Thanks so much Stu and David. Always nice to get your considered input. I saw the American doc. about gorilla intelligence. Quite mindboggling .

I got off on the wool and the eyes, David you know how it is. Something about those wide eyes that have inspired much of horror on film. This lady is quite beyond the pail and sadly no one talks to her apart from when they serve her in cafes.

Ray

Comment is about SURROGATE MOTHER (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Oh my. Speechless

Comment is about A Worthy Fellow (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

enjoying your words Kimafia

Comment is about I Dream of Summer (blog)

Original item by kimafia Jones

Yes I believe perspective is key to understanding and maneuvering the world. If we can't see that our internal experiences are only skewed versions of reality then we are lost

Comment is about Coffee Shop revision (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

much deserved, the book is brilliant.

Comment is about Andrew McMillan wins Eric Gregory award (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

excellent. works really well as a companion piece to the first. often misconceptions such as the one you made stem from within, with what the ego wants to see. i spent a long time seeing only darkness in people before realising that was what i wanted, to revel in the darkness of the world.

Comment is about Coffee Shop revision (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

this is great. it reminds me of the nihilists paradox - to be a nihilist is to believe in nothing, yet one must believe in something if one believes they are a nihilist.

Comment is about A Simply Confusing Thought (blog)

Original item by Monami Kundu

hi vicky, i am enjoying reading your work. there is heaps of darkness in there, but you also write with softness and hope in places. good stuff.

Comment is about Vicky R. (poet profile)

Original item by Vicky R.

thanks vicki, i'm glad you enjoyed the poem. i was careful to end on a positive note, i try my best to remain positive in the face of adversity.

john - i have just seen this and totally agree. there is more than one piece going on in this.

Comment is about change (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

On writing. Meta-analysis. Short, but for sure a great one none the less!

Comment is about Drawing from an empty barrel (blog)

Original item by Matt

I enjoyed this. I think I enjoy all poems about "letting go" and whatever it means to you. Beautifully written. I feel as if all readers can relate. Definitely one of the poems I've read that has a good affect on you -- made me smile, exhale, and do a mini life-review. I wonder if this happened to anyone else while reading? Great read.

-Vicky

Comment is about Letting go... (blog)

Original item by Matt

Wow. Deep. I liked this poem of yours as well. It was like a breath of fresh air. Just like change -- is to all of us. You wrote of the bits of darkness you have seen in such an eloquent way, because yes darkness exists. I liked the repetition of the "inhale" so much. And yet you end with the shine of sun -- very beautiful poem.

Comment is about change (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Great read. I really liked this. It alludes to creativity in a magnificent way :)

Comment is about canvas (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Thank you so much for your lovely comment :)

Comment is about First Date (blog)

Original item by Eva Elizabeth

Steve
thanks for picking out the line in Coward - good to look at it in isolation. The poems don't come all of a piece but it's a reminder to weigh the elements.
best
Dom.

Comment is about steve pottinger (poet profile)

Original item by steve pottinger

thanks Rose

Comment is about Naked (blog)

Original item by kimafia Jones

this is excellent.

Comment is about A Worthy Fellow (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Oh Lynn this is fantastic! I see it illustrated in my head.

Comment is about The Snurdle-urdle-urdle (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

You had me at "We'd Fly Rings Around the Moon" An absolutely beautiful poem :)

Comment is about We'd Fly Rings Around the Moon (blog)

Original item by Toby W

Thank you Stu and Colin. I really enjoyed writing this one...the structure of the poem mirrored the flow of my morning.

Comment is about Coffee shop (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

I adore this. I have sat here for a bit at my laptop trying to figure out which line I love the most and I just can't. From top to bottom it is brilliant :) Thank you so much for posting it.

Comment is about First Date (blog)

Original item by Eva Elizabeth

brilliant ray. i watched this documentary a few years ago about people adopting monkeys as babies because they couldnt have kids. heartbreaking. such a great last two lines as well. especially like 'glassy eyes', sums the whole thing up and gives it a further, distant darkness.

Comment is about SURROGATE MOTHER (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Thanks for the like on My Pinpoint :)

Comment is about steve pottinger (poet profile)

Original item by steve pottinger

Martin, thank you for taking the time to read and comment on My Pinpoint :)

Comment is about Martin Elder (poet profile)

Original item by Martin Elder

Hey Stu, thanks for your comment on My Pinpoint and for knowing me a little more too :)

Comment is about Stuart Buck (poet profile)

Original item by Stuart Buck

great stuff especially the last lines. to detail something mundane then use the pay off lines to transform the work into something personal/worldly is a good skill. i like your writing, its energetic and spiky.

Comment is about Coffee shop (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

enjoying your work

Comment is about Coffee shop (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

thanks all, im chuffed you liked the poem but more chuffed that i have somehow managed to translate something which is so baffling into something that makes some sense.

Comment is about anxiety tanka (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Cheers M.C.
Your assessment of my work is really great. Totally hits on what I was hoping to do. Thank you for putting such time and thought into your feedback.

Embarrassingly though, while I've obviously taken an element of artistic licence, there is far more reality in this than imagination :|

Thanks so much for reading :)

Comment is about 'We're off to Never Never Land' by Matthew James is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thank you for the likes xxx

Comment is about Coffee shop (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

Very clearly expressed Stu. As I've got much older I've grown out of the fear of these occurrences, and tend to rise up to meet them, but you'll maybe have to wait many years for that (if at all).

Hope that makes sense! Ray

Comment is about anxiety tanka (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

A real flight of fancy and the imagination - with the
intriguing possibility of something from real life meshed
in, all set to a speech rhythm that adds to the appeal.
Not my usual sort of material but somehow very
refreshing in its vivid evocation of the wayward experiences that youth can meet without always seeking
or understanding them.

Comment is about 'We're off to Never Never Land' by Matthew James is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Harry - as the technical expertise of humanity progresses
in leaps and bounds, the need for human labour is bound
to decrease. Indeed, one wonders how many human hands
are kept employed until robotic devices of whatever type
can be cheap enough and advanced enough to achieve just about anything. We are already a long way down that road. Immigration to a small island nation needs careful
supervision for various wholly realistic reasons.

Comment is about `Dat old debil consequence` (blog)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Thanks to everyone who came along to the second Write Out Loud Woking on Monday night, and contributed to a wonderful night of top-quality poetry. Particular memories will be Simon Wright's debut public poetry performance, and Denise Bundred's Hippocrates prize-winning poem, plus others about footballers in a children's ward, and one referencing Sharpeville and Soweto. There were also brilliant contributions from Ray Pool, Peter Taylor, Peter Morley, Eddie Chauncy, Janet Collinson, Andy V Frost, Jonathan Cressey, and Geoffrey and Lorri Pimlott. Thanks also to our extra audience member who wandered in from the bar, maybe to get away from the England match, and stayed for the duration. And Peter Morley - hope you managed to retrieve your hats!

Review is about Write Out Loud Woking on 20 Jun 2016 (event)

Thanks so much Suki!
Well hopefully I'll be able to get it videoed soon as I'm performing it on Saturday night at PaperCut in Wigans Old Courts and next Wednesday at unity Works in Wakefield. Feel free to come along and watch it

Comment is about 'We're off to Never Never Land' by Matthew James is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Proper little nugget of a poem, Eula!

Comment is about My Gemini (blog)

Original item by Eula

elPinto,
Thanks for your interest.

I was just trying to point something obvious out again.

The key word in what you say is `abundance`...when there is abundance families enjoy it by a `fatter` life style and having less children (who they can feed and educate better)

The increased abundance has to be more and more serviced so therefore service industry increases . The fewer children translate into less native workers so the shortfall needs to be filled by E.U. immigrants, or immigrants from outside the E.U. (at the moment they are half and half) but wherever they are from they are needed.

`Pregnancy` seems not to be a very popular word in the modern women`s movements today (nor among most of the modern women generally) so our replacement rate
for new children means that we must have immigration (in or out of the E.U.) for the foreseeable future. (half of our
present immigrants are from outside the E.U. now)
This is why I dedicated the piece to an old pro-choice colleague of mine.

All this is apart from the argument about the actual rates of immigration. But my own opinion is that any change in this is better decided within the E.U.

Sorry to go on so much, but the `aging` problem in the
developed Europe, and in Japan, and China is going to be something of a future `time bomb`. We have developed an amazingly efficient contraceptive system which will be adopted by more and more women, but we have not yet really considered the demographic consequences of it....As they say: `Nature abhors a vacuum`

Thanks for the chance of getting it off my chest.

Comment is about `Dat old debil consequence` (blog)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

Alexandra - we've probably all been there at some time, and for various reasons, but this is very succinctly expressed. Nice writing.
Rob

Comment is about Exhaustive Energy (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

Thank you Toby!
I am glad you enjoyed reading it

Comment is about Exhaustive Energy (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

Love this piece. Short but expresses that middle of the night feeling of panic and worry - and you don't over complicate the piece either, it expresses and then allows the reader to imagine that feeling in their own personal capacity.

Comment is about Exhaustive Energy (blog)

Original item by Alexandra Lorenz

you know, ive called my first book 'casually discussing the infinite' but i may call my second one 'into the gaping maw of existential bliss'. actually, when i wrote it i was thinking it sounded like a shpongle song, but i can get behind a silver mt zion double concept album as well.

Comment is about Suki Spangles (poet profile)

Original item by Suki Spangles

..into the gaping maw of existential bliss.. That would be a great title for a Spiritualized album, or a Mogwai album. Or a collection of your poetry!

Comment is about canvas (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Hi there,
Congratulations on winning POTW. I would love to hear this poem read by you. Is there any chance, when you have the time, to record this poem and upload it here?
This is a performance poem that is worth reading, but I bet would be amazing to listen to also. No pressure!

Cheers, and look forward to reading more of your stuff..

Comment is about 'We're off to Never Never Land' by Matthew James is Poem of the Week (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

No, it's true Stu..we all knew the Cat-in-the-Hat was kind of a bastard..I mean, he knew what the P's would've done to us had we been blamed for the mayhem (and we would have been blamed, because the P's can't see the Cat, or even worse, he can't help but hide)..and, even more, he knew how much we dreaded them arriving home..and all this for his little bit of fun.

Comment is about The Snurdle-urdle-urdle (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

Hi, Harry,

This brings to mind a sequence in a movie called, "Lucy". I didn't much care for the ultimate direction the story took, however, there was a narration of a theory of the way humans view procreation and longevity--presenting the two ideas as almost exclusive of one another. Stated simply from memory, the theory holds that we are likely to choose quantity of life when quality of life is harsh and hard to bear; and more likely to choose longevity over quantity of procreated when basic needs may be fulfilled abundantly. It is to me, somewhat reminiscent of our proverbial existence in Eden and our subsequent expulsion.

In regards to a pro-choice stance, I'm not sure what that says; however, I thought it an interesting idea that may relate, albeit indirectly, to your post.

elPintor

Comment is about `Dat old debil consequence` (blog)

Original item by Harry O`N eill

This reminds me of one of my first office jobs and finding that I had to take the long way 'round to the restroom to minimize the possibility of meeting up with another person along the way..so much anxiety over small talk..and, even though my reactions aren't nearly as extreme as they used to be, I'm still not entirely convinced that too much chatter isn't bad for my health.

Very descriptive of overwhelming reactions to who can say what, sometimes.

elP

Comment is about anxiety tanka (blog)

Original item by Stuart Buck

Hey there, Stu and Phil,

I wrote this more than a decade ago when the words seemed to come a little easier. I remember (somewhat fuzzily) penning them and I liked how the words just sort of rolled out. Truthfully, I tried, but I can't completely connect with how I felt then. Maybe that's a good thing.

Anyway, I reworked it slightly and the closest I could come is a sort of statement of struggle, like deciding how best to confront manipulation when others would prefer that you just "behave". And, also maybe a bit of dismay there in the middle if dirty tactics start to get to you.

Glad you both enjoyed it and thanks a bunch for the comments.

elP

Comment is about standing fast (blog)

Original item by nunya

i tend to read loads into stuff that has no real metaphorical meaning and completely miss the deeper meaning of most things. it makes life confusing. still, im just reading this through again and its making me chuckle so its all good.

Comment is about The Snurdle-urdle-urdle (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye

good piece Corr,but we would have ended it with...


'But all right.
Alright?'

P&S.

Comment is about Sometimes theres a Guy. (blog)

Original item by Corr Lens

haha Lynn! we just knew the folks on here would love this fab piece.You MUST write more,asap!


P&S.xx

Comment is about The Snurdle-urdle-urdle (blog)

Original item by Lynn Dye