hi pete , i think this poem turned out ok . and now i am working out how long till i get my ruby slippers, heels together
click click click
'theres no place like home'

Comment is about the way to ruby (blog)

nice one Julia, this would have gone down well
at Otley Poets! maybe next time!

Comment is about Learning To Kiss (article)

Very profound in many ways...

'there is nothing more daunting, than a silent battlefield,'
'like ive fled my flesh for the day, to observe my confused ways'

Comment is about COLD (blog)

Thanks Janet, I reckon you bang on the money!

the idea of the newt man, well a botanist is more loyal than a newt man I reckon, so our newt man he kinda wags his tail in courtships (as newts do) he is going steady with a woman, but he is also in a marriage. His affair lady she kids herself he is just for her, but hes out on the town, looking around.

there is some wordplay too especially on 'garden/well kept/desire'
he liked sort of trimmed things

flag flail flip = his indecisiveness

and of course the obvious pond dips / wrinkly double meanings

she wants to win him over and tackles the challenge in a humorous approach in order to temper her undercurrent of true intention and frustrated desire to have only him


errrr I think!
you prob know better than me

Comment is about my botanist (blog)

I like the fact that the fear becomes more intense as you go along...
must have been in quite the feisty mood when you wrote this... ; )

Comment is about Fear (blog)

S'lovely

Well done... great read
Gus x

Comment is about Gone to Earth (blog)

Original item by sian howell

Next time, I wanna see you step up to the mike and perform

my husband michael is deeply excited at the prospect :)

Comment is about Steve Regan (poet profile)

Original item by Steve Regan

Read this several times and you describe so many underlying feelings in this... and I think we feel similarly too...
That is what I love so much about your work Sian : )

Comment is about Lily (blog)

Original item by sian howell

...and we had a brilliant set of readings last Thursday.
On Thursday 14th May we will have Phil Foster, Kath McKay and Mary Matusz.
The new email for us is albertpoets@live.co.uk

Comment is about Huddersfield Poets Still at Albert (article)

A portrayal of freedom laced with a mysterious air, flitting around looking for amusement but missing the vital ingredient to make it satisfactory and in doing all that, is blinded to the obvious.

Hello darling, it was wonderful to see you again at the Tudor. ;-)
Janet.x

Comment is about my botanist (blog)

Well Anthony,
i like every bit of this poem. Although i was fortunate enough to have two parents who stayed together all the while, that wasn't perfect either. Maybe i'm missing the point in the poem a little with my first statement there but i guess what it says is that relationships do fail.
I think,
You have captured the rawness within this poem and to have left out any of the stanzas would leave it bereft of emotion. As it stands it caught at my heart and mind because of the truth of it for many people.
Yet another blinder, :-)
Janet.x

Comment is about moving on (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Hi Yosh,
if i'd had the pleasure of being able to read this 6 or 7 years ago, i would have known i wasn't alone and would have gained much comfort from that. Thankyou for posting this and as Mike says, it shows an advancement in the way it is written.
Keep it up. You just never really know who will make a connection through what you write so everything is worthwhile. Few of us are language and grammar perfect, it's all part of the learning process and the determination to succeed and improve for our own self preservation.

Janet.x

Comment is about COLD (blog)

Hi Emily,
i really like this poem too.
As the others say, some of the simplest things in life and a thought can evoke powerful emotions. You've created some wonderful nostalgic imagery in this for me too as i used to have a pipe rack with several different pipes my dad used. Each one had its own particular aroma because he didn't like to mix the tobacco blends in one pipe. :-)

Nice one lovely,
Janet.x

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Do you know what Yosh?
I can relate to each and every syllable in this piece.
To have a head split in two halves and not be able to fit it back in place until every razor toothed edge slots firmly into place when all the weighing up and arguments with oneself have been aired and settled.
But then clarity at last. It's very much like the broken heart in search of a soulmate and not realizing you have it within.
Janet.x

Comment is about SOMETIMES.. (blog)

I read this a few times and for the most part it is true...
I always try to put a positive spin on everything though...
Sometimes a chat can spark an interest that can lead to friendship...
Online you only get certain facets of a person's personality...
True friendship takes time to develop so you have to have a good sense about people and take the time to get to know them...
however it was that you may have met...

Comment is about Facebook U Turn (blog)

Paul the UFO has either flipped upside down (relative to Earth at least), or, has caught fire.
Can you see the afterglow? Paul you are in slow motion, drawing out the pain of impact, your soul has been evacuated to the insides of the spinning, hovvering machine and yet you destroy it. It was just a spring cleaning UFO trying to dust you down and play you into shape.

Behold and kneel to the Poetry King Paul, for mash get smash.

Comment is about Paul Blackburn hit by UFO at Stubbing Wharf, Hebden Bridge, Oct 2008. (photo)

Hello Sian, thank you for the message about not being very prolific of late. Had a tough time for the last two weeks with a little Grandson having important surgery and the day job writing (gratefully) being really busy also. I see you've been busy and I promise to comment soon. In the meantime I've posted my last year's Easter piece concerning our current religion of shopping.

Comment is about Gone to Earth (blog)

Original item by sian howell

The memories that are linked with scent are just so powerful to me. It's a heartbreaking but beautiful emotion. And thank you all for your kind comments.

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Ahhh moving on... difficult to do sometimes...
These lines are powerful:

'our memories sleep
untroubled –
two distant lives away,
but still shiver
in these bitter winds.

walking in whiteout,
compass broken,
no footsteps to retrace

and no home to go to.'

Comment is about moving on (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

walking in whiteout, compass broken, no footsteps to retrace. I've had a beer tonight as its been my birthday this past week. My emotional blurb is stimulated, this one, had me weeping.
Mike
x

Comment is about moving on (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

I'm with everyone else! Super Poem.
I too have a grandfather / father pipe poem
as Anthony and Bill say, the smell and its instant memories

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Wow. Again you have me engaged, not just for its content, but also the different styles you can write in. You have a fantastic talent Emily. Nice one
mike
x

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Yosh Man, this is far more important and has much more to say than a couple of your previous rants. there are the shocklines backed up by subtlety, that many can relate too. Its engaging and quite an advancement in the way its written and its content from previous writings. This is far more like it, this is far more important. And WILL get you noticed.
Nice one
mike

Comment is about COLD (blog)

Hi Emily.
I found this had a very comforting familiarity. I too have the pipe my Grandfather used to smoke. His tobacco of choice was "Digger Flake", and had a wonderful aroma, which, if I smelled it today, would bring back so many memories. Familiar and treasured objects seem to hold almost a magic essence of the person they once belonged to. You have captured this essence in a moving and memorable tribute to your Grandfather. This is a beautiful piece of work.
Regards,
A.E.

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Hi Mike...glad you liked "Gone to Earth" don't quite know how it came about...I just started writing and it happened that way. First Aid for Kids... yes so much unecessary loss...all children should learn First Aid as part of their education , in my opinion, also basic Childcare, Drama, Art and Creative Writing should be compulsory too whilst we're at it. Sian X

Comment is about First Aid for Kids (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Hello Emily. I love your description '...tobacco feelings tower high'. the sense of smell is a powerful one, and it evokes so many memories; I used to love the smell of the old men's pipes; that and steam trains, at Bolton station, waiting to go to Blackpool -yes I'm that old !

Comment is about My Grandfather's Pipe (blog)

Hi antony thank you for your comment i really appreciate it! Although i have to say being compared with eminem is lovely, But im nowhere near his level..... lol....Im just trying to be myself and write in my own style..Thank you for your encouragement and ill look out for more of your work....Take care mate...

Comment is about Anthony Emmerson (poet profile)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

I really like this as it is somehting I can relate to

1, 2 , and 6 are particularly strong verses, with detail. I'm not sure about the other more general verses which do speak but not with the same impact for me, but it is a very deep and emotional poem.



Love the first line it is so overwhelmingly powerful

Comment is about moving on (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Or... "gotta get over you" as Roddy Frame once sang.

Beautiful, heartfelt poem, Gary, and I think it's safe to say we've most of us (if perhaps not all of us) been there.

Comment is about 'Angel' (blog)

Hi Deb,
you know i enjoy reading all of your poems and this one is no exception.
Lovely imagery, powerfully moving and beautifully written.
Janet.x

Comment is about Springtide (blog)

Original item by Deborah Jordan Bailey

Hi Rodney,
have you been meditating?
The things you describe here are often seen as the unexplained and incomprehensible but there's always a reason for it to be there in whatever texture or colour it shows itself as.

Not seen you on here for a while. Hope you're well.
Janet.x

Comment is about IT'S JUST WRONG (blog)

Original item by Rodney Wood

Hi Mike,
i remember as a kid going to the local St.Johns ambulance for first aid for beginners. I was taught mouth to mouth rescucitation at swimming lessons. I often wonder why i don't hear of many doing the same these days but often ferry people who have nothing more than a scratch to the local A and E.

Your poem reflects a lazy society and you're right, so many lives ruined or lost because of ignorance. Good one.

Incidentally, i read most of your work and can relate to much if it in many ways. It's the political ones i get a bit bogged down with though and it depends on my mood as to whether or not i can read through them.

Janet.x

Comment is about First Aid for Kids (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Hi Yosh,
I read this and immediately thought "Eminem." It has the same immediacy and observational qualities, and a message that is universally indentifiable. I agree with what Mike says, in that sometimes the more subtle a message is, the more powerful it becomes. There are some cliches here, but I don't think that's always a bad thing - when you are talking to the people it's more effective to use the people's language. I would like to see you perform this - with the passion that obviously fuels your writing. The best of yours I've yet seen. Bravo!
Regards,
A.E.

Comment is about SOMETHING TO BELEIVE IN.... (blog)

Hi

Darren is always spot on and has a very critical eye much needed on here as we cannot often detach ourselves from our own work - so thank you Darren. It is also good to see that you receive it well.

I do agree with the comments made and also feel that detail rather than general statements would bring this to life and actually engage the reader more . eg 'walls closing in 'sun stopped shining' are excellent - need more of that than 'i cannot live without you' which is very vague and often said / used. Needs infusing with more .

On the whole has great potential - do re-post if you decide to re-write it!

Comment is about 'Angel' (blog)

Hi Sian
thanks for connenting on the Razor Shell haiku.
Winston

Comment is about sian howell (poet profile)

Original item by sian howell

Hi Antony
Thanks for connenting on the Razor Shell haiku.
Winston

Comment is about Anthony Emmerson (poet profile)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Hi Andy
thanks for connenting on the Razor Shell haiku.
Winston

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Hi Jeff,
just want to say it was lovely to see you again last night and as usual you did a great job as compere. You always make everyone feel welcome and appreciated for their efforts, and i especially appreciate that, being a woman who walks in alone looking around for a friendly face.

I like your lighthouse poem by the way. It reminds me a little of how i feel sometimes.
Janet.x

Comment is about Jeffarama! (poet profile)

Original item by Jeffarama!

Yo John, great stuff at the Octagon, great stuff last night, thanks for your comments, keep up the good work, good to have chat, maybe see you at a gig soon cheers Jeff

Comment is about John Darwin (poet profile)

Original item by John Darwin

Hi Louise, great to see you (and Zoe) last night, loved your poems see you both soon Jeff X

Comment is about Louise Fazackerley (poet profile)

Original item by Louise Fazackerley

Hi Sian,
this reminded me of two different yet similar instances in life.
1. when you walk into a strange place alone for the first time and it feels like all eyes are upon you until the door opens again and the next victim walks in.

2. When you go back to somewhere you used to visit frequently and everyone turns to look at you before whispering in the neighbours ear about where you've been and how you look.

Incidentally, i agree with Darrens comment about the whisper line. Rumours sipped from the whisperings makes more sense to me too. :-)

Nice poem with a touch of reality.
Janet.x

Comment is about Lily (blog)

Original item by sian howell

I will send ya poem for duet later.

Also need you to look at story I have written - please can you help with that? can't access hotmail at mo soon here for now. Thanks MG

Comment is about Winston Plowes (poet profile)

Original item by Winston Plowes

Hi Steve

further to our chat I was wondering if you could kindly take a look at a short story I am writing - it is from a maleperspective and subject close to my heart so finding it very difficult. Need some honest criticism to develop it. Let me know thanks

Comment is about Steve Regan (poet profile)

Original item by Steve Regan

Hi Winston,
thanks for your comment on my poem 'the one which nearly got away.'
I performed it at Wigan last night but to be honest i didn't hang around to notice the reaction it got 'cos i was too busy getting to the bar for a much needed drink. :-)

Janet.x

Comment is about Winston Plowes (poet profile)

Original item by Winston Plowes

Hi Andy,
thanks for your comment on my latest offering 'the one which nearly got away.'
I see where you're coming from with the first line but will keep it in for performance purposes because of the intention within its contents. Although it isn't a rant, the frustration with it in the beginning, leading to a compromise is part of the making up process in many relationships. :-)
You know me well enough to know that i like to present things as they are rather than beat around the bush. well, at least things the way i see them. ha ha.

Janet.x
Janet.x

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Hi Sian,
thanks for your comment on my poem 'the one which nearly got away.'
I wrote it specifically for performance which is the reason it's quite different from some of my other postings which are ok for 'read arounds' but not so much if i decide i need to let off steam, so to speak. :-)
Hope you are well,
Janet.x

Comment is about sian howell (poet profile)

Original item by sian howell

Hi Steve,
it was lovely to finally meet you and June last night. Hope to see you again soon.

Thanks for your comment on my poem 'the one which nearly got away.'
Janet.x

Comment is about Steve Regan (poet profile)

Original item by Steve Regan

Hi Anthony,
thanks for your comment on 'the one which nearly got away.'
and thanks for the inspiration to write another poem. All i have to do now is imagine what it's like in the life of a shredder. :-)

I love the George Best tribute by the way.
Football isn't really my thing but he was so popular and well known and his life so colourful, i enjoyed reading about him here.
Stay well :-)
Janet.x

Comment is about Anthony Emmerson (poet profile)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Wow Sian... simply exquisite

Comment is about Gone to Earth (blog)

Original item by sian howell

What a tease!
I'll only tell if you tell first ; )

Comment is about my botanist (blog)