The process of developing ‘Changing Carriages at Birmingham New Street’, my final poetry book proved a tricky process in contrast to all the poetry books I wrote where sometimes I would write poems about places I barely knew, or in some cases didn’t know atall.

In this case, the next poem I am sharing from the book, I had been to twice but the first involved sitting down in an airport very bore...

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 You won't find my soul in a box,

What a busy day I've been going through alot,

Hot or cold? can you predict the temperature?

Tempers flare temporarily, Trim the grass

the weeds are out of bounds, Coffee before work,

Argue with your famiy until it hurts,

Who's in charge to rearrange the standards?

Don't you go and charge towards the treasure,

Move your car please.. the driv...

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Hello old friend

I want nothing to do with you

But here I am searching you out

Hello old friend

I thought you left so long ago,

But here you are, crying

It must be a dream

Brain letting off stream

Sanity flowing down stream

Southbound or bust

By rubber or rust

Getting nowhere on trust

I’ll crawl if I have to, not even fuss

Turned mean as a...

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In the kingdom of the blind
A one-eyed man is king
He wears a tricorn hat
And his right arm’s just a sling
They’ll pickle him in brandy
When his last race is run
And he’s shagging Lady Hamilton
In a pub they call The Gun

His pals in the West Indies
Are keen on keeping slaves
That damnable Wilberforce
Our one-eyed hero raves
I’ll fight him with both arm and tongue
The lifestyle he be...

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And if you must pierce my heart
With a dagger so sharp,
Caress with it my cheek
After you've retrieved it.
Paint my face soft,
With the violence of your love.
It is for you who my heart beats for,
Thus it is by your hands that it should stop.
May the wind blow you
My final breath to.

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This year being the 400th Anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s 1623 Folio of plays, Qudos Academy examines “The Hidden Symbolism in Shakespeare's Publications” and what they mean: An analysis of the symbols employed by printers, publishers and playwrights to adorn their books.

https://qudosacademy.org/2023/06/28/the-hidden-symbolism-in-shakespeares-publications/

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I imagine living in the haze

          Between waking and dreaming--

The soft noise on the telephone

          Just before she speaks

The blank paper beneath the last words of a book

          The snow visible by streetlamps

The world sleeping under the cosmic shroud

          Where starlight leaks

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In nature's tender design, a story unfolds,

A whispered secret, a story yet untold.

Conspiracy of stars and moon's soft light,

To test our hearts, to deepen love's delight.

Intimacy, a dance of souls entwined,

Intricate, like patterns in the tender design.

The world may try to keep our love at bay,

But in our hearts, it finds its sacred way.

Arousal's fire, a spar...

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Space I recover, time never A lesson I learned from the war I can heal my wounds and scars But I can’t forget what I saw

The faces of the fallen haunt me The screams of the dying echo in my ears The smell of the blood lingers in my nose The taste of the fear remains in my mouth

I try to find some peace and solace I try to live a normal life But every night I have nightmares And every day I h...

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saw her in the street

polite, random, neat.

forget drunkenness

create the diabolical

divine Tabula Rasa – blank slate

too late.

one, kind, sweet woman,

polished floors with rage

arms red and fleshy –  

 dark memory of her soul 

 late, near the Spaniard’s Inn, 

 full moon shining,

with all the solemnity of a river in flood,

sleeping London dreaming o...

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At the well of poetry stop and drink,

It refreshes the mind and make you think!

......................................................................

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i.m. Seamus Heaney

'Away with the fairies' my wife will say

after we’ve been on a walk or I’m asked,

out of the blue, what I think of the dress

she’s spotted, when I’m only vaguely there –

pursuing the rhythms inside my head

and depriving her of my attention

as slowly, mysteriously, the lines

coalesce into 'another damn poem'.

And if at times I frustrate ...

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“Why don’t you leave your boots on?”

She said, as I walked through the door,

“There’s nothing to spoil in the kitchen;

There’s nothing to spoil on the floor”.

And later on in that evening

As I kissed her softly I said,

“Why don’t you leave your boots on?

There’s nothing to spoil on the bed”

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Unseen, many gods remain concealed,

I tread life with reason as my guiding light, 

Proud owner of a sceptic's heart,

Dogmas unbound, no ancient tomes reviewed, 

My creed is doubt, in doubt I find my way, 

With open eyes, the world is revealed

Unseen, many gods remain concealed

No prayers whispered, no insight divine, 

I marvel at the cosmos and its starry field, 

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It was the first day 

when you came into my life, 

time arrived

As the stars began to move,

they whispered in content 

our lives begin again.

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I ran 5000 metres on a running track in 14 minutes and 34 seconds,
a personal best by a country mile, but I didn't really enjoy
the cut and thrust of track and field, preferring the road and those fell races
where I could race down a gradual descent, leaping like a stag over rock and stile.

I liked to pretend I could mix it with the ‘tough men of the fells’, and pick up easy prizes.

Which...

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She leans in close and I smell her very essence

Hanging on the air

No longer just a cardboard cutout dream

She is the real deal

Her eyelids do not flicker

Her eyes say nothing yet everything

She breathes in slow and careful

Exhaling through her nose just a hint of what

Might be available to he who is prepared to wait

Her lips rich and full down beside my cheek

Her ...

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The wheelers and the dealers, middlemen singing the blues
(you hear that...?)
my wheelers my dealers my middlemen all singing the blues
( I hear you!)
I see what you got, you got nothing I can use
(all right.)

and the seargant at the station he's always singing the blues
(you know it)
yes the seargant at the station got to be singing the blues
( I know it)
his boys go around and round,...

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Every day,

Travelling through Life,

We encounter Them,

Some, maybe true,

Yet many,

Disguised.

They have,

An ever changing mind,

Facing me,

They call me sweet,

Behind my back?

They say I'm rude,

They call me good,

Then say I'm bad,

They say you're the Best,

And then?

Nevermind.

Whatever they want,

Whoever they be,

Let them say,

W...

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The pride of our town,

Its mortar and bricks

Now crumble to dust,

In heaps of destruction

And mollified lust.

Out there men are laughing

And punching the air;

They deal in high fives,

When hitting their mark

And ending more lives.

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Cry me a river

so I know you can feel

the heartache which splits me apart

in hopes you will come 

with a stick of glue

get me that violin 

and sing me a song

for I’d play,

until my fingers fell off

just to hear you sing along

or come kiss me goodnight

bless me with your gentle touch

and look at me with those glittering stars 

so I may fall asleep 

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I'm only here once

In this particular time

Within this flesh and bone structure

And I only have so much time with it

I will make all that I can make of it

I will find love

I will find peace

I will be happy

And I will scream it to the stars

That we are only here

To open our hearts!

We are here to share our souls!

To reconnect with our spiritual families!

We ar...

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How will I ever let you go If I still remember the things we did How will I ever forget you If I still remember the words you said All the things you said are running through my head Please leave me alone, get out of my head All the memories we did, are all in my head Please leave me alone, stop messing inside my head

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Contentment and peace

Showers upon me daily

Fills my heart with eternal love

Brimming divine hopes within me

This world is beautiful

Rich and vibrant 

Colours all natural 

The seas, the oceans 

It's an amazing feeling 

Early morning breeze 

Gently loving and caressing 

Showers of blessings falling upon me

It's God's love for sure 

That fills my...

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As the sun rises

In the east

On this late August day

The land of greens and greys 

and browns

Are washed once again

In that heavenly glow 

Promising yet another day 

Unknown ~

But this I know …

I know that luck has blessed

My soul

With the joy of life

Singing sweetly

As the birds in nest

I know that my heart

Shall rise

Along wi...

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Pressed together on a rail allotted

with a row of trousers I became besotted

a clearance sale I couldn't refuse

with dark and pale subtle hues. 

The selection tempted me to try

a pair that hung and caught my eye

something right about the colour

camouflage green but slightly duller. 

Behind the door of the changing room

disrobing I began to fume

with heavy ch...

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There is a certain freedom

in desperation,

finally letting go,

not clinging to life

as we believe it should be,

instead accepting it as it is

because all our efforts

to change it

come to naught.

So, jump up,

say "yes" to whatever comes

because it is here

and we are here

and might as well skip over all the "wish things were different"

and enjoy what is good

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(Music: An Ending, a Beginning - Dustin O'Halloran)

Starting anew

with hopes for future 

inexistent

walking on ashes of clouds

falling through inverted skies

once glimpsed

or never

lost

for those eyes never looked up

seeking the pebbles of forgiveness

to not depart in dreamlike waves

of dusty memories

before you even knew

that light was shining through

...

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https://youtu.be/S05aRGucuak

I wait, dear friend, in line to collect you

you my rejected painting in this year’s competition

Unselected entry, now out of the race,

But when it’s my turn in the queue to be reacquainted with you,

I am caught between a rock and a very hard place

At the front of the queue is you waiting there

Wrapped up in paper and protective layer

I see ...

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The time we spent picking blackberries in the backyard

And collecting spring onions and waiting for that strawberry bush to bear fruit but it never did

Or rolling downhill and getting rashes and making beds out of hay

There was a time where we swam until we couldnt see through the dark

Or ran until we couldnt breathe but we kept on running because we were scared if we stopped the happy...

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I lost something years ago,
I've lost the hope,
I've lost the trust,
I've lost the peace,
I've lost the confidents,
I've lost the happiness,
I've lost the supports,
I've lost myself,
I've lost everything.

Standing weakly at the edge of the cliff,
hardships are at the peak,
Finding solutions making me sick,
How i wish for my life to end quick.

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It began as a sparkle, a mere glint of the eye,

Rolling down your cheek, with a hint of emotion,

A misty water vapour, from cloud in your sky,

Filling broad streams in those mountains up high.

On a fast, rolling river, surging deep and wide,

I cascade, uncontrolled, on a white-water ride,

At the mercy of rocks on the Severn Bore tide,

I hurtle past speedboats on this rive...

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The light embraces you
traversing the threshold
shedding mortail coil
across sapphire rivers in the breath,
wandering across the essence
grasping through words
behind a display panel
touching across your memory
in the vast expanse
of lifetimes
lost across starlight pathways,
reaching for the way home.

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The flow of simple things 

White gypsy skirts

embroidery and white-work 

Silver circles from Rajasthan

artisanal huaraches walking slowly

The long green scarf as shawl 

Sea ebbing in as we circumnavigate it 

Persian poets painted on the wall 

One lone hand beside it painted white 

Deep purple açai spread with nuts and strawberries 

Then we flee to the ramshackle books...

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'If the Moon is out today, it will be a good day'
And she was, hence it was.

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Oh almighty,

Please help me, guide me and show your miracle,

please take charge of my life and drive me to the road,

which serves the best for my family and me.

I know you are the best,

have faith in all your plans,

show me your light and give me your strength,

I need your angel,

to give strength to my weathering wings

please help me,

dear God, please be there for me.

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I've always been a bit of a dandy
A popinjay...... A fop
A fashionista in my own mind
A coxcomb from bottom to top

And I've always been a bit of a poseur
But now that I'm close to drawing my pension
I had to up the ante a bit
In order to get the attention

I had diamontes on mi shoes
And a bright pink Panama hat on
Paired with the shortest of shorty short shorts
And a shirt with a ...

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My heart sometimes lies to me.

It says things it knows I want to hear,

knowing full well I will believe.

The constructions it builds there

tell me love isn’t a burden.

But here I am, fooled once again,

as grief returns to collect its price.

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Henrietta 

we would go shopping in Henrietta 
the sprawl near our town 
parking lots stretched forever 
watching from the left side of the car 

it felt like another planet 
fluorescent and asphalt 
its monotony broken by signs 
the kind you’d find in airports 

I’d get nauseous in Henrietta 
from the traffic and ice cream 
the dazzle of a new toy to take back 
to Penfield 

we a...

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This was the end

he knew it, the inevitable

nothing mattered - not his love, not his hate

not his preference

it was destiny

Had he seen a palmist

or visited an oracle

and heard of a short life, ending in strife

as his future

how he would have laughed!

But today is the finale

planned by him, or maybe not

his last day of living, last breath

along with...

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Peaceful mornings turned into mourning nights 

Yes, I've come a long way

Heartfelt smiles hindered behind the heartbroken tears 

Yes, I've come a long way

Endless thoughts occupied in lieu of endless talks

Yes, I've come a long way

Dreams of life suppressed by the mares of struggles 

Yes, I've come a long way

Shrieks of tickled pink c...

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I swear I won't mourn you 

I won't miss the days 

Of snuggling up to you 

Of you kissing away my fears

Of the long phone calls talking about our days

They never happened anyway

I won't miss the time you visited

And baked my favorite dish

And watched the kids while I went for a run

And folded my laundry tightly

It never happened anyway

I won't mi...

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Darkness is not always indicative of sadness, maybe you just forgot your flashlight.

Sunny days and clear skies do not reserve your spot on cloud nine, maybe you just felt inspired.

Feelings and reactions are never set in stone, they’re dynamic and free.

Nature’s four seasons are the human’s equivalent to both emotions and expressions - constantly changing.

We as humans have the privil...

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Our new complation, Featuring work by Mark Safranko, Douglas Bales, Steve Passey and more is out now.

We also made a basic site with links to our books.

https://www.yellow-king-press.com/

Thanks.

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   the 1950’s.

But I spent 

   4 months and,

   15 days,

   living in the 1950’s. 

At least I’m told I did.

My parents got me there,

   before moving

   to the 1960’s.

All I know

   of the 1950’s,

   is grainy,

   distant,

   and black and white.

Dad quiffed,

   Mum elegant,

   caught happy,

   in...

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The Criticisms

Crash down on me like Thunder

So tired of the Storms

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I wish I would have taken photos to remember it all by.

I miss the smells of those places

And I will occasionally recognize 

the scents as I go about my days.

It was like sweet honeysuckle 

On a warm, glowing, humid summer day.

It was like the old smell of worn out leather

After a long days work in the heat.

It was like chlorine in the air 

that linge...

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A tale of a boy who lived by destruction

New toys at Christmas they'd break when he'd touch them

If the label said keep dry then no doubt it got wet

He scratched dvds and danced on his train set

He'd climb any height to get were was needed

Danger keep out but this boy proceeded

If he couldn't go through it  he went over or under

Mayhem on school trips  made sun turn ...

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                                                                              opening

each night when my sleep reaches deep
creeping into the crevices of dreams unknown kingdom
i see a house among the pines

in these haunting dreams i appear as a child

among the pines i find a cabin i have seen in a film
which i vaguely recall from a childhood screening.

                             ...

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Desist from your rave and your rant,

But indulge in hypocrisy and cant.

Dead Yemenis are boring,

Europeans, alluring.

Oh look, there’s a rather large elephant!

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