tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84342464993284254092024-03-21T10:05:21.905-07:00Ghost Story (NapoWriMo 2014)onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-53734124828983592332014-05-18T04:40:00.000-07:002014-05-18T04:40:24.460-07:00Guest Poet 19 - Ananya S Guha - Grandmother And Her two Son<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2928" style="background-color: white;">
<h2 class="yiv9926026928" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2927" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><i>(This what I am guessing is the last guest poet is late through been very busy is by Ananya S Guha, a poet from India who I met many years through a website called Heart to Heart which featured some of both of our poems)</i></span></h2>
<h2 class="yiv9926026928" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2927" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2 class="yiv9926026928" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2927" style="color: #333333; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I have taken this weight off,</span></span></h2>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2923" style="background-color: white;">
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the proverbial burden of responsibility</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or irresponsibility, we call it whatever we will.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once upon a time I sat on grandmother's lap</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2930" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to listen to stories of ghosts, catcalls and her two sons</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2932" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">climbing up the wind, soaring skies after dying of poisonous</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">fumes of the stomach. The narrative, unreal, surreal blended</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">into my apostasy, my image of myth maker, teller of fables and lies!</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The weight suddenly lessened, slowly in life, when I realized</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that truths told were untold ( lies!)</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grandmother, her fabulous world were lies, until she died</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at a ripe old age of hundred and two. I looked at her frail self,</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and wondered how this frailty could cause a string of lies!</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fabulous, untold stories, of her two sons, flying across</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">when space crafts did not exist. Now I know.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know, unexplored terrains, I know grandmother as a psychic</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">teller of tales. Fantasy.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know, she is still climbing across untenanted skies.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grandmother's ghost is real. The house in Guwahati</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">shackled with ominous ruins is as true, or false as</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grandmother's tales. Her rickety fingers still point</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at me. Her narratives give me a lull, and then</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sleepless nights. Her two sons, dying of cholera</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2940" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">are my dying assets. I still live. Grandmother, her two sons...</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2937" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They were twins.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2937" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400409332504_2937" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(Ananya S Guha lives in Shillong in NE India. His poems in English have been published in both print and online journals in India and abroad. He holds a doctoral degree on the novels of William Golding. He works in the Indira Gandhi National Open University)</i></span></div>
</div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-32790362956782041032014-05-10T02:00:00.000-07:002014-05-11T02:00:26.478-07:00Guest Poet 18 - Meshach R. Brencher - A Ghost in Me <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(Our 18th Guest Poet, Meshach R Brencher is a young rapper / poet I have known from going to Write Out Loud's monthly event at Stockport. Here he offers a ghost poem that is short but certainly not sweet)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A ghost in me
I cannot see
The another part of me
I cannot be
sees the decomposed,
Fragmented,
Broken elements of myself
A formula that cannot work
Without being in reach with
Every aspect a part of me
Collectively makes me who I am
Where the ghost shows me who I am not</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Meshach advises me as a bio '</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m an autistic poet & spoken word artist. I’ve written poetry for round 4 years. I tend to write in character, using deep and emotional or dry humorous content adapted in various different forms and styles)</span></i>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-32616152394309381942014-05-09T01:54:00.000-07:002014-05-11T01:54:59.142-07:00Guest Poet 17 - P.R Mcdowell - Remembrance (1st draft) <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Our 17th guest poet, P.R. McDowell is another writer who is good friend of mine from Oldham who I am writing a play with him slowly called 'Twisted Promise'. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In this poem, he offers a different take on my ghost poem which I really enjoyed and hope you enjoy too.)</i></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It was a good day;<br />
Filled with<br />
friendly chatter and<br />
hearty laughs;<br />
Right from the moment <br />
we all met <br />
at Piccadilly Gardens<br />
eager to board the tram<br />
and be on our way,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our boss had said<br />
we couldn’t organise<br />
“A piss up<br />
in a brewery”<br />
And now we were<br />
about to prove to him<br />
that we could,<br />
Because we had<br />
for his 50<sup>th</sup>.<br />
<br />
Best was that<br />
he had no idea.<br />
He thought <br />
that we were all <br />
just going for<br />
a curry and drinks,<br />
At that new place<br />
in the city centre<br />
and we’d stay out late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When the tram came<br />
we hustled him<br />
aboard, and after<br />
it had made two stops<br />
We told him, and<br />
he couldn’t believe<br />
we’d hired <br />
the Irwell Works<br />
brewery in Bury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When we arrived<br />
he seemed to be in shock<br />
then<br />
we all were<br />
As we were shown<br />
around by the staff<br />
and we saw<br />
where the ales were made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He thanked us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Then we sat round<br />
a massive table<br />
the brewery had set out,<br />
Filled with their own<br />
ales and bitters<br />
to wash down<br />
the burgers and<br />
pies they provided<br />
for private parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Must have been there<br />
for about four hours<br />
by time we’d done<br />
and the boss exclaimed<br />
“The night’s still young,<br />
so let’s get our<br />
arses back to town again!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And we all agreed;<br />
like it was a great idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Then, before long <br />
we were on a tram again,<br />
Heading to Salford Quays,<br />
and I don’t remember<br />
who even suggested<br />
that we go there.<br />
But I remember<br />
what happened before<br />
we got to our stop…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Blinding light shone<br />
on one side<br />
of the carriage<br />
Then spun in an arc<br />
quickly towards<br />
our tram;<br />
Everyone panicked,<br />
started to run to<br />
the doors at the other end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But it didn’t stop<br />
the hysteria<br />
or the car<br />
Slamming right into<br />
the exterior,<br />
making the tram flip<br />
Onto its side<br />
where those of us<br />
still conscious and unhurt<br />
<br />
Had to rely on<br />
each other, as strangers,<br />
and the doors<br />
on just one side<br />
To escape;<br />
But we didn’t<br />
get chance to.<br />
The car burst<br />
into flames.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Translucent zig-<br />
zags flew through the air,<br />
catching some of us unaware.<br />
Leaving red vines<br />
and crude etches<br />
marking us<br />
As survivors<br />
of<br />
a, great tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The cries, and<br />
the wails<br />
From inside and out<br />
were deafening<br />
and as the flames<br />
licked hungrily<br />
at the side of the tram<br />
I knew some<br />
more wouldn’t make it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I could see<br />
the water, it<br />
seemed close enough to<br />
dip a finger into.<br />
And it sent <br />
a shiver<br />
down my spine<br />
just as much <br />
as the dead did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My boss,<br />
Steve- he was always<br />
so calm and collected<br />
but now<br />
He was cold and so far<br />
away, no amount of time <br />
would lead to him<br />
Telling us<br />
what we should do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For a moment<br />
I thought of going<br />
to Becky and Mark<br />
who clung onto each other<br />
wet eyed<br />
as he tried to stop her<br />
from seeing her mate<br />
Toni across the aisle,<br />
unmoving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So many were slumped<br />
lying here and there<br />
like discarded marionettes<br />
Their strings<br />
cut<br />
off like their breath;<br />
Then from the corner<br />
of my eye<br />
I saw the flash of blue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As the emergency services<br />
came racing as fast<br />
as lightning<br />
And I hoped<br />
and -for the first time<br />
in years-, I prayed<br />
That we would<br />
be saved and no one<br />
else would die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The sky was like treacle<br />
as the smoke seemed<br />
to echo Hirashima;<br />
The firemen fought for<br />
what seemed like hours;<br />
we kept slipping away.<br />
I saw so many<br />
helped out by them,<br />
I was the last to go;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I couldn’t<br />
call out and <br />
fallen seats hid me from view.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The tram finally went<br />
over,<br />
the water ate it up<br />
and freed me.<br />
Out the window<br />
I could see <br />
just how many survived;<br />
It could have been<br />
so many less and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The dead count<br />
so much more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">They say on the<br />
anniversary of that night<br />
a man can be seen<br />
Walking along the dock,<br />
and then kneeling<br />
as if paying respects;<br />
Then afterwards,<br />
he’s gone<br />
like he never existed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But I know<br />
people still remember me,<br />
and in a way <br />
I enjoy those peaceful strolls.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><i><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(P.R. McDowell is a Mancunian writer of fiction & poetry as well as being one part of Unity Media collective & an occasional event organiser. He currently lives in Oldham and is working on a novel, his first collection, and the Twisted Promise production & other projects in the works by Unity Media; his poetry has been published by JackMove Mag, on the Napalm And Novocain e-zine, and in Best of Manchester Poets third anthology amongst others)</i></span></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-4020179805386163872014-04-30T11:49:00.000-07:002014-05-01T10:46:11.152-07:00Guest Poet 16 - Jeff Dawson - Eternal Fury<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5496" style="background-color: white;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(Our guest last poet, is my good friend Jeff Dawson aka Jeffarama!, who offers this alternative take on the story which has unfolded)</span></i></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5496" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5496" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I often wondered</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5472" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">what kind of deaths they led</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5633" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or I suppose who had it easier?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5648" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ghost killed in a mining accident</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5649" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the ghost killed in war</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5650" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the ghost drowned at sea, or</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5651" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the ghost killed in a dockland tragedy?</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5652" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5653" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe it just depends</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5654" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">on what kind of lives they had</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5655" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5656" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The happy ones</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">are probably few and far between</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those who play tricks on folk</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">scaring them half to death</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In their homes</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or an old country pub</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On this occasion</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it seemed right to vent their fury</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5661" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No excuses needed</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5660" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No motive necessary</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5659" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They had their reasons</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5658" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No-one would understand anyway</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5662" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5657" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But in the morning</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5663" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">when the sun rises</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5664" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">through the dockside mist</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With a bit of luck</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5669" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it will be quiet again</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5668" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397993963128_5667" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until the next time….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(<span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeffarama! is Bolton's Punk Poet and has been writing and performing for 6 years. During that time, he has supported the likes of Dave Sharp (The Alarm) & TV Smith (The Adverts), and loads of other bands. Also part of poetry & music band A Means to an End with Andy N & Petrova.</span></i></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Jeff is a founder member of Half Evil Promotions Bolton, who organise open mic night and gigs, and went on two tours - Buskin 4 Beer & Jammin with Jeffarama! combining poetry and music. On a similar vein he created the very successful nights Guitar n Verse & Performance!</i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Jeff also organises Bolton WriteOutLoud nights and has also just released his first solo book 'Loud n Proud', a collection of 40 poems from over the last 6 years (£5 - available from Jeff)</i></span></div>
</div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-56793947284903853892014-04-30T04:48:00.000-07:002014-04-30T04:48:00.271-07:00Part XXXII<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB_PDKFloZAFj6UAtWV6cNqQ7sQSxrN-L1NqZUQArEM8qY6JdUCy4C6z3co8Fw-nlh-mUJL_jLUfWM0sUQ7QXIXJwr1sbcXYhpRdAv6RXRpeC1tDtv5ThwqImKJzP_wycl9iTGM7sp7ab/s1600/IMAG2587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB_PDKFloZAFj6UAtWV6cNqQ7sQSxrN-L1NqZUQArEM8qY6JdUCy4C6z3co8Fw-nlh-mUJL_jLUfWM0sUQ7QXIXJwr1sbcXYhpRdAv6RXRpeC1tDtv5ThwqImKJzP_wycl9iTGM7sp7ab/s1600/IMAG2587.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We met one time after that</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Under damp light</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next to that faded red brick tunnel</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which eventually led</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back to Chester Road</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just off the quays,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few days after</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Graced with meloacholy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sucking in my breath</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Swallowing In my nerves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steeped in a measure of constructed sweat</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘I don’t understand what happened?’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked in surprise at your smiling face</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘I could have saved you’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking at the palm of my hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But you had gone when I looked up. </span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-46135645858363764752014-04-29T11:46:00.003-07:002014-05-04T10:02:55.423-07:00Guest Poet 15 - Kealan Coady - Birthright<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Our next guest poet came from un-usual sources and with a bio which I have doubts about still makes for a stirring poem)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pale efforts of being, our used pasts
whine in nights of blunt
and sudden
childhoods deformed beyond reason.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The freedom to fail and be flayed
for a fathers killing grin
or mutant offspring cry.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is bliss in the shadows,
thrills in shade.
Nothing is vacant in theory,
just empty voices, cold and alone,
as silent infants thread
the waves of care homes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Someone abandons all meaning
and welcomes the ghost as a birthright.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> (Kealan Coady is a fictional Irish writer created by notorious serial killer Michael White. (1856 - 2009) Shortly after his execution, a series of poems and short stories were found to be in his possession. Of the poems, only 'Birthright survives, and is kept at the torture museum, Amsterdam.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some more of his short stories can be seen <a href="http://jottify.com/writer/kealan/">here</a>) </span></i></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-9751804886032249902014-04-29T11:43:00.000-07:002014-04-29T11:43:20.388-07:00XXXI<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MDWM2cJtv5m81KpveJxT926yyEt16lxieN-6BaQOBonNKoXHx43sCEX3Mf8cJhs5DR1c4JjTC9jqXcD-AVg_RVpPIxxS4AqhqGF2F_T7BNsx9EhId_SoqMxS6T10rAcQWjM7K2mFTg04/s1600/IMAG2588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MDWM2cJtv5m81KpveJxT926yyEt16lxieN-6BaQOBonNKoXHx43sCEX3Mf8cJhs5DR1c4JjTC9jqXcD-AVg_RVpPIxxS4AqhqGF2F_T7BNsx9EhId_SoqMxS6T10rAcQWjM7K2mFTg04/s1600/IMAG2588.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Afterwards you had gone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">when I was picked up<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">from the edge of the flames<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">by the first two policemen,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">almost like you hadn’t been there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">in the first place,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Removing all traces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">of your mudden footsteps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and the stains of your denim jacket<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">which had touched the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">edge of the shelter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">like you were trying to edit yourself<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">out of the story,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">until it got to the point<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">when you turn the lights down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and ask yourself whether<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">the conversations you had<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">were real,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">or imaginary fragments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">sulking at the edge of the quays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">of some untold novel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">lost in your thoughts <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">letting your perfume carry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">a wordless thank you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">over what you had just done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-54045749750630344712014-04-28T02:23:00.000-07:002014-04-28T15:26:40.203-07:00Part XXIX and XXX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxuVEDHY9wJpuJPbA11wozBFt7i7-NrzyzrCt8rHOX_Mvye6-ZDtEsWz_A_b8MwZYEh_zphI-9hqEk5FI8HbslbU4o0QjVfZRd4pm0hn__B0xd9xc3ch59upY1R5oAxygLO9WDaaV5Kz5/s1600/IMAG2587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxuVEDHY9wJpuJPbA11wozBFt7i7-NrzyzrCt8rHOX_Mvye6-ZDtEsWz_A_b8MwZYEh_zphI-9hqEk5FI8HbslbU4o0QjVfZRd4pm0hn__B0xd9xc3ch59upY1R5oAxygLO9WDaaV5Kz5/s1600/IMAG2587.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">XXIX</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Returning afterwards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All I could see was a
burnt out shoe <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">here and there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And a wheel from a pram,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trees holding their
branches<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over their heads <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like they were covering
their faces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Frozen in terror<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At all that they had seen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Buried under the
foundations,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wishing they could leap
away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On tramplones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Birds and geese who
wouldn’t <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">stop for days afterwards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and gates on the locks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that remained permently
open<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">signalling to hurry on
pass,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">rather than your dead body<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">which must have laid there
dead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">for minutes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">before I got there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and your ghost which
wouldn’t<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">look me in the face
afterwards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">like a time traveller gone wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>XXX</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">taking back that moment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">perhaps I would have stood
still<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and listened to your final
warning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as I saw that tram spin
then crash, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">perhaps I would have
simply called<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">the Police and the
ambulances<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and let them deal with the
screams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">of the dying and the dead,
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and listened to your
simple no<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">which got repeated over
and over<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as I raced towards the
tram,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">taking each stride <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">like I didn’t know what I
was doing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">rather than your warning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">running across the
tightrope<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">of baynets stuck in the flames. </span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-1820453151638968102014-04-27T03:55:00.000-07:002014-04-27T03:55:40.247-07:00Part XXVII and XXVIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpcTwZIWbCfS2P4Yf8stuqVuiAJfCOmLdw9lUznHOQWQk07jueVUVbz9HnVdOSjfv-dARHiOdc8MxIE9xAqEe4849cWANWAHkXSQPLMaDb4WZj7x1JCtoQlgMRi4CqIEY4qMN8R0UDTG7/s1600/IMAG2593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpcTwZIWbCfS2P4Yf8stuqVuiAJfCOmLdw9lUznHOQWQk07jueVUVbz9HnVdOSjfv-dARHiOdc8MxIE9xAqEe4849cWANWAHkXSQPLMaDb4WZj7x1JCtoQlgMRi4CqIEY4qMN8R0UDTG7/s1600/IMAG2593.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">XXVII</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somewhere in the flames</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lay a toy screaming</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the batteries distinguished </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Onto the floor</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then it’s arms</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And it’s legs,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Melting underneath</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The gaps in the floors</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before dripping onto</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The pavement</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next to the charred wheels,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Etched in the heat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With smoke</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coughing out of the windows</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With your face pinned</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Against the door</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Both inside and outside</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As much a mirror</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To the suffering</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But several different kinds</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of warning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">XVIII</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Passing cars deflect on the back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of closed bank counters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">holding each others hands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">gouged in frozen terror<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">outstretched on the edge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of the near dead in purgatory<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">held in place in-between<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">a frozen surface tension and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the glow of filtered moonlight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ducking and diving between flames<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">humming like an engine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">stained in a nervous sweat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">mirroring the fear of my own hands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as I dragged out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">two, then three children out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with your words pleading<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">no, no, no<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">then I saw your body.</span></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-61665876382835957162014-04-27T03:54:00.003-07:002014-04-27T03:54:46.849-07:00Guest Poet 14 – Scott Devon - Out of the earth<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I grew a gun, once, out of
the earth and watered it with Galilee,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">saw the salt stick to its
silver petaled barrel, alone in the earth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as the chamber filled
itself with twelve blank bullets, aimed upon the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My home was on high, made
from Oak my father grew, idyllic view but<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">in winter the rain fell
too warm upon my world, it worried me so<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I grew a gun, once, out of
the earth and watered it with Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The rain like leeches
addicted to dry would come, naked I’d run in<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">panic to shelter the
trigger, check the safety, keep the powder dry,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as the chamber filled
itself with twelve blank bullets, aimed upon the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It spoke in whispers to me
through the earth and air, said it was ready<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">to die, told me it was afraid
but it had faith in its creator,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I grew a gun, once, out of
the earth and watered it with Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Arm’s length I held it as
it died and felt nothing except pure purpose,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">the last words in me, the
last wish burning the air, how heavy he grew<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as the chamber filled
itself with twelve blank bullets, aimed upon the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Each round I sent down the
barrel towards the light, saw the pearly smoke<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">deafened, knew at once it
was my fault because I did not plant a lamb,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I grew a gun, once, out of
the earth and watered it with Galilee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">as the chamber filled
itself with twelve blank bullets, aimed upon the world.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia;">(Scott Devon is a
British born poet, with an MA in Creative Writing from MMU. He is the former
head of neo:writers, a department of neo:artists CIC, and the organiser of the
neo:anthology Project 2013, which has published writers such as multiple
Pushcart prize nominee Howie Good, and Faber poet George Szirtes,
<a href="http://www.neoartists.co.uk/blog/">http://www.neoartists.co.uk/blog/</a>. Scott's work explores the duality of nature
and man, attempting to uncover and understand the ambivalence which lies within
us all. His work has been published widely across Europe and America, but most
recently by the Origami Poetry project, Stepaway Magazine, Epicentre Magazine,
Egg poetry, Bareback, Diastixo.gr, Staxtes.com, Chicago Literati, Matchbox
Poems and Starburst Magazine. His poem ‘Belief’ was independently selected to
be translated and read on National Greek radio, and he was selected to write in
conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Society in July 2013. His two
micro-chapbooks ‘Tightrope’ (2012) and ‘The Book of Doubt’ (2014) are both
published by Origami Press.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia;">More of his work can be
found at:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.origamipoems.com/poets/131-scott-devon">http://www.origamipoems.com/poets/131-scott-devon</a></span></i>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-78378102814674029002014-04-26T03:31:00.000-07:002014-04-26T03:31:39.345-07:00Part XXVI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVbQlwaID0UExKrNIlp9ReSdMEdPljWA6g9T11pXxf6hMrq49Pvyg5NQRJvbea6HY3AJ60__QQv4fk9ctge47oEqwvrzKkRj4y3B5VXKBm3TNKyc6HWvRuGIzE3eCZeLfTNb6o9uRVVNf/s1600/IMAG2594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVbQlwaID0UExKrNIlp9ReSdMEdPljWA6g9T11pXxf6hMrq49Pvyg5NQRJvbea6HY3AJ60__QQv4fk9ctge47oEqwvrzKkRj4y3B5VXKBm3TNKyc6HWvRuGIzE3eCZeLfTNb6o9uRVVNf/s1600/IMAG2594.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the policemen told me afterwards</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
they couldn’t believe more</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
weren’t hurt or even killed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
given the size of the crush, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the fire that sprang</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
from it afterwards</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
blazoning across the sky</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let alone how the hell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wasn’t killed doing what I did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘I’m not a hero’ I said to him</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
with a smile</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
that bordered on terror</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
rather than pride</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
which in truth</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
summed up the way things went</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">spiked in melancholia. </span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-11692877266012705542014-04-26T03:30:00.002-07:002014-04-26T03:30:58.029-07:00Guest Poet 13 - Michael Wilson - (Untitled)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGdSsHvywGU8QUKwhQ2qH-I6bOD6-Gj5lTuERtyc0O5b3UEtP5mYVBIgaPsElG7SIaF2G6Hzp5SBwMU2_S9nrJRm-WldCC-6ugGcX2L6T6p7Cv8R12-k5YlkKORgyVjI71WXZQTA6eJ4a/s1600/IMAG2589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGdSsHvywGU8QUKwhQ2qH-I6bOD6-Gj5lTuERtyc0O5b3UEtP5mYVBIgaPsElG7SIaF2G6Hzp5SBwMU2_S9nrJRm-WldCC-6ugGcX2L6T6p7Cv8R12-k5YlkKORgyVjI71WXZQTA6eJ4a/s1600/IMAG2589.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>(Next of our guest poets is a poet I have known for some years now called Michael Wilson who originally from Northern Ireland lived in Manchester, before moving to Portstewart who offers a frightening ghost story which almost had me wondering whether this was a true story or not right after the end) </i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The room was a series of rising and falling breaths</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A wife and her husband slept as they always did
Side by side
Something was different that particular night
The wife woke to the thought of a voice
A feeling, hard to explain went through her body
A soft voice, straining to sound quietly was sounding from the corner of the dark bedroom
Fright froze her throat she raised her head and looked over her husband's sleeping form
There, in the corner of the room was the ghostly appearance of a young man
"Come here" he said
Silently she eased herself out of bed and made her way over there, mindful to make no noise
She stood in front of him
"I am lost between two worlds, but one kiss is all I need, one kiss will set me free"
So, with her heart in her hand, taken with this poor man's plight, leaned in slowly, so slowly, for a kiss
Inches from his lips, a disembodied boot flew across the bedroom and sailed through the ghost's head, the husband shouted
"No fucking way!"
And with the spell on the wife broken, the ghost of the man vanished never to return</span><div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(Mike Wilson is the author of numerous collections. He can be contacted through his facebook page which is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=643030406">here</a>)</i></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-11448662502010673302014-04-25T03:25:00.002-07:002014-04-26T03:06:09.164-07:00Guest Poet 12 - Intoxikie - A Poem about a poem<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">(Next up of our guest poets is I know called I</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">ntoxikie (Not his real name of course), a young writer from Manchester who I encountered through a friend of mine last year who offers a very, very different kind of Ghost Poem which kinda surprised me a little when I read it but of which i hope you enjoy too)</span></span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Ghost of my former self, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Who I used to be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Ghost of Grace and Humility</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I'm reaching out for you</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Whilst I'm full of confidence and stupidity</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I'm wasting time hating</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">When I know that love can feel so good</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The spirit of it touches me</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Warm little fingers poking me in the arm</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I'm anxious of my own confidence</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Perfect paradox</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I've said this year could be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Channeling all my Chi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Or suicide </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">This year could be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Channeling all my Chi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Or suicide </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">This year could easily be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Channeling all my chi </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Or giving in to my homicidal tendencies </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Mix of delusion and memory </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Gun in a red heads mouth</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Make her face match her hair: Blaww!!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Angry at the world</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Feeling no connection to it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Looking for flesh to get into it </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Making it feel what I am like music</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I'll keep my lack of enlightenment </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">My frightened sense</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">And frightening sense of growing confidence and use it </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Getting psychological</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Meet Dr Stupid</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">My patient says he wants to blow up a building</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I say "c'mon let's do it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Do it, do it, do it"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Watch a huge hold blast through the bricks</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">With glass and shrapnel of all sorts </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Flying through it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Along with mangled body parts</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Severed arms giving the sky a high five</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">My Patient tries to restrain</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The excitement in his eyes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">And before he can reply I say</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">"C'mon, c'mon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Let's poem the hell out of everyone"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">(An slightly different version containing a little bit off offensive language can be seen at </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QNDYsQwrDg&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QNDYsQwrDg&feature=youtu.be</a>)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Intoxikie is a writer from Manchester, UK. His youtube page is </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TheIntoxikie">https://www.youtube.com/user/TheIntoxikie</a></span></span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-38195614884740018202014-04-25T03:18:00.000-07:002014-04-25T03:18:44.683-07:00Part XXV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPgnCJFIYKOg1IW8P1rBd5fs4ZkdiCkL0TfX2aZJWvPM9lzhFuzsapVeFxEZUatcObBHuThzybNMaVlH2MHp3BUzsNedfO2qFx52ssvh_hVtGOna1qsRMV9vK68641SgUfdXSQAchYl_M/s1600/IMAG2581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPgnCJFIYKOg1IW8P1rBd5fs4ZkdiCkL0TfX2aZJWvPM9lzhFuzsapVeFxEZUatcObBHuThzybNMaVlH2MHp3BUzsNedfO2qFx52ssvh_hVtGOna1qsRMV9vK68641SgUfdXSQAchYl_M/s1600/IMAG2581.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Behind the bricked up yard</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">You could hear two dogs yapping</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">For hours and hours</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Until their voices went,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Almost like they were trying to</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Direct the police then the ambulances </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">To where the crash happened,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Composing imaginary preludes</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">To piano solos</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Using their barking</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Skittled with silver </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Across the dry, red hot air </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Breathing like ghosts </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Frantically trying to get across</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">The top of the wall</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">To help out in the carnage</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">That burned throughout that night. </span></span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-74279945964699552912014-04-24T10:10:00.000-07:002014-04-24T10:10:18.327-07:00Guest Poet 11 - Daniela Voicu - Ghosts of Existence<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Here is another excellent guest poem from an Romanian Poet <span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;">Daniela Voicu who I met a few months ago and have been enjoying her dark poetry even since)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From dark water,</span></span><br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">red sound is born <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">spreading death into the light <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">old fog comes home <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">shadowy spirit sings a dream to escape
death <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with a new metallic life, soul <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">fights until the last sword for Peace <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">shadows scream inside the body of the
floating trees: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Who will remain in our blurry world, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">hungry for essence? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are the ghost of this era <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">no one sees us <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">we can be what we want, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">just closing the eyes <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in remembrance of happiness… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(in every mother exists an unborn hero) ,,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They” killed the last Eucharist with
stones <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in the middle of the big plaza, rewriting
history <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">from the blood of each saint. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;">(</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;">Daniela Voicu is a Romanian poet. Her
poems have been published in more than 50 jurnals and magazines Cuget Liber,
Agero Stuttgart, New York Magazine, Maintenant 7, Poetic Diversity, Pirene’s
Fountain, Curentul Internaţional, Romanian Pages in New Zeeland, Pheonix
Mission and much more. In various anthologies (30) including Tears of Ink, The
Poetry of War and Peace, Words on the Winds of Change, Just a Dream and
Reflections on a Blue Planet etc. </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13pt;">Her poetry collections include, Poems of
Angels (2006), Blue in Vitro (2012), Surfing Silence (2012), Windows Without
Dreams (2012), Sky Hands (2013) and Vulnerable Breeze (2013) Sunset and Love (
2013), Plan for seduction(2014).</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><i>Her poetry collections include, Poems of Angels (2006), Blue in Vitro (2012), Surfing Silence (2012), Windows Without Dreams (2012), Sky Hands (2013) and Vulnerable Breeze (2013) Sunset and Love ( 2013), Plan for seduction(2014).</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><i>In 2009, she founded the international journal of culture and literature, Cuib Nest Nido; and in 2011 she founded the international poetry festival of music and contemporary art, The Art of Being Human and poetry group with the same name. She edited in 2013-2014, 9 volumes of The art of being human International Poetry Anthology in English and in Romanian. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><i>Since 2009, she has been a member of the Writers' League of Romania.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 10pt 50pt 0.0001pt -18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0cm 50pt 0.0001pt 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="float: right;">
<span style="float: right;"></span></div>
<div style="zoom: 1;">
<div style="float: left;">
<div style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="zoom: 1;">
<div style="float: left;">
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 10pt 50pt 0.0001pt -18pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13pt;">.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="float: right;">
<span style="float: right;"></span></div>
<div style="zoom: 1;">
<div style="float: left;">
<div style="float: right;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="zoom: 1;">
<div style="float: left;">
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -18.0pt; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 10.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -18.0pt; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -18.0pt; margin-right: 50.0pt; margin-top: 10.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">e</span></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-65108529005490413592014-04-24T02:07:00.000-07:002014-04-24T02:07:02.142-07:00Part XXIV<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zPUTV2s1KWkRxgZN4CKcJjHxzHp1VqgQ_tvCaC_6VButHYbOpgkYQ2JXNsj7fesyobSkFpxOGIxuKb7zKiH3rrffJLG0KrgDl74gufOx3uoTg5KMqax3Z1s5Hj031Tg2YgH8S7hyphenhyphenTbcV/s1600/IMAG2580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zPUTV2s1KWkRxgZN4CKcJjHxzHp1VqgQ_tvCaC_6VButHYbOpgkYQ2JXNsj7fesyobSkFpxOGIxuKb7zKiH3rrffJLG0KrgDl74gufOx3uoTg5KMqax3Z1s5Hj031Tg2YgH8S7hyphenhyphenTbcV/s1600/IMAG2580.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Statistically the ambulance man told me</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should have been killed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or buried deep under thirty foot of track,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Choked to death in the smoke</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or suffered such burning </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would have looked like </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had gone up like matches in a coal fire</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Broken bones that I didn’t know existed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And blinded myself in the brightness</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of the flames which </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shone like a exploding sun in the moonlight</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Certainly not walked out of the flames</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In slow motion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With several children by my side</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Like Jesus walking across water. </span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-27242748466340619452014-04-23T02:50:00.000-07:002014-04-23T02:50:46.236-07:00Guest Poet 10 - Antony Owen - A burial of ghosts <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQOKWLUYyAQ2n4dRfpoJ3aE1hESKzC_fhK_YVawFYdkGgqm3r8NQgUxJYtr17oFkYhHVSKlnYg1lQ4HQd27RzuON4gj0BWfl7qGmQzUVURFwim3C_RXP6fPGSbvd0cHznVkNInUbk7EGb/s1600/IMAG2586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQOKWLUYyAQ2n4dRfpoJ3aE1hESKzC_fhK_YVawFYdkGgqm3r8NQgUxJYtr17oFkYhHVSKlnYg1lQ4HQd27RzuON4gj0BWfl7qGmQzUVURFwim3C_RXP6fPGSbvd0cHznVkNInUbk7EGb/s1600/IMAG2586.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Our Latest guest poet is a poet I have known for some time and has proved inspiration throughout this blog, Antony Owen).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We
are all here curled in colour,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">barely
held together by hair bobbles <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">which
Mum only wore on chip pan Fridays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">before
the must have perm of nineteen eighty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We
are here in this moth ping light<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that
money shot of a shit beach in Malta<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">us
five in a red ear sun going down behind us,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">where
whelks clung on to rocks to never leave them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All
of us were there eating wristband dinners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We
brothers with our bagsy first dives as Dad watched<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">gleaming
gold on hired plastic by our burnt Mum<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">reading
nivea bottles and dousing us thrice hourly in cream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We
are all here fading away in an A-Z loft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that
Dad organised when his Mum wasn’t here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He
came up to this place to say goodbye to nineteen fifty nine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">when
he holidayed in Rhyl and dreamed of Marilyn Monroe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These
sad exhumations of lives that were here<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of
unrehearsed smiles in rehearsed routines, happy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to
be in our roles before life changed us to give life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">yet
some of us are still there in the old one.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(A<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; line-height: 15.359999656677246px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ntony Owen was born in Coventry and is the author of three poetry collections since 2009; My Father's Eyes Were Blue (Heaventree) The Dreaded Boy (Pighog) & The year I loved England (Pighog) which is out July 2014. Apart from many magazines Owens work has been exhibited at The Hiroshima Peace Museum and he is a past finalist of The Wilfred Owen Story and The Shine Journal.)</span></i></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-35998216663548040302014-04-23T02:47:00.000-07:002014-04-23T02:47:03.221-07:00Part XXIII<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKyUhRfZw-ZHjdf8H0J2ocFoVIjUUYSoy00bmE1I7KjLYymX-Yn1pIcXWLlRU7FrJyNVXvhofgqMLXNbB9vWqvHXjq0vib1Ee6QFjfe8bCN2VUGnHKVeaMejG3Tf7gAVcc_uURVt70H1v/s1600/IMAG2578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKyUhRfZw-ZHjdf8H0J2ocFoVIjUUYSoy00bmE1I7KjLYymX-Yn1pIcXWLlRU7FrJyNVXvhofgqMLXNbB9vWqvHXjq0vib1Ee6QFjfe8bCN2VUGnHKVeaMejG3Tf7gAVcc_uURVt70H1v/s1600/IMAG2578.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Stuck on the outskirts of the madness,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The heat began to build up in slow motion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then two dogs began barking in the yard nearby,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alleyways laced in smoke from miles away</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the panic of the dying and the dead</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I saw the driver hit the barrier</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then fall out almost by luck</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As first the front carriage burst into flames</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then the back one in a mirror reaction</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With dozens trapped inside. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Jesus’ I said falling back to the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘You better go’ You said to me eventually</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
staring blankly into the flames</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
absorbing my footsteps</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
into the pandemonium of fire</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
magnifying my terror</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">with each footstep. </span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-57177206088227855172014-04-22T04:06:00.000-07:002014-04-20T05:06:09.624-07:00Guest Poet 9 - Ian Whiteley - That Which Autumn Leaves<i>(Here is our 8th guest poet of the month, Ian Whiteley,a poet originally bought in Wakefield but now living in Wigan)</i><br />
<br />
The clowns were funny in the ring,<br />
as they joked and tumbled and fell -<br />
but in the camp, after the show,<br />
they made our young lives hell.<br />
Still in their masks of garish paint<br />
and drunk on Vodka shots,<br />
they cut and bruised and beat us,<br />
hatching cruel, twisted plots.<br />
<br />
I never saw the demons<br />
lurking safe behind the masks<br />
and who would have suspected them<br />
as they went about their tasks?<br />
We couldn’t tell our parents,<br />
although so great was our need<br />
to escape their vile clutches,<br />
“Blaming clowns, indeed!”<br />
<br />
So as they slept in caravans<br />
painted in autumn shades,<br />
some friends and I crept up on them,<br />
our young hearts so afraid.<br />
We lit a little fire<br />
underneath the sleeping nest<br />
and jammed tree branches in the doors.<br />
Oh, what a jolly jest.<br />
<br />
We banged nails in the window frames<br />
and waited for the screams<br />
when those inside rushed at the door.<br />
I hear them in my dreams.<br />
They cursed and swore unholy vengeance<br />
in strange Romany tongues,<br />
as flames and smoke lapped around them<br />
and scorched into their lungs.<br />
<br />
The paint on every caravan<br />
peeled and bubbled like hell<br />
and we swore an oath between us<br />
that we would never, ever, tell.<br />
We stood at the far side of the field<br />
as the garish wagons burned.<br />
The shades of autumn lit the sky<br />
as one by one we turned.<br />
<br />
The shrieks in the night sounded like<br />
frenzied jesters frying<br />
in a three ring circus of the night.<br />
The children stopped their crying.<br />
The shades of autumn blurred<br />
across an unforgiving sky.<br />
We even raised the alarm ourselves<br />
As we waited for them to die.<br />
<br />
Our handiwork went undetected,<br />
just more ash in the rubble.<br />
None of us were suspected then<br />
and no one got into trouble -<br />
but now my friends have all passed on,<br />
as age comes to us all,<br />
every autumn I wait for them<br />
to come around and call.<br />
<br />
For every year since that fateful day,<br />
as the night sky burns in season<br />
of falling leaves and epitaphs,<br />
they seem to have a reason<br />
to return to that scorched cradle<br />
and pitch their caravan,<br />
in the same spot in that killing field<br />
where years ago we ran.<br />
<br />
I fear them, not for our redemptive past<br />
but, because I see the eyes<br />
of Paul, Peter, John and Mark<br />
and hear their mournful cries<br />
spilling from cracked and crumbled greasepaint faces<br />
of each and every ghost<br />
that visits me upon that night<br />
I dread and fear the most.<br />
<br />
When autumn visits with the clowns<br />
I come to realise,<br />
that I stand in the twilight of my life<br />
and winter, soon, will rise.<br />
The flaming oranges will pass<br />
and give way to the white,<br />
smudged with the ashes of my guilt<br />
and many years of lies.<br />
<br />
The clowns will wait round corners<br />
with their evil, coal-black stare<br />
and I will smell them first,<br />
the acrid scent of burning hair.<br />
In livery of orange and gold<br />
they will open the doors wide<br />
on their caravan of collected souls -<br />
and I will step inside.<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(<span style="color: #1a1a1a;">Ian
Whiteley was born in Wakefield and now lives in Wigan He is a Performance Poet
who enjoys writing about anything and everything - usually with a dark twist</span>, it's not all free-verse or a slave to
rhythm and rhyme. The recurring themes
of life and the human condition are dealt with head on or with a dark
humour. It is the world of the free
spirit with a day job, the open road with traffic cones and of being happy
never after. He uses imagery gleaned
from such diverse sources as religion, the supernatural, social politics, pop
culture and rock music. </i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>He has performed throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire and is widely
published in collections and anthologies. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br />
His first collection of poems, 'A Step Towards Winter', was published in 2013
as well as a CD of his work, ‘Poetic License’, which is a collection of poetry
set to rock, punk, folk and electronic musical backings, released under his
music project ‘The Crows Of Albion’. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>He has
a web page at: <a href="http://www.thecrowsofalbion.com/">http://www.thecrowsofalbion.com/</a>)</i></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-88285719079181129392014-04-21T22:34:00.001-07:002014-04-21T22:34:46.898-07:00Part XXII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXmAGGw61v1ett5c2uiGL00zUhOkkb7XPJK6goKaxd-wr6hfRKCJGaVAGs6MGLawbJGLk0qW4cdyozxvi-kWB23GKMGvfBV9ucaS68S41dBjKwezwelfwPyHq5BpbyF8rjV8plHFPieOC/s1600/IMAG2573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXmAGGw61v1ett5c2uiGL00zUhOkkb7XPJK6goKaxd-wr6hfRKCJGaVAGs6MGLawbJGLk0qW4cdyozxvi-kWB23GKMGvfBV9ucaS68S41dBjKwezwelfwPyHq5BpbyF8rjV8plHFPieOC/s1600/IMAG2573.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Grey clouds loom suspended<br />
above the raging flames<br />
piercing a melody<br />
through the trams<br />
like a machine gun<br />
out of control<br />
<br />
exploding through<br />
the windows first<br />
before then ripping<br />
across the top of the roof<br />
<br />
with electricity jumping<br />
from the top to the bottom<br />
crackling like words<br />
immersed in the darkness<br />
<br />
crackling he'll kill you<br />
<br />
he'll kill you<br />
if you get on now.onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-50574649189328057382014-04-21T02:55:00.001-07:002014-04-21T02:55:44.082-07:00Part XXI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3Mz8ZW49pUS4kUS4HI2q6gFl3BtfJORsgJaQ8RXNBBLwjMYTfrShHT_Vd9E8oVowUDsTYAsDFmAVC0OwrA2OJ_3iGlQO_JQ2p1R1nxA7E_Ad0kyaQR_0TXy_ZL2FS1Ka54zqW76N3FE_/s1600/IMAG2571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3Mz8ZW49pUS4kUS4HI2q6gFl3BtfJORsgJaQ8RXNBBLwjMYTfrShHT_Vd9E8oVowUDsTYAsDFmAVC0OwrA2OJ_3iGlQO_JQ2p1R1nxA7E_Ad0kyaQR_0TXy_ZL2FS1Ka54zqW76N3FE_/s1600/IMAG2571.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The impulse to scream dissolved<br />
as firstly the tram danced off the track<br />
then smashed straight<br />
through the barrier<br />
<br />
gripped by a intensifying fear<br />
as it rolled around the circle<br />
like a fairground ride<br />
gone wrong,<br />
<br />
as the wheels of the tram<br />
spin a furious pattern<br />
lighting firstly in the air<br />
like fireworks firing backwards<br />
<br />
then a rocket taking off suddenly<br />
with screams carrying all<br />
along the tram tracks<br />
<br />
cutting through the sinking sun<br />
with the rapidly rising moon<br />
stood there frozen<br />
looking shocked.<br />
<br />
I understand then.<br />
<br />
Only then I understand alright<br />
what she meant.<br />
<br />
<br />onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-52868664130599405592014-04-21T02:55:00.000-07:002014-04-21T02:55:24.670-07:00Guest Poet 8 - Daniel North - The Glimmers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu0cZd85T13C6K862ftL7iRS3bkps2c8yz1PDrkF-k8YzcBbwd89zlklZ2tCiiIq6MMd8v8EQQims4rIuQKekPzRFyB29lXdM_lspK3JY1SJZfsvjEzCiJJVMM5KFhK6Wk63F5ixbp-SB/s1600/IMAG2588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu0cZd85T13C6K862ftL7iRS3bkps2c8yz1PDrkF-k8YzcBbwd89zlklZ2tCiiIq6MMd8v8EQQims4rIuQKekPzRFyB29lXdM_lspK3JY1SJZfsvjEzCiJJVMM5KFhK6Wk63F5ixbp-SB/s1600/IMAG2588.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The flicker of life<br />Occasionally shines cruelly<br />Garbled up in tape reels<br />Is a familiar voice.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That once protected<br />A mould of an best friend</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holding a stiff claw<br />Shuffling within internal winters<br />Against glimmers of spirit<br />Enjoying whatever jewels may come.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pain has taught gratitude<br />And not to squander our ghosts</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<div style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Embracing a body of fond shadows<br />Shoulders are ornately painted<br />With the unknown reason<br />That put tears in the stars.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #3e454c; line-height: 15.359999656677246px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Daniel North advises me 'I was born in Edmonton, North London. I have been writing for many years now on various subjects all based on experiences of life and true feelings which is what I feel real poetry is about, poetry is a form of healing, poetry is in fact me. I have had a several online publications in the U.S.A., Canada, New Zealand and in the UK, as well as in poetry websites, but mostly my work has been used in organisation newsletters, I have also have read my work on online radio stations and in meetings for Mind and few other organisations. </span></span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #3e454c; line-height: 15.359999656677246px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
My other interests include, music and travelling.Most of my poetry is mixed in topics and try not to get stuck to a style, I hope people will find joy in reading my work as I do writing it.')</span></i></span></div>
onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-52982581610681027052014-04-20T03:53:00.001-07:002014-04-20T03:53:32.605-07:00Part XX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuKi8kUUTqtsXQdvlUaBrjcahFlevP4JeB-cwRhQpAyELNKShDTc0EMEjf6a5vEn2MNI_PnE1CDHvSEghGEK8nZ8RIAS-ucHqv1SSBDIcCzJrmGYAa_k96YkECU0ZPtiEnu5k1N5AgVfS/s1600/IMAG2570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuKi8kUUTqtsXQdvlUaBrjcahFlevP4JeB-cwRhQpAyELNKShDTc0EMEjf6a5vEn2MNI_PnE1CDHvSEghGEK8nZ8RIAS-ucHqv1SSBDIcCzJrmGYAa_k96YkECU0ZPtiEnu5k1N5AgVfS/s1600/IMAG2570.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Each upstep to the platform<br />
was a puzzle<br />
with you stood just above me<br />
shuddering just over my head<br />
<br />
suspended for a moment<br />
a melody in warnings<br />
and begged me not to get onboard<br />
on the tram<br />
hovering in the distance.<br />
<br />
'But why should I listen to you?'<br />
I said to her eventually<br />
'You're mad as a hatter<br />
you threatened to call the Police<br />
on me the other day'<br />
<br />
'I wasn't sure it was you'<br />
She stated before repeating herself<br />
with a pause<br />
that was lost across the breeze<br />
next to the water<br />
<br />
'I wasn't sure it was you'<br />
<br />
'I don't understand you'<br />
I responded.<br />
<br />
'You will, you will'<br />
She repeated herself.<br />
<br />
<br />onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-61284656435402277992014-04-20T03:53:00.000-07:002014-04-20T03:53:14.948-07:00Guest Poet 7 - Siofra Martin - Ghost <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CtepxBVhRgbl2TLXos7fBSbzOhZT466Lmaj_AP8LMZau9mbKFCXusKG-SP1yDkDLHbfSHXUNkDPr0QPsUGRrWpkR6sMIpfo11BExXWAfN9TugmP5IKwltZfs__YABMzXRIrr_5HxG17W/s1600/IMAG2568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CtepxBVhRgbl2TLXos7fBSbzOhZT466Lmaj_AP8LMZau9mbKFCXusKG-SP1yDkDLHbfSHXUNkDPr0QPsUGRrWpkR6sMIpfo11BExXWAfN9TugmP5IKwltZfs__YABMzXRIrr_5HxG17W/s1600/IMAG2568.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>(Here is our seventh guest poet, a excellent young Irish poet Siofra Martin who I first met in Bantry in Ireland in 2010).</i><br />
<br />
As I walked through the cold<br />
Dark divide<br />
My breathing hushed<br />
I stepped inside<br />
<br />
Through clouds of breath and mist and steam<br />
The construct I entered was not as it seemed<br />
<br />
I was not alone<br />
There was something there<br />
I felt icy fingers<br />
Touching my hair<br />
<br />
Through clouds of breath and mist and steam<br />
A flicker, a shimmer, a pearly white gleam<br />
<br />
Near silence in the building<br />
The only sounds to be heard<br />
Were footsteps creaking<br />
And barely-said-words<br />
<br />
Through clouds of breath and mist and steam<br />
I saw the spectre, was this a dream?<br />
<br />
My body paralysed<br />
With encroaching fear<br />
As a name was whispered<br />
Right in my ear<br />
<br />
Through clouds of breath and mist and steam<br />
My vocal chords loosed an inhuman scream<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(Siofra Martin is a student studying in Ireland and as a poet was chosen for Eurochild in 2009. Some more of her poetry can be read <a href="http://www.voicesnet.org/displayonepoem.aspx?poemid=225573">here</a>)</i>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434246499328425409.post-1690791949800301842014-04-19T04:04:00.000-07:002014-04-19T04:04:43.610-07:00Part XIV<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpV-K6R__ziFZqSp56VsR3JqsWmLq1_P4xBlQy8BvW3WZ29HfiL-qaqB9ck6Zr2cOTmFo5P4yh9e71QBxGf6b52BsOU0vNgq5-WbB4WO6CUFsvYeKFCUHUKpnutvEa0jj4gzsX5VbQMbq/s1600/IMAG2567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpV-K6R__ziFZqSp56VsR3JqsWmLq1_P4xBlQy8BvW3WZ29HfiL-qaqB9ck6Zr2cOTmFo5P4yh9e71QBxGf6b52BsOU0vNgq5-WbB4WO6CUFsvYeKFCUHUKpnutvEa0jj4gzsX5VbQMbq/s1600/IMAG2567.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Movements stuck like gaps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my memory<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Across the shape in the window<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Crossing over bridges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like a lesson to be learnt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With sounds rustling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Across the dockyards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Echoed in yesterdays news,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Growing untracked<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Behind locked doors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combing the truth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Against the second time <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We met<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the street lights <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That moved one step closer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To
all coming on. </span>onewriterandhispchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702245307703378836noreply@blogger.com0