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New Bearings in Poetry

In terms of mere merit, all written or spoken poetry requires a reader or listener, without which it is impossible to comprehend, understand or define absolutely how poetry works. Poetry requires or even necessitates an audience, to be heard or known to exist. Poet and audience are interdependent and related factors. Without these factors there would be no need for poetry or poets to exists. In ac...

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Performance PoetryReading PoetryUnderstanding PoetryWriting PoetryGood and Bad Poetry

Tough on Rhyme

We’re locking up the poets

And throwing them in cells

They’re dissidents and show it

Via odes and villanelles

 

Collected incantations 

Against the status quo 

Acerbic observations 

Couplets in full flow

 

We’re exiling the muses 

To be banished somewhere grim

With Terza Rima that confuses

And volumes that are slim

 

Wokey right-on anarchists

Who kid...

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political satiresatireperformance poetry

The Origin of Silence

He came like an ancient prophecy

sparked by the howling of the seasons.

Those who pursued him knew nothing of his arts

They did not see him sewn into the four winds

They did not hear him no matter how loud he sang.

In this time of virus and plague true hunger bares its teeth.

A fierce breaking, a shaking and a flailing

A swooning and a sweating, a cruel fever falling

All ab...

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poetryprophecyperformance poetryspoken wordaustralian poets

Mediocre Town

The dawn never breaks, the sun never sets.

Dirty grey brown sky is as good as it gets.

Malevolent and brooding it hangs like a veil.

Twenty-three feet above the Arndale.

Where uncouth youth roam in packs.

Their flint like scowls as keen as tacks.

Malice and boredom forged the frowns.

On the not so bright future of Mediocre Town.

 

But don’t be fooled, these kids are scho...

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DingleberryManchesterMiddletonPerformance PoetryPoems

Sensory Intensity

https://youtu.be/t-HcWsx4Iqc

Sensory Intensity

 

LED lights getting brighter. God

my eyeballs hurt.

Dyson dryers far too loud.

How fast do you need

to dry your hands? Slow down. 

It seems like all the world wants more.

And wants it now.

More power. Turn it up. Make it

Faster

Louder 

Brighter

Stronger

Till we drown.

We’re not hardwired for this

har...

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concrete poetryvisual poetrySpoken Word poetryperformance poetry

Plasticiser (a plastic rap)

https://youtu.be/WY9SNLEd7DI

there's plastic in the landfill

plastic in the seas

plastic flowers and robot bees

artificial christmas trees

there’s plastic in our food and drink

plasticisers in the milk

plastic plates and plastic spoons

microplastics in our poo

plastic filling up our view

plastic clothes and plastic bricks

I suppose there must be plastic sick

pla...

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performance poetryplastic oceanplastic wasteSpoken Word poetryplasticfree

On Tents Left Behind At Festivals

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Spoken Word poetryfestivalcapitalismconsumerismperformance poetry

I Had To Write This Poem

I had to write this poem 
because I thought of this one great line,
What do you think -
will it stand the test of time?

Well, I had to write it down
to deter other poets stealing this idea;
You know lines are clutched from the atmosphere,
Or they fall like apples, spill over like beer.

I had to write this poem,
Because I thought of this one great line;
Like a beat messiah,
My acid m...

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humorhumorous poetrylyricshumourperformance poetrypost-rock poetry

I'm Going To Write A Poem About You


Childish I'm sure
But the way that pavement cyclist 
Pedestrian-pranged me his signature 
I became his press-ganged human speed-bump
Suffering concrete-kissing discomfiture
Well he certainly deserved nothing less
than the back hand of my pierian
So as the pebble-assed smurf pelted away
Revolving dalek camera on his pompous high viz head
I brushed myself down
Bracing myself for what I a...

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Suki Spangleshumorous poetrysatirical poetrylyricsperformance poetry

Performance Medley

Here's a 3 minute 'medley' from a recent performance, which gives a nice flavour of my stuff :)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5QtcJnR7SI

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Laura Taylorperformance poetry

The Loaded Gun

Hi, I am looking for honest feedback for this please.

You play the game,

you sing the song.

Saying that you don't belong,

that life is not easy.

You wear the right clothes,

hang out with the "in" people,

the loaded gun.

You think, "kuching,"

play by the rules that are for fools,

but life does not really.

Self-righteous in the extreme,

living out someone else's d...

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The Loaded GunPerformance poetryPerformance Poem.

Before and After

 

Spots. Blind.

Stage high.

Steps to side.

Remember that.

Mic low, must adjust.

Swivel up, screw, twist?

20 steps to public eyes.

Will they listen will they like will they heckle will I die?

Will I fly fall trip cry choke spit cough?

Stammer stutter wobble sweat tic burp boff?

 

Extraordinarily urinarily anxious.                        

 

A pint to pass th...

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performance poetry

Cheap Whore

Cheap Whore

I don’t cost very much,
virtually giving it away
you like to watch and listen
but you don’t like to pay
I keep you entertained
turning inventive tricks
arousing you all night
giving you your kicks
you like it when I’m oral
you like to feel my pain
you like the kick and twist of it
again again again
I try to sell you add-ons
but you won’t buy my wares
I’ve given you a p...

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brokefreebieperformance poetrysalesunpaid work

Don't

 

Don't
 
Bite, fight, pick your nose, destroy the garden, tear your clothes,
pout, shout, spit your greens, scare your nana, cause a scene,
sick, kick, wet your pants, play with mud, set fire to ants,
smoke, toke, stay out late, upset police, go on blind dates,
worry, hurry, come to stay, call a doctor, waste your pay,
sigh, cry, cause a fuss, fork out for flowe...

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Poemlifeperformance poetry

The Gun - a response to events in the US

 

I wrote this piece after the events at Newtown and crazy reaction from those deluded enough to think that more guns equals safer country. They have 300 million guns and one of the highest murder rates in the world. As a poet, as an American who is also british, as a father, I wrote this response.

 

HOW MANY MORE?

 

Where can I start, but the young ones, their hearts

Ar...

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gunsamericapolitical poetryperformance poetrysecond amendment

A why is...

 

A why is

 

A why is more than lines that converge or divide,

Going from wide to narrow or from narrow to wide,

At an obtuse angle I have found to be,

More than a mitre’s mere 45 degrees.

 

A why is more than just A letter.

If U can’t C that you must B blind.

More than two letters blended like a V squashed on top of an l.

In fact, a why has to be mor...

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performance pieceperformance poetryquestions

Poetry Videos

Here's a nice quick easy promo of a poetry video I've done. I do these from time to time but this is a new one and it's already a personal favourite:

 

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irish poetryperformance poetryavant gardegraffitiGerard McKeown

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