel in his own way...

Technically Greater Manchester but in spirit Lancashire and I think you would love it up here. I'd lost touch with just what I was missing.

Comment is about Gaudete (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Hi Laura - re Halo - yes the dreaded M word linked in my case I think to recent eye problems - you sound like a fellow sufferer

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

just reporting in to say me little blue light(as in broadband is back on at home-yaye!!) catch you soon Lynn-thanks-Stef.xx

Comment is about Lynn Dye (poet profile)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Minor typo in stanza 5 line 6 'you' should read 'your' I think but otherwise a superb overview of war overseas - was your uncle one of the forgotten army in Wingate's Chindits I wonder

Comment is about Percy (blog)

Original item by Andy N