Each year they make an appearance. Each year I pointlessly remind my wife to use my five favourite decorations on the tree, only to be admonished for my insolence. The nutcracker man who guards the front door, my 60th birthday robin from Mevagissey on the mirror and of course the children's homemade cards.

And then of course they leave, packed away for a further year's rest.

Comment is about Candlemas (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thank you Stephen, glad you think so.
And for the Like, Julie. Always appreciated.

Comment is about Nectar (blog)

Original item by Stephen W Atkinson

Rather prophetic Greg, personally don't have have one this year - but quite enjoy the tradition of them even if Mr Attenborough doesn't.

P

Comment is about Candlemas (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thank you Stephen, nobody before has ever written a cure just because I asked, and not only that but the cure seems like it should work really well! ?

Comment is about Voice (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Thanks Stephen, Yes I was thinking just the same thing -No birthday parties! Nice to see you know your Pinter plays?

Comment is about Harold in Lockdown (blog)

Original item by Ruth O'Reilly

Great poem Stephen, the use of voice is one of my favourite topics and this is certainly a welcome reminder to think before you speak!

There's many a moment
Within a day
As words in
Sentence strung
One wonders why
They say
What they say
When they
Should have bit
Their tongue!?

Comment is about Voice (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Thank you to all those who have clicked 'Like' for this poem.
I really do appreciate knowing that a few people have liked it.

Comment is about I Am A Phoenix (Welcome The Phoenix) (blog)

Original item by Aviva Rifka Bhandari

Great poem, and...

Take a few minutes out of life and thank

All those lovely and caring individuals around you

Who motivate, inspire and get your days through!

--- Thank you Aisha

(I shouldn't put other people's thank yous here)

Comment is about Be Yourself (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

I realise that I just said 'brilliant' again today. But why not?

Comment is about d.knape (poet profile)

Original item by d.knape

Great piece of verse, Ruth.

And no Birthday parties, I guess. (Although Stanley would not have minded!).

Comment is about Harold in Lockdown (blog)

Original item by Ruth O'Reilly

Darkly funny and brilliant.

I forgot to take a shower once and they made me use one which never warmed up beyond 5°c. Brought the colour back to my cheeks though.

Comment is about SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS (blog)

Original item by d.knape

This is a beautiful poem, Stephen.

Comment is about Nectar (blog)

Original item by Stephen W Atkinson

Lovely words, Aisha!

Comment is about Be Yourself (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Just to add to yesterday's post, I suppose that this poem was intended to relate to the takeover of the minds of any entity (individual, group, nation) by some invasive force, represented here as a voice. Examples would be cults or pernicious 20th century ideologies, especially those promoted by dictators or populists.. For the mass of recipients, the voice can be almost unnoticed, or else plausible, even comforting, until they effectively become different people to when they started. By then it is usually too late to fight back.

But, as most of you say, the voice can also involve a more insidious change to people's personalities, depicting the 'road travelled', especially as we get older.

I think the cure is to remain curious and to question all received opinions, not just remain inside a bubble. Don't let the bastards grind you down, particularly if they went to Eton and want your vote. And, of course, submit poems to WOL!

Thanks to everyone for an interesting start to the New Year.

Comment is about Voice (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Well done Greg and WOL for allowing this to be seen online. It is a
case of "first come/first serve" if anyone is interested. i'll update
WOL accordingly.
All good wishes,.
MC

Comment is about Write Out Loud regular offers free copy of spare poetry pamphlet to first email claimant (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Never had tattoos, ear-rings or (heaven forbid!) a pony-tail <never
fancied being considered as a "horse's arse"!> Besides, it didn't go with the uniform I wore when that word had more recognisable
meaning than now. ?

Comment is about d.knape (poet profile)

Original item by d.knape

I love the idea of things thrusting up in the spring and this poem is testament to that even with warnings a la WOL. Please no banned words even in retrospect, otherwise I shall get the runs. I've got a bunch of irises poking through and get hope from them. Well, you do have to be patient. Is there a covid 19 variety?

Ray

Comment is about The spears of spring (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I am fully with you in this . I have pieces of music which have been landmarks in my life. Sometimes in life buoys and mostly certainly have become inspirational in my work at times.

Comment is about Music To Live By (blog)

Original item by Aviva Rifka Bhandari

Thanks for the likes and thank you to Nigel and Aviva for commenting.
you make some good comments here Aviva thank you. Ultimately I was making a personal comment as I have seen and viewed life in that moment but hoping it will provoke others to consider their own lives. But i can see where there is a bit of a dichotomy between the first part of the poem and the latter.
Thanks again
Martin

Comment is about My life in mirrors (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Thank you Aviva, Stephen A, Brian and JD for your likes.

Comment is about Her World, Sun, Moon And Stars (blog)

Original item by julie callaghan

Glad you liked this, Graham - and well done with the chard and the ordure! If anyone's interested, our former reviews editor Frances Spurrier wrote about d*******s and other 'banned' poetry words a few years ago https://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=45206

Comment is about The spears of spring (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Yes, Julie.
I'm surprised that they still 'person'-ufacture it! ?

Comment is about 'Man-Sized' Issues ! (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Yes, like tattoos and earrings
and long hair in pony tails.
The young get old yet cling to
their former ways.
the problem is the tattoos sag
the hair thins
and wrinkles replace what was.

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

Original item by M.C. Newberry

I don't know what it is about you
that makes me like you so much.
It could be the fact that
you always think my poems are brilliant!
?

Comment is about Stephen Gospage (poet profile)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

I hear Radox has cancelled its FOR MEN range too
Such Person-ly wording on their shower gel will never do

Comment is about 'Man-Sized' Issues ! (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Thank you ?

Comment is about “Old Heads on Young Shoulders”!  (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

I absolutely love the second and third verses of this piece Greg!
Agreed about getting out there in the garden, it beats just walking around on a footpath somewhere for exercise.
Ironically, as you were uncovering 'green shoots' of spring optimism, I was pulling the very last of the rainbow chard and then covering the raised beds with bags of horse manure! Couldn't feel my fingers after!

Comment is about The spears of spring (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks for the comments, Peter and Stephen, and for the Likes, Julie, Stephen, and JD. Our current lockdown prognosis seems if anything even gloomier than a year ago. The weather may be filthy but I still try to get out in the garden, looking for signs of optimism!

Comment is about The spears of spring (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

I love that MC - and it quite aptly sums up my process when writing this poem ?

Comment is about Windermere Calls Me Back (blog)

Original item by Dean Fraser

No Mark.. This was prompted by Andrex changing the name of their 'Man-size' tissues to 'Extra-Large', following the usual hoo-haa from folk who must have taken offence to the name of a tissue! This of course was 'manna' for someone who wanted to have a bit of fun with such nonsense! ?

Comment is about 'Man-Sized' Issues ! (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

A literary picture postcard - like some faded sepia scene suddenly
discovered inside a dusty tin of family memories.

Comment is about Windermere Calls Me Back (blog)

Original item by Dean Fraser

Moving. I still remember the words my late mother spoke to me on
one occasion not long before she passed. She said almost matter
of factly -:
"You'll miss me when i'm gone"
Much later i was able to include her words in a brief poem of remembrance - and now, nearly thirty years on, they still ring true..

Comment is about To Rach (blog)

Original item by Emma-Jane Stradling

Intriguing and slightly scary. A reminder that the demon can lie
within each of us, waiting for the dark times and the dark hours to
pay us a visit.

Comment is about My demon (blog)

Original item by VHH

Age-wise, I am probably considered to be in this category but make
no claim to it. Indeed, living in solitary contentment, it is other often
far younger people who seem to be in a state of permanent infancy,
with bags of bluster, clamorous claims to "rights" won by others,
and lacking the balance of redemptive self-discipline. Get out of my life and out of my way, kiddo! ?

Comment is about 3RD CHILDHOOD---a poem by O.L. Buzzerd (blog)

Original item by d.knape

Is this by any chance instigated by the nonsense from the US political
chamber whose session ended not with Amen - but Awomen...
something almost beyond ridicule for its illiiterate man-ipulation of
language and its meaning in context.

Comment is about 'Man-Sized' Issues ! (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Thanks, Brian. I loved the journey, writing it. So glad you enjoyed the reading experience.

Comment is about A ‘Snitch’, in Time !  (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Really like this, and Joyce was no mean poet. On a Beach at Fontana is one of my favourites. Tony

Comment is about Stephen Dedalus (blog)

Original item by Holden Moncrieff

Wonderful poem, Ray. Fame is certainly no meritocracy. One of my musical heroes is John Martyn, a tumbleweed moment for many people, I suspect. Rounded off with a winning couplet. Envious. Tony.

Comment is about DARK ARTS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

I hate long poems...but I love this one!

Comment is about A ‘Snitch’, in Time !  (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Thanks for stopping by Aviva! No worries, that happens to me sometimes too. Our muse seems to show up when it wants to, often when we’re busy doing something besides writing!

Comment is about Shine On (blog)

Original item by Vautaw

I understand this poem. My mother helped many and passed young. She would feed the children from other houses who had nothing only mothers who kicked them out on the street. I was so angry when she. was diagnosed and passed. I lost myself for a time. Watch the film Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Your mother will be smiling down on you and the hospice does such a good job. Xx blessings

Comment is about Notes on Forgiveness: May, 2019 (blog)

Original item by Mike McPeek

Thank you Stephen G for the comment and like.

Comment is about Covidcoaster (blog)

Original item by julie callaghan

Good one.

I never forget those who are a whizz-kid at tickling the ivories
or make themselves very, very good on the Spanish guitar.
They get to know music intimately because they love it but never think of going on stage.
I don't forget them because they are the majority of musicians.

Comment is about DARK ARTS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

The poem brings us into your world then into your world view.
The line 'unable to lie alone' is too pessimistic for me.
I'd like 'not wanting to lie alone' instead, which would explain the problem but leave the outcome still in our potential power.

Comment is about Early Morning Blues (blog)

Original item by Blue Raven

You are welcome, Stephen. So glad you enjoyed it.

Comment is about A ‘Snitch’, in Time !  (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Thanks to everyone for the comments and for hitting the likes. I hope I haven't made people feel too miserable! Aviva, I'm working on the cure, although to be honest I am not sure what it is yet! Let's hope there is a way of reversing 'the process'.

Apart from that, all the comments make me think that I haven't figured out what my own poem really means! So all your thoughts have been much appreciated. Who knows? There may be a spin-off or a new version. Let's see.

Steve

Comment is about Voice (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Poetry and infant distractions. The perfect situation for the persevering poet.
A gentle poem with humour.
I enjoyed this and thank you
Keith

Comment is about Grandpa`s Baby Sittin` (blog)

Original item by J.D. Bardo

A brilliant, funny poem. Thank you.

Comment is about A ‘Snitch’, in Time !  (blog)

Original item by John Andrew Nield

Thank you, Julie. Yes, the end of the tunnel seems stubbornly distant.

Comment is about Covidcoaster (blog)

Original item by julie callaghan

Yes, now every day gradually pushes back the night. A great, positive read for these troubled times.

Comment is about The spears of spring (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman