Writers on writers eh? Almost as bad as poets on poets!
An interesting viewpoint Fitzroy. You might also place the question on the discussion section. You may have more response perhaps.

Comment is about Lazy Poets (blog)

Original item by fitzroy herbert

I just fancied dropping a rather misshapen stone into the pond to see what the ripples might bring. Yours in the only ripple so far. And I thank you...There's a story that Burroughs once met Sam Beckett at an event in Paris. When Beckett was asked an opinion of him later, he said: 'Well, he's a writer.' Typically terse, the Thin Man. What he meant, of course, he never elaborated upon. The way Burroughs tells the story, he took it as a compliment. To actually be called a writer by Beckett he considered accolade enough. Well, you would, wouldn't you? But I guess my take is that a 'writer' will say and do pretty much anything, especially for effect....So what?

Comment is about Lazy Poets (blog)

Original item by fitzroy herbert

Beautifully written... A very powerful concept, as well!!

Comment is about Befriending Fear (blog)

Original item by Marianne May

I was really proud to have written this story. I hope some of you enjoy it as well!!
You can imagine Albert with any type of accent you like. I prefer to think he would speak with a sort of southern drawl.

Comment is about Albert Lemmon Sees The End. (blog)

Original item by Javis T.

Happy New Year Trevor. I look forward to reading your poems in 2018. Hope it's a good one for you and yours. Col.

Comment is about Happy New Year (blog)

Original item by Trevor Alexander

Awesome Louis! Happy New Year!

Comment is about Resolution (blog)

Original item by Louis Audet

Thanks for reading this Keith. Hope it hasn't made you too depressed but I guess you are living in a nicer climate with a lot more sun. Though I do know a number of people who have SAD lamps in order to cope with the winter months.
Hope you had a good Christmas
and have a brilliant New year. look forward to reading more of your work in 2018
Cheers
Martin

Comment is about The endless journey (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

MC. Thank you for your kind comment. May I wish you a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Keith

Comment is about A New Vision (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Thanks, MC. Nice riposte. We should duel! (I did spell that right).

Comment is about I'M DREAMING OF A HARD BREXIT (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Excellent stuff JC. Just the job to raise a smile on this
particular New Year's Eve.
But to borrow from elsewhere -

"O the political needy/greedy is frightful
But the thought of sovereign Britain so delightful
Just sort out what we pay and what we owe,
Let us go, let us go, let us go!"
(apologies to Sammy Cahn and his song "Let It Snow")

Comment is about I'M DREAMING OF A HARD BREXIT (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

A stimulating essay into the paradox of the beauty/harsh
cruelty of the natural world that surrounds us and upon
which we largely rely, and our own ingenuity that allows us
to survive as a species and which enables others to do likewise.
We have our failures but we are
the only life-form that actively & consciously involves itself
in the interests and protection of
others in the end game of existence, whatever its source.
We are given the intelligence to understand this and thus cannot
afford the ultimate failure of not acknowledging that awareness each and every day.

Comment is about Earth's sword (blog)

Original item by Rich

so nice to read warm-hearted sentiments like these Joanne. May your new year be a rewarding one.Thank you.Jemima.

Comment is about Cheers to the new beginning (blog)

Original item by Joanne German

Intriguing, involving and, for me, containing corroboration
of an opinion occasionally bubbling to the surface of the
poetical stream. I know of William Burroughs and his
reputation but not much of his material. Funny how
unexpected viewpoints emerge to flavour the cauldron of conflicting creativity.

Comment is about Lazy Poets (blog)

Original item by fitzroy herbert

A hearty "hear-hear" to these sentiments so cogently
expressed.

Comment is about Cheers to the new beginning (blog)

Original item by Joanne German

Seize the day! Those words still have proper resonance for
the lives we lead. By all means let us learn to live with
failure - for without that knowledge we would not have the
experience and hope to keep going onwards and upwards.
It is not lost on me that whenever danger and risk appear
on the horizon there is also a recognition and response to
accommodate them, not least with the hazards affecting
the natural world.
That's why I am, and will remain, an eternal optimist.
Nil desperandum!

Comment is about A New Vision (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Jon, thanks for your comment as it is much appreciated. Keith

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Hey Keith
This poem rings true and, when you think about it, things, places, possessions are pointless without inner peace and being happy personally.
You've put it across very well.
Jon

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Thank you David, and the very best to you in 2018.
Chris

Comment is about Heretic (blog)

Original item by Chris Hubbard

Jon, thank you for this. It is experience and the passage of time which brings this kind of knowledge. Keith

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Ray, thank you for this and how right you are. Knowing and being comfortable with oneself is crucial to being content and happy. Thank you again. May I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Keith

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

keep them coming Louis, you have a unique and irrepressible style that often makes me smile ?

Comment is about Resolution (blog)

Original item by Louis Audet

???
You can also visit for poetries on https://modernpoetrycreation.blogspot.com

Comment is about A drop of life (blog)

Original item by Shruti

Thanks your words helped me. Perfect message for my day.

Comment is about World Mental Health Day // October 10th (blog)

Original item by Petal

Nice, strong belief if, "If it doesn't rhyme, it is not poetic." Very true indeed to my ears, even if others on here don't think so.

Comment is about Myescape (poet profile)

Original item by Myescape

wonderful Shruti!

Comment is about A drop of life (blog)

Original item by Shruti

Interesting bit of philosophy here Keith. Home is where the heart is - plus a bit of my own thrown in: that you can only be happy with others if you you're happy with yourself (my view ). The grass is greener on the other side.

Ray

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Hi Keith
Wise words, obviously honed from life's journey.
I agree with you though, there are certain times when you know who is and isn't a friend; the qualities listed throughout this poem bringing home how special those kind of people are.
Great work
Jon

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Irony, Cynthia.

Comment is about I'M DREAMING OF A HARD BREXIT (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

The One Left Behind

A new year
to all poets

Means perhaps changes
to writing paths

Different routes taken
lines to follow

When finishing off
this new challenge

It is not
always as good

As the one
we left behind.

Comment is about Stockport WoL (group profile)

Original item by Stockport WoL

Cynthia, thank you for this. You hit the nail on the head in your second paragraph. I appreciate your comments. May I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Keith

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

INTIMATE CABARET AT DECEMBER WRITE ANGLE

November, Attila brought in a crowd of over 30 people while December, unpredictably another kind of evening, created an intimacy with several people highly praising the evening and its poetry. We can't predict what our evenings will be like but one thing for sure, Write Angle is guaranteed to bring high quality entertainment in our choice of guest performers, those of you at the Open Mic and even the audience who 'just come to enjoy'!

Paul Lyalls' performance at Write Angle's December gig was no exception. He held the audience from start to finish with 'endless' laughter. It was truly a Christmas special.

He's a great poet but also a stand-up comic and confident performer. His long lanky body and mobile face capture the audience. He works in schools but his poetry is geared to the child in each of us – if only we'd had a Paul Lyalls in our schooldays!

In Poetic Lonely Hearts Act, the Poet “seeks audience....You must like rhyme but not all the time.” In Ask the Audience....Or Listen to Your Heart, he tells how, as a loving man, his first reaction to his partner's “What are you thinking” is “What should I be thinking?” but he answers “I want to look into your eyes forever” when he's really thinking that “the next time we go to Ikea, I want to get into one of the wardrobes and when someone opens it, leap out and ask what country are we in?”

His Shakespeare parody, Let Me Compare Thee, talks of “Reality, Reality, wherefore art thou?” Only in the Movies listed all those impossible situations such as “You'll easily survive any battle.....unless you make the fatal mistake of showing somebody a picture of your sweetheart who's waiting for you.” He ended his performance with The Label Prayer, which dealt with the two core values of Christmas, “religion and shopping”. This was Paul's 4th time with us and we look forward to seeing more of him!

Unsurprisingly, the open mikers featured Christmas strongly. Jilly Funnell provided two covers, Shakin Stevens' Merry Christmas Everyone and Martin and Blane's Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, followed by a reprise of her own naughty Principle Boy - “Make sure you all check out his tights before your wedding day.” Richard Hawtree provided another view of Christmas with Wrappings - “A ruse you trust to make the wise men late in setting out on their epiphany.” Leah contributed four seasonal poems, finishing with Santa Has a Problem, when Mrs Santa “wants me healthy” puts him on a diet “but if I'm not a jolly fat man, kids won't know I'm Father Christmas”.

Dick Senior, more serious, in Cake, told the story of a suspicious husband following his unfaithful wife, “Like white knuckles at his throat, the furies of self-pity and rage, like rats writhing in a bag of his skin”. “That night, they ate the cannabis cake”, which was followed by an orgy of destruction when he took a hammer to his home and his car. Evacuee told the story of the youngster Dick's grandparents took in “from Tottenham who....became a village boy” but who Dick knew as Uncle Stan.

Your reviewer lightened the mood with Charlie the Spider, who “lives in Jake's black car” and whose social life was “When we park at Tesco....I meet my friends in other cars”. Piers Husband read from his Christmas Book. First, Santa Meets Satan and, then, Satan, “the horned devil fell through the air in a million particles. Each particle entered the body of a spider....” Brian read a humorous Thurber short story The Night the Bed Fell, chronicling a chapter of accidents culminating with the bed falling on father.

Although the number of poets and musicians were few, the quality of their work made up for it. It was a memorable evening and contributed well to the Christmas season! The Raffle was sponsored by The Half Moon at Sheet.

Review is about WRITE ANGLE POETRY & MUSIC +OPEN MIC on 19 Dec 2017 (event)

Very true, very concise poem.

Comment is about Monkey's mentality (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Are you serious! That line about Polish immigration?

Comment is about I'M DREAMING OF A HARD BREXIT (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I'm in queue here for pouring praise into your rising cup. I also salute that opening line, and agree that the four line first stanza could be totally enough. But I do admire the extension into another complete idea that invokes the reader's further imagination.

Comment is about COAT HANGERS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

I'll always steal the complimentary soap! Ha

Comment is about Emma Purshouse (poet profile)

Original item by Emma Purshouse

I had twins first-born, fraternal, and clearly understood the likelihood of twins twice, or more. I said, 'No.' They were the first to survive in three generations of multiple births in both families. A propos of nothing, just a similarity in background, other than Canadian, and poetry.

Comment is about Louis Audet (poet profile)

Original item by Louis Audet

This needs real attention. The rhyming pattern is superb and well handled. I'll come back to it, as it deserves careful reading. The ideas are not simple.

Or, maybe they are simple, but not for the simple-minded, and I don't feel very 'clever' at the moment.

Comment is about Drift away (blog)

Original item by Louis Audet

Well put, eloquent and pressing.I like the twist in the first two lines, very mind grabbing.

Comment is about Earth's sword (blog)

Original item by Rich

Well, this is a cheerful start to 2018.

But the point is both well made and well written, albeit very depressing. Your final line is a philosophical killer, emphasizing weather and landscape as the least desirable standards for the 'quest' of 'Shangri-la'. Surely, a state of mind above all else.

You are having a great time with your own thoughts and words. Is it a kind of new 'freedom'? Self-confidence? Self-liking? Or whatever. Just enjoy it, every word. Sharing is a potent cocktail.

Comment is about There is no Shangri-la (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

My conviction is: you can't receive what you don't offer, without ties of self-interest. That is actually really hard to do. I think friendship is basically reciprocal; like the notches, both needed and offered, fit well and lock.

A good stimulating work.

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Rich & Kevin, thank you for your kind comments. Keith

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Well said, Keith - when I read this, I can really feel the importance of those few fellow souls I've been lucky enough to know as true friends.

I like this!

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

If there was a yearly WoL award for opening lines then this would surely be a contender. The first stanza is superb and stands adequately on its own. I'm not sure the second is needed - maybe, maybe not. I can't decide. Either way, well done for working this one out. Cheers, Col.

Comment is about COAT HANGERS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Thank you Keith &Martin!

Comment is about It is meant for one (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Hello Graham and Patricio,

Thank you so much to both of you for your kind responses to this contemplation.

On your point regarding the first line, Graham, the image of the 'tattered old book' was intended as an opening reference to the relative unreliability of old memories (mine, at least). For me, even with memories of my mother, I find that they become gradually less acute, more afflicted with gaps and shadows as years go by; in one way, these personal defects were catalysts for the piece: I yearn for the bright realities of our mutual past.

All the best for the new year,

Chris

Comment is about Time and Windows (blog)

Original item by Chris Hubbard

Mates are ten a penny, drinking buddies more so. But if you have just one true friend in your life then you're a lucky man. I don't know about "excluding thumbs" i wouldn't have to take my mitten off .

Cheers Kevin

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries

Hi Ray.
What an unusual subject. Really worked though. Got to agree with David, the opening line was a corker. I liked the way that you brought an inanimate object to life.

Cheers Kevin

Comment is about COAT HANGERS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Thanks David. I can't pretend you havn't understood me correctly. Sadness leaches out whenever I return to a dream of potential unfulfilled. I'm glad it resonated.

Ray

Comment is about SCHOOL PHOTOS (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Martin, this poem paints a depressing but true picture of suburban life in all its dreariness. It was good for me to read it as it spelled out the words Seasonally Affected Depression something which I was able to escape from. Your use of imagery is captivating. The poem has a powerful quality. Thank you. Keith

Comment is about The endless journey (blog)

Original item by Martin Elder

Leon, I count my friends one one hand excluding the thumb. Thanks for your comment. Keith

Comment is about Friendship (blog)

Original item by keith jeffries