Hi Jon! Been some time since I dove into your work! I'm all cpught up! You were always extremely skilled and wise! You are thriving and at the same time I sense you are maybe in pain. A cruel controversy. Just wanted to say, congratulations for being a great poet, skillful, profound, insightful artless, humble, taciturn and centred! Your poetry really speaks to me.
Thank you my friend ?
Mae

Comment is about Jon Stainsby (poet profile)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Excellent! And could be a blues song. And at the same time it has a timeless quality. Kudos?
Mae

Comment is about Love for you (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Sorrowful and beautiful as always!?
Mae

Comment is about Humanity without the humane (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

A pang in the gut. I almost never like love poems, but this one is a brilliant exception! ? Sorry for your loss...
Mae

Comment is about My lost flower (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Flawless and beautiful! I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are a master of speaking vast truths with but a few words!
Thank you ?
Mae

Comment is about Always worth holding on (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Mae, what you have written is more than enough. ?

Comment is about The Quiet People (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

I watch you flower and evolve poem by poem! I'm jealous! Well done Thank you?
Mae

Comment is about Incessant time (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

I love it Jon! Kudos! ?
Mae

Comment is about Colour - Gold (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

This is one of the seldom occasions in my life that I actually have no words.Thank you Jon. Please accept ???!
Mae

Comment is about The Quiet People (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Thanks to all the people who liked this.

Comment is about The Quiet People (blog)

Original item by Jon Stainsby

Hi Laura! As I said previously very well-deserved and may I say, the woman in your profile picture kinda looks like Meryl Streep, is that you? Irrelevant! Sorry! I've read and re-read your piece many times! It's extraordinary, not a single doubt you deserved POTW! Completely new, raw stuff!
Congratulations again! ?
Mae

Comment is about 'Log In*' by Laura Taylor is Write Out Loud's Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Thank ee kindly Martinus. Och Aye the Noo.

Comment is about No woman is an island (blog)

Original item by John E Marks

Thank you so much for taking the time dear Fish! I did strip it off the yo-hos. I believe you read it. Yes rather a dark tale, a drunken sailors sea shanty was more what I had in mind and not pirate treasures or "yo-ho ho n' a bottla-rum!" ? I thought it kinda worked that's why I wrote a second version instead of rewriting it all from the start!
Thank you so much! ?
Mae

P.S. I am indeed all Sestina'd up but I had to exhaust all my potential, do my best, you know? The outcome could be admitedly better! But I don't think I'll be writing any more Sestina for a long time!

Comment is about Hades' Ferry- A Sea Shanty (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

Mae,
I've been thinking (it does sometimes happen). Combining Sestina and Shanty could work by having the shanty/pirate song component as a complete (but variable) line taking its turn in each verse according to the Sestina sequencing.
When I first read the Yo-hos it was the Treasure Island pirate song that came to mind but then I thought no must be the Drunken Sailor Shanty. But of course it doesn't matter any sort of combination of both nautical themes could be made to sail the dark ship through our complacent seas.
But you're probably all Sestina'd out by now ?.
Go well
><>

Comment is about Hades' Ferry- A Sea Shanty (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

Thanks Tom ?

Comment is about FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS (blog)

Original item by Dean Fraser - The Quantum Poet

gives more than enough reason to head for the hills that I prefer doing and when I know nobody is about

belting out

# THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE......?

good work Martin keep on keeping on!



Rose ?

Comment is about Battle for the beach (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

loved this. Thanks
Keith

Comment is about What I Got To Keep (blog)

Original item by d.knape

Martin, O master of brilliantly poeticising the generality of everyday life as you have once more with this great piece...erm....

re the " occasionally fornicating " where is this beach? ?

Comment is about Battle for the beach (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Hi Dean, really enjoyed this - I know that feeling. Something about this line in particular tweaked at my imagination:

"in a parallel world, whole continents I cross".

Comment is about FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS (blog)

Original item by Dean Fraser - The Quantum Poet

Enjoyed this Martin. Paints a vivid picture of something I think we're all familiar. Hiking and hunting out the empty stretches of coastline and the occasional deserted beach has become one of my favourite parts of a holiday these day. Thanks for sharing!

Comment is about Battle for the beach (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

You did a great job of capturing why I never liked going to public beaches. It's amazing humanity has endured this long.

Comment is about Battle for the beach (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Some stunning new poems here. I particularly enjoyed 'Lake' and 'Carousel', but 'I will hold you in the light' brought me to tears. Such varied and affecting poems. I will add them to my cache of favourites to re-read often. Thank you for your second instalment, John.

Comment is about My kind of poetry: six new poems from David Constantine (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Martin - this captures beautifully the mobbing of the sand on summertime. In particular, "nudging and cradling it on the edge of death" takes the entire frolic into the notion of "live it up while can", as we all are laughing on the shore of nothingness. Well done.

D

Comment is about Battle for the beach (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Thank you for taking the time Martin! The vote is unanimous! I too prefer this one. It's just that I always haventrouble with the rhythmic part, hence the yo-hos...
Thank you?
Mae

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

This is simply brilliant Mae. It delivers the whole scenario of what it wants to say so well. I definitely prefer this version.
Love it

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

Beautifully put Adam

Comment is about A Delicate Bridge (blog)

Original item by Adam Whitworth

so that men with bloodied fists pursue her
try to crawl into her ear
to flatter her with twisted words


wow what amazing words. this is one of those poems that I just want to read over and over too get the full flavour of what is here.

Fabulous poem John

Comment is about No woman is an island (blog)

Original item by John E Marks

Many thanks everyone.

Comment is about 'Log In*' by Laura Taylor is Write Out Loud's Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Don Don Don! And I thought you were such a culture vulture!

Comment is about Highbrow Nonsense (blog)

Original item by branwell kent

Thanks, Don.
And Devon and Lisa for the Likes.

Comment is about THE PRAYERS WITHIN THE STONE (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Stu and Mart thanks, again it helps and it ...helps Tommy

Comment is about Persephone's tangled legs (blog)

Original item by Tommy Carroll

Sour Angelica? Who's she?....

Comment is about Highbrow Nonsense (blog)

Original item by branwell kent

At times I do get lost with thee
Yes I do MC
Your thoughts they are so phisticated
And po litically.......

Comment is about POLITICAL FUTURITY (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

So good John. My first visit to an English cathedral/abbey was when the choir was practising. It sent shivers up my spine. I know the feeling......

Comment is about THE PRAYERS WITHIN THE STONE (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Love the re-work of your sestina. Though I loved the original, your poetic sensibilities knew what needed to be done. Great work!

D

Comment is about Mae Foreman (poet profile)

Original item by Mae Foreman

I’m definitely Marmite!

Comment is about What Flavor Are You (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

Another good one! This one sticks with you too. Makes me wanna read it over and over and it rolls off teh tongue nicely too!
You are an excellent poet.
x.x.?
Mae

Comment is about Death (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

I agree with Devon! It's like watching a birth or opening one's eyes slowly or a butterwfly out of a cocoon! Love it! ?
Mae

Comment is about My Poetry (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

I remember this one! Good round and a strong piece! ?
Mae

Comment is about 5WH - Short Poem Challenge (in the Discussions section) (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

So true! It's hard to pull off an acrostic poem with such accuracy to the meanig of the formed word! Well done! ?
Mae

Comment is about HOPE (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

I love acrostic poems! Nostalgic and sweet!
Kudos?
Mae

Comment is about What's in a Name (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

Hey Lisa! I just read this! You honor me greatly! I'm so touched! And congratulations, for a lovely text and a touching story. I respect and admire you and your family deeply. I understand the frustration as well as the beauty that comes with duality such as being bilingual or an immigrant. Land of the free, eh? Sounds good! Maybe some day I'll visit!
Many many thanks for mentionning me. All my love from the land of humid swelters!
I'm so so touched and if I may, you perform very well in prose! Keep it up! You are an excellent artist!
Thank you again ?
Mae

Comment is about How I Came to be an American (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

Bacon Ice Cream! And so the eagle soars! Please forgive America's deep infatuation with bacon. Bacon makes everything right. But for me Muffaletta any day.


D

Comment is about What Flavor Are You (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

I like the idea that I can be my own flavor! And that's okay! Thank you Lisa! I have to say eggplant parm, though I've never had it! It sounds so yummy! ?
Mae

Comment is about What Flavor Are You (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

Yeap, it's summer, and a very hot one at that! And I have a lot of time in my hands! Thank you dear Lisa! ?
Mae

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

You've been quite busy Mae!
Bravo on both versions!!

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

Tummy's grumbling???
You would all be surprised about the bacon ice cream!

Comment is about What Flavor Are You (blog)

Original item by Lisa C Bassignani

Thank you for taking the time dear Branwell! I think I agree with you! Thank you ?
Mae

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

I think it's better without the yo-ho's, simpler and easier to read

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman

That is the my Sestina stripped of the "yo-ho"s after a suggestion. Any thoughts?
Thanks all ?
Mae

Comment is about Satan's Ark-A Sestina (blog)

Original item by Mae Foreman