Biography
the story so far.....as a spotty faced teenager back in the mists of time I once wrote a poem about the Vietnam war which has been thankfully lost. I then picked up a pencil again in my late thirties and started writing short stories and subsequently a couple of books. I followed this with an attempt at poetry . However a friend told me that he did not like them. (The poems that is) so I stopped. But the loss of a job back in 2012 stimulated me to write a poem again which was quickly followed by another and then another , sadly I haven't been able to stop pouring out a sea of babble and drivel since. Having tried the public domain few times in 2014 I have continued to subject members of the unwitting public to my utterances and dribblings through open mic gigs in a variety of locations with very few rotten vegetables or eggs being thrown....so far Some work published in Ekphrastic towers with Stockport WOL 2019 and not enough vegetables to make a stew yet !!
Samples
sleepless unable to settle palisades and fortresses dried lips and flaming dragons maidens often seen but best never spoken all conspire against me make me tired and in a tiz Yapping dogs and sleepless nights visions of things I should have done and need to fix all provide me with early morning frights then catching me unaware a ringing breaks through the final attempts of sleep trying to tell me get up it's half past six He's not the one He's not perfect he's not right he does not fit into her nightmares or her dreams not quite what he seems He's not the one she thought he would be He's not the one to move or shake her tree not the one to make the earth move or her teeth rattle free He's not the one to warm her hearth, her bed or her heart he doesn't give her goose bumps fire up her stove or be her missing part He doesn't buy her flowers, chocolates or cards His ideas are like broken shattered shards of what love should be like But sometimes Just sometimes When she sees him smile She wants to say sit down have a drink stay a while and all that's been cold is warm the stone is chipped away and the blood and feelings begin to flow returning to something she once saw allowing her to break all the rules break all that had formed and become law Sometimes just sometimes she thinks she dares to believe they can be something more than friends and that there is a point and there can possibly be a happy end All our Gods have abandoned us All our Gods have abandoned us Yet we wear them on our sleeves Through the holes in our knees The badges we button up On chains around our necks The colours we display The flags the banners that we wave The stretches the stresses The must haves and the must do’s The teams that we so faithfully follow The words that we chant in stadiums and on the streets In concert halls The pictures that we wear The clapping and the screaming The adoration and the dreaming These are the Gods that we follow The foods and the fantasies The hero’s that we build up And then knock down Because they are out of fashion Seen as an extrovert or a follower of orthodox religion The clothes and the passion Just as long as they stay in fashion The houses and the pads The diets and the fads The glitter and the gold Sometimes we have given them away Determined for a new start Following a more strict regime Only to pick them up again When temptation gets too much All our Gods have abandoned us Save one But we haven’t abandoned them Just him
All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.
Blog entries by Martin Elder
Breathe in (26/09/2020)
Remember (10/09/2020)
Firestarter (25/08/2020)
The rag of my bones (14/08/2020)
Don't call me honey (02/07/2020)
I forgive (22/06/2020)
Every picture (20/05/2020)
Bully the week (09/05/2020)
Nothing but rainbows (12/04/2020)
The unchosen path (29/03/2020)
Audio entries by Martin Elder
Marley (19/12/2018)
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Comments
Martin,
Thank you for your recent comments on my poems. As always I both appreciate and value all you have to say.
Thank you
Keith
thank you for the comment! I didn't expect anyone to read that but it feels very nice 😃 so thank you very much.
Hi Martin. Thank your for commenting on my poem The Darkest Night
Thank you for your kind comment on "Tennessee River"!
Martin,
Thank you indeed for all your comments on my recent batch of poems. I value greatly all you have to say, more than you will ever know.
With gratitude
Keith
Thanks for your endorsement on "The drop of water that made the Silver Birch blush"
Your biography makes interesting reading of a varied life lived to date.
Your poetry reflects the rich experience.
Hi Martin
Thank you for reading and commenting on 'Dying for your touch'
I somehow seem to have missed your musings all this time.
If we don't keep reading it is easy to miss some great poetry from people who never seem to post at the same time as us.
We have so many members however I only know a handful.
You will now be hunted down and watched every time I'm on here.
That will teach you to read my doggerel.
You may see that I can bark a bit if you look at some of blog posts
Just so you know... talking of dogging err. doggerel I mean,
My bite is far worse than my bark
Po
Cheers Martin
for your comment on
"thinking sideways"
Tommy
Hi Martin, Bus Ride Scenario - I think mum just put a finger to her lips and said hush. Too good not to write about though. Thanks for noticing. P. 😊
Hi Mark, thanks for commenting on "sorry for apologising". I haven't been on WOL much recently either, but I felt like trying to share my latest video. Your comment made it worthwhile!
Hi Mart, re Purgatory & Limbo: Purgatory is a place of punishment before being sent through the pearly gates whereas Limbo is a place for those who have died before being Christened but have not sinned. ? Tommy
Spot on Martin (as per usual!)
Martin you have it "We've each got different partners now..." sorted.
Tommy
Thank you Martin for your comment at my poetry "Partition: Nightmarish Verity" It was the largest mass exodus in the history. Loots, Riots, rape and so many mass inhuman activities, bloodshed happened in India and Pakistan. If we talk about figures the loss of life was approx. ranging between 2lakhs to 20 million. Hindus and Sikh moved to India while Muslims escaped to Pakistan for safety. Even though seven decades has passed yet the bitterness is still there between two nations.
Even if I try I can't share the horror of partition in poetry. I so wished if this poetry was fictional but unfortunately it was not so.
<Deleted User> (22158)
Wed 17th Jul 2019 22:26
Martin, Thanks for the comment on "Dove Out Of Water". I respect and value your input. Take care ---J
Sun 14th Jul 2019 22:18
Thanks Martin.
note: Sweaters marked down this week at Walmart!
wink wink
Martin - thank you, yes it has its point ? but I guess you guessed that!
Tom - and thank you for your point and comment?
Mindy - and thank you too, I did'nt feel thepain till you nudged me. -so to speak.
Ta folks xxx
Aww thanks Martin, always good to hear from you. It was Dubrovnik ? Hope you're good.
Thanks for the nice comment!
Mon 1st Jul 2019 00:01
still in that sweater huh?
isn't it a bit warm now in summer?
You need a Speedo!
"Wittgenstein" appreciated. Cheers sir. Tommy
Hi Martin, thanks for your comment on Don't Look Into Their Eyes (and all the other ones too!). Much appreciated ? Tx
Hi Martin, thank you so much for your kind words on 'Arrival'. I was asked by my sister to write a poem concerning immigrants/ immigration but given how things are so polarised at the moment, I have tried to be very careful in my framing. Granted, less so in the last stanza. ?
Anywho, thanks again,
- Josh
I hope to be there too, Martin. Stu Buck is the guest poet - and that will be a treat!
Wed 12th Jun 2019 23:55
thanks Martin the Elder.
by the way,
is that your wife's sweater???
?)
<Deleted User> (21818)
Tue 11th Jun 2019 04:28
Hello Marin. Thank you for taking the time to comment on A Click Away & The Road Less Travelled. It's always great to hear from you. I hope life is treating you well!?
Hi Martin! Thanks for liking "Meaning Lost" and for the encouragement! I love your samples especially "All our gods have abandoned us"! Colour me intrigued!
I have quite a lot of reading to do but from what I've seen I can tell that you are very good my friend!
Thank you ?
Mae
Mon 13th May 2019 18:06
thanks for your kind words.
that being said, why are you shrinking into
your blue sweater?
Wed 8th May 2019 11:34
and thank YOU sir
for your kind words
regarding "Sorry".
who's sorry now?
not I.
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Anna
Thu 2nd Jul 2020 15:29
Thank you Martin! I appreciate your comments and your interest in my work.
Much gratitude,
A