Rodney Wood
Email: r.t.wood@ntlworld.com
Email: rodneytwood@googlemail.com
Homepage: www.facebook.com/rodneytwood
Profile updated: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 07:43:12 am
Biography
I think you should take poetry seriously but never yourself. I read, write and perform (in the Poets Cafe in Reading and the Den of Voice in Guildford). In addition I was the founder member of the Open University poets, and ran the Westy Poets in 2008/09 at the West End Centre in Aldershot where I also do front of house work.I do open mics in Guildford, Reading and sometimes in London. I was guest poet at Petersfield in Nov.
Poems will have been published in: Nth Position, the Reater, South, The Interpreter's House, Stride, Seam, Other Poetry +, anthologies incl Star Trek and Return To Sender and I even had one broadcast on Poetry Please.
Samples
MUDDY WATERS
in Reading 4 April 1968
As soon as Maggie Bell started growling and Dave Kelly
hit some chords from Ramblin' I was taken back forty years
to the time I saw Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago
playing the blues in a Reading basement on 4 April 1968.
During the daytime the room was used as an underground café
but in the evening it was transformed once the Formica tables
and plastic chairs had been pushed against the lemon painted walls
leaving a space next to a poster of someone's head covered in bandages.
All this for Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago to play the blues -
Mannish Boy, Can't Be Satisfied, I'm Ready and Got My Mojo Working.
To me it was a history lesson, a dream, like the Second Coming,
watching Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago playing the blues.
There was one table and one chair left untouched on the opposite
side of the room under a frosted window and out of date price list.
I sat there watching men and women jump and shout at sounds
from electric guitars, harmonica, drums, and a voice moaning through the amps.
It was Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago playing the blues -
Mannish Boy, Can't Be Satisfied, I'm Ready and Got My Mojo Working.
To me it was a history lesson, a dream, like the Second Coming,
watching Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago playing the blues.
I silently tapped my shoes on the lino, my fingertips plucked invisible strings.
I was five yards away from the action watching men and women jump and shout
and I puffed a menthol cigarette to appear cool, at ease and invisible as smoke.
I was the only white kid in the room the day Martin Luther King had been shot
and I was watching Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago playing the blues -
Mannish Boy, Can't Be Satisfied, I'm Ready and Got My Mojo Working.
To me it was a history lesson, a dream, like the Second Coming,
watching Muddy Waters and his band from Chicago playing the blues
and I was the only white kid in the room the day Martin Luther King had been shot.
JERRY SADOWITZ
There's must be some mistake. He's the 15th greatest standup
but he's aggressive, tasteless, racist, sexist and smells,
has a face like a soggy football, hair that's been fucked up
and wears a top hat stolen from Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
I wish this man to be struck deaf, blind and dumb,
suffer anal fissures, asthma, constipation, impotence,
varicose veins, bedwetting, gonorrhoea, bleeding gums,
piles, hives, insomnia, apoplexy, nose bleeds and cramps.
I wish this man more. I want at least pulled muscles, gout,
amputations and fungal infections. I want to chain him to
the goalposts in Wembley Stadium, see him eaten by scouts,
his remains shitted out and recycled as a dildo.
Even that's not enough. I want all those who howl or laugh
at his shows to be fucked in the ass by Timmy Mallett.
If none of my wishes are granted at least give him Whooping cough,
the occasional boil, court orders or gigs with Jabba the Hutt.
As you may have gathered I don't like this so-called humourist
who smells, is aggressive, tasteless, racist and sexist
and who in 2008 was number 15 on Channel 4's greatest
standups. But to be fair he can do some pretty neat card tricks.
THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND
Ruby Revenge counts the days before
her fav band appear in Aldershot.
She's just 15 and can't fucking wait.
When the hour finally comes and after
Rolo Tomassi and Casino Brawl
have displayed their hairless armpits,
The Ghost of a Thousand take over
the scaffold and Tom screams into
the mic, Mem has a drumkit for a throne,
Gaz is a lumberjack chainsawing his bass
through Left For Dead and Blackday Number
and Andy and Jag thrash their guitars
bringing them to life through the flickering
silver, gold and black of Matchless amps.
During As They Breed They Swarm
headbanging fans become a shoal
of fish around Ruby Revenge who keeps
a curtain of hair over her face showing
her refusal to conform, her sense
of isolation, her feeling she's only cool
wearing the merch and that now
she's just 15 and can't fucking wait.
WHAT THE HOROSCOPE SAYS
it says carrier bags make me nervous
it says I dream of birdseed hanging
above gnomes and a lake of roses
it says the breakdown won't help
it says I'm waiting for something
better to come along, like another day
it says love is a valley of dead things
it says I can withstand high winds
and am not afraid of grotesque stones
it says I strain myself in a bad way
it says soles are worn and slip easily
but my feet want to dance out the door
it says I will be involved in replacement
it says the new moon makes me flexible
and it says someone will weep for me
All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.
Blog entries by Rodney Wood
MARY STYLES'S PERFORMANCE POEM (07/06/2011)
WORKSHOP POEM (06/06/2011)
A SONNET (23/04/2011)
WATCHING BOB BROZMAN AT THE WESTY IN OCTOBER 2010 (10/11/2010)
WITHOUT AND WITHIN (10/11/2010)
I AM HOLDING AN OBJECT OF SIGNIFICANCE (10/11/2010)
INDEX OF LAST LINES (21/06/2010)
A COLLECTION OF ONE WORD POEMS (21/06/2010)
I HAVE CLEARED THIS SPACE FOR YOU (21/06/2010)
FRAGMENTS FOR PRIVATE RICHARD HUNT (07/05/2010)
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Comments
heheh, boots have popularity! My uncle does commissioned murals on people's walls of footwear. Ballet shoes in little girls bedrooms, football boots for little boys, that kind of thing!
'Pound's going in fear of abstractions'
What exactly does that mean?
Your last comment makes no sense to me at all.
Hiya, many thanks for comments on my old boots poem. Gave me much useful thinking. Normally when I start a poem I seem to begin with a really strong first line, a good idea of the middle bit and flounder into a weak ending (well, that's how it always seems in my head). This one was a little bit of a departure, and the verse now at the start was originally the second verse.
It's really useful seeing your thoughts on this because although to me it tells a story in the sequence it happened, it doesn't always convey itself to the reader, and it's done me good having a good old think about this. The reason I shifted that verse is because the whole poem relates to getting rid of the old footwear of the deceased, and the first pair to go are the boots chosen to quite literally go to the grave.
Again, many thanks, you really have me pondering!
Thanks for your thoughts on Prestatyn, Rod.
Commenting gave me the chance to look at your stuff.
Your Muddy Waters poem reminded me of a gig I went to as a younger man to see 2 old blokes, one blind, one lame (bit like the bible parable) with a combined age of 146. Best concert I've ever been to - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee.
Rodney, I'm a tad confused by your latest post on my site. You open with: 'I don't know' you don't know what Rod? And following: '...overshadowed...' would you explain please?
Thanx
Tommy
:o)
Paul (Admin)
Fri 27th Aug 2010 18:15
Thanks for your comment on "Untitled - you bastard".
Janet Ramsden
Tue 16th Mar 2010 18:02
Hi Rodney, thanks for the feedback on my comment. I'm never too sure about giving what others think of as constructive comment. I agree with Jane now, it's quite funny. :-)
Maybe the wife just wanted someone to stay home with her sometimes eh.
and there's just no pleasing some either.
Janet.x
Rev Two-Sheds
Wed 3rd Mar 2010 12:13
yes indeed - old gits like me and the cult of youth... If only I could only afford the plastic surgery, maybe I could be in with a chance (send no flowers ;)
many thanks for you comment - brightened my day
R2$
Thanks for the suggestion about the pulpit, though I will of course continue to write on diverse themes as I have these past 40 odd years - it's all in the mood of the moment :) Best wishes, Dave
Hi Rodney... Thanks for reading and commenting on 'Pelt'. Glad you liked it. Ihave just got back from a weekend away on 'The Dinosaur coast' In a village called Staithes(Near Whitby) I have also changed the pic on the blog entry to one of mine which shows the view from the holiday cottage 2 nights ago. A stunning place. win
Janet Ramsden
Sun 31st Jan 2010 13:39
Hi Rodney,
thanks for reading and commenting on my poem Mr. Skoulikaris.
Incidentally, i feel you are probably right about soulmate not being quite right so duly editing.
Janet.x
Thanks for the comment on my purple cow!Much appreciated.
Rach
x
Good evening Rodney.Thank you for comments on my poem-The cord severed.-all duly noted and most certainly considered-or as my old teacher would write in school reports(and I,m sure you know whats coming)must try harder! cheers-Stefan.
Hi Rodney
Thanks for your kind comments for the poem 'The First Kiss'. Take your point about 'not being sure the songs having solos to die for'. I had to think of some (popular) songs that clearly had Harmonica solos in them.
Thanks for reading.
Joseph
ps. - Muddy Waters song? "Baby please don't go"?
Thanks Rodney for your comment on my blog entry ..Hopeful Recovery..I am a novice so welcome comments. Bernadette Herbertson
Hi Rodney, thanks for the rap ;-) ha ha took me a while to figure it out, pretty cool though when I did cheers ;-))
hi there rodney thanks for your comments i'm sure am still alive and well :) ref: memories poem :)
enjoy reading your poems :)
Steve Mellor
Sat 17th Oct 2009 13:42
Hi Rodney
That's a decent idea.
It may be a difficult thing to do without blowing your own trumpet.
(that's another thing I can't do)
I did have the thought that it could be something that could be extended when I get my mind working
Hey Rodney I took out the moral, you are right, it speaks for itself, I think that I tried to reinforce it when it was strong enough -- thank you for the comment, I believe it is now a stronger poem.
maipenrai
Sun 13th Sep 2009 20:43
Thanks Rodney for your comments on "Them Downstairs"
Bernie
spencer robertshaw
Fri 11th Sep 2009 10:44
Thank You for your comment on my poem 'the list'. I am glad you liked it.I think I will give it the 'harder' edge by taking off the moral at the end- after all it's a strong piece and the original ending softens it too much.
I like your work ,it has strong images to it.
Thanks
Spencer
Janet
Sat 5th Sep 2009 10:45
Hi Rodney, thanks for the comment on Kinsella.
I kind of agree with you about that line but placed it in brackets to make it less necessary to the poem. I just felt the ''distortion'' of the tune needed to be prominent.
I don't know if you read the first parts but you will find it in the August blogs if you'd like to catch up.
Janet.x
Hi Rod,
I know the West End Centre - i once helped promote Courtney Pine and got free tickets for mi labour
there was also a bookshop within the shopping centre - i bought and read most of the work of the french masters there and some of Chekov's stuff
steve
Hi Rodney
thanks for taking the time to read and make comment
spent many an hour on hospital hill
i know the town well
steve
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kath hewitt
Wed 8th Jun 2011 10:32
Fair enough, some poems need a concrete base to paint the picture but others don't. A metaphor used well enough is sometimes all that is needed. I think I said all that was needed to be said in 'blameless'.
I neither know nor care who Ezra Pound is or was and i disagree that 'poets should write about the concrete'.
There are not, and should not, be any restraints on self expression.