This is a clever play on words Stephen. Nice one

Comment is about The Player (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Hey Tom,

Your comment had me grinning from ear to ear! 😆 I'm thrilled you enjoyed the poem—your kind words made my day. More laughs coming your way soon!

Cheers,
Rolph

Comment is about TIEd Up in Overcompensation (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you, Graham! 😊

Comment is about Reverie... (blog)

Original item by Holden Moncrieff

Like Graham, I have mixed feelings about 'likes" here, Ray. It is a great achievemnt to write something so profound and readable on such a tragic subject. This is the sort of poem that should be widely read, though behind it there is a difficult personal situation.
I can only sympathise and admire the day-to-day courage.

Comment is about THE TORMENTOR (blog)

Original item by ray pool

Wow!! susurrus of a sorceress,

Comment is about Reverie... (blog)

Original item by Holden Moncrieff

I feel guilty 'liking' this Ray. I was really pleased to see a new entry by yourself and then I read this tortuous piece about such a pernicious debilitating malady.

You imply it is your better half/partner who is the real sufferer but suffice to say that you have put the fear of christ up us all as we age. Bravo!

Comment is about THE TORMENTOR (blog)

Original item by ray pool

😅😅😅 hilarious Rolph, and then some ( more please 👍 )

A side split thank you sir!

my rib tickled regards my friend!

Tom

Comment is about TIEd Up in Overcompensation (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you Hélène for liking
''The holding back of tears and anger'

kind regards

Tom

Comment is about Hélène (poet profile)

Original item by Hélène

Thanks @Rolph David. Been a while since but I find it beneficial to craft along the range and be bothered to do so periodically. Most appreciated 🌷🙏🏻🕊

Comment is about each and every way (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Thanks @Tom Merton 🌷kind of you to say so🙏🏻🕊

Comment is about each and every way (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Dear Rolph,
Thank you for such an insightful and encouraging message. I wanted to explore the idea of hidden intentions being brought to light. The thought that there is comfort in the truth being revealed is something I also find peace in.
Your words are greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Naomi

Comment is about PLOTTERS' FALL (blog)

Original item by Naomi

Dear Naomi,
Your yesterday's poem carries such a powerful message. You brilliantly remind us that no matter how much someone thinks they can hide their intentions in darkness, the truth always finds a way to shine through. The way you personify darkness as a force that exposes hidden schemes is striking—it’s like you’re showing that no plot is truly safe from being revealed. There’s something almost comforting in knowing that, no matter the deceit, truth has a way of standing bare.
Kind regards,
Rolph

Comment is about PLOTTERS' FALL (blog)

Original item by Naomi

Manish, you’ve captured something so powerful in your journey. It’s inspiring how you went from waiting for life to carry you, to learning how to take control and harness your own path. By letting go of doubts and taking action, you found real growth and happiness. Your realisation that waiting for serendipity would have kept you stuck in a fantasy is a beautiful reminder to embrace life as it comes, and create your own truth. It’s a message of empowerment and living fully.
Kind regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Wake-Up Call (blog)

Original item by Manish

Hello Red,
Such a very different poem on your part! I also like it very much! In the search for truth, words can twist, but in carefully crafted verse, clarity shines through. The "tree of truth" rooted in simple verse suggests that amidst complexity, something pure remains. Poetry doesn’t lead us through darkness but lifts us with crystal-clear meaning, guiding us along a winding path where truth holds sway. Great job.
Regads,
Rolph

Comment is about each and every way (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Hello leonidas: Three years of Russian invasion of Ukraine in violation of international law were already over on 24 February. I like your poem - a nice idea.

Comment is about "Beware the Ides of March" (blog)

Original item by leonidas kazantheos

Another big thank you to my loyal readers. I really appreciate it. Thanks to: Tom Merton, Naomi, Manish, Flyntland, K. Lynn, hugh and Red B. Keshner.
👍

Comment is about Give Her Back: A Sonnet For Liberty (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Perfect poetry. Thank you VERY much Red'


best of regards as always

Tom

Comment is about each and every way (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Thanks for likes: Red Brick Keshner, hugh, Holden & Naomi. ☘️👍

Comment is about Celtic Man 🇮🇪 ☘️ (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Thank you very much, Rolph. I sympathise with your concern that Trump is overshadowing everything at the moment. This must stop one day...musn't it?

Comment is about Fawn, Lick and Grovel (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Hoping that this wasn’t too irreverent in tone or delivery 🙏🏻🕊☘️

Comment is about just my 🍀 luck (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Cheers, Landi

Comment is about Gift of Time (blog)

Original item by Robert C Gaulke

I thought the use of the word "Revelation" was way too far up its own arse, I deleted it.

Anyway, lets bring it "Closer to the Heart"

David RL Moore,

love to all xx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syEBKVIZO34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV-5iNu6Sd8&list=OLAK5uy_khnZK2ul7k7v7pBfjyqXqK3eGijc0M_G8

Comment is about Glenborrodale (blog)

Original item by David RL Moore

Thank you reading my poem about Stuart Adamson.

Comment is about Sea To Cross (blog)

Original item by Mike Bartram

Thanks for the comments Uilleam and Flyntland 😃 I had a lot of time on my hands in January to contemplate the freezing city. I normally prefer to write narrative poetry but here, I just thought I'd let the cold grey winter in...

Thanks also to Red Brick, Hugh, Stephen, Aisha, Holden, Helene, Yasoda, Yanma and Naomi for reading!

Comment is about City of Rooftops (blog)

Original item by Tom

Thank you, Rolph. You are right. It was pure nostalgia, and I saw it through the eyes of a child. For those who worked in the mill and went back to their little back-to-backs and narrow cobbled streets, it was unrelentingly hard.

Thank you also to Holden and Naomi for your likes, they mean a lot to me.

Comment is about MEMORIES OF BOLTON (blog)

Original item by Flyntland

Thanks to RBK, Hugh and Landi for the likes and comments.

David RL Moore

Comment is about Glenborrodale (blog)

Original item by David RL Moore

No escape, no easy answers.

I heard a guy hint recently that if you don't know what to do, then you should probably do nothing.

That's my escape )

Comment is about No Escape (blog)

Original item by Jeff Bresee

speaking of personal musings...

someone asked me recently if there were anything about which I was passionate. Sensing a catch, I answered, "my autonomy".

Maybe I should learn to let my guard down sometimes.

Then again, maybe not )

Comment is about three words (blog)

Original item by Landi Cruz

...on 'whale-watching season' - Thank you so much @Rolph 🌷so glad that it came across just as you so eloquently detailed. I too can never look at a grill without noticing the wider world around me. 🙏🏻🕊️

Comment is about Rolph David (poet profile)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you so much @Rolph 🌷so glad that it came across just as you so eloquently detailed. I too can never look at a grill without noticing the wider world around me. 🙏🏻🕊️

Comment is about whale-watching season (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

"why are you in such a hurry..."

what a great verse.

Comment is about Gift of Time (blog)

Original item by Robert C Gaulke

A lovely piece of writing, and suits some recent personal musings of my own about being in a state of want in this world where there's always something else for which to strive.

Comment is about Glenborrodale (blog)

Original item by David RL Moore

Dear Eduardo,
I have to say, reading your poem on Trump was truly a revelation. As someone who has been one of his arch-criticisers, I thought I had said it all, but you’ve completely outdone anything I’ve written so far. Your use of irony and sharp critique in capturing his chaotic and contradictory nature is brilliantly done.
The way you’ve painted his “wild hair” and “kitsch tempest” speaks volumes about his theatrical and unpredictable presence. And the line “truth is fragile, and lies shall ever hold sway”—that one really resonates. It encapsulates so much about how his manipulation of facts has altered the political landscape.
You’ve captured not just his persona but the destructive nature of his influence in such a powerful way.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Trump (blog)

Original item by Eduardo

Dear hugh,
I really enjoyed reading "Emotional Health" — your poem offers such a refreshing reminder about the importance of managing our emotions and taking care of our mental well-being. The way you describe how anger and stress can take a toll, while emotional control and communication can be so healing, really resonates with me.
I particularly appreciated the line, “A city broken into without a wall, / Is the man who cannot control his anger at all.” It’s such a vivid and powerful image that perfectly illustrates how a lack of emotional control can leave us vulnerable and unsettled.
The idea of taking time to relax and doing things we enjoy is something I think we all overlook sometimes, but your poem made me realise just how important that is for mental fitness. The reminder to live one day at a time is so simple yet so crucial in this fast-paced world.
Thank you for sharing these thoughtful words. They’re a much-needed reminder for all of us to take care of our emotional health.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Emotional health (blog)

Original item by hugh

Dear Uilleam,
The themes of patriarchy, injustice, and the manipulation of truth in "Beyond All Reasonable Doubt [Bring Back Hanging]" are incredibly thought-provoking. The way you repeatedly mention "ranks will close as and when needs must" really creates a chilling sense of a system protecting its own at all costs.
I couldn’t help but think of Princess Diana's death as I read the poem. The line "the clue to her death is in the word ‘Royal’" seems to suggest that her tragic end might have been the result of forces within the royal family or a larger, hidden system of power. Given the controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding Diana’s passing, I was wondering if you were subtly referring to that incident.
Would love to hear your thoughts if that’s the case.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Beyond All Reasonable Doubt [Bring Back Hanging] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Dear Aisha,
I love how you’ve captured the spirit of perseverance and self-compassion in “Just Look At You”. The way you remind us to celebrate progress, no matter how small, and to allow ourselves the space to rest and reset is truly powerful. It's easy to get lost in the hustle and forget that taking a moment to pause can be just as important as pushing forward.
The line about pressing the reset mode really hit home with me. We all have those moments when we feel stuck or overwhelmed, but your words made me realise that it’s okay to step back and take things one step at a time.
Thank you for sharing such an uplifting message. It’s a wonderful reminder to keep going, even when the journey feels challenging, and to be kind to ourselves along the way. I just love it! 😊
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Just Look At You (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Dear Greg,
Your poem "Niagara" took me right back to my trip in 1986. Like you, we crossed from the US to Canada and were struck by the grandeur of the Falls. I laughed at your mention of the “honeymoon hotels” — those tourist traps certainly make the experience quirky. And your line about the view being grander from Canada, “whatever Donald Trump might say,” was a great touch!
Reading it also reminded me of Marilyn Monroe, whose film I watched around the same time. I couldn’t help but think of her 16-second walk in the penny heel shoe — that perfect blend of grace and power, much like the Falls themselves.
Thanks for bringing those memories back to life. Your poem captures the awe and the charm of such a memorable place perfectly.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Niagara (blog)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Dear Flyntland,
Your reflection on the "twopenny cone" "hit" me especially hard. How simple and pure those moments were when a small ice cream could be the highlight of your day, yet it also brings a bittersweet realisation. Prices and expectations have changed so much since then, and now we find ourselves paying a fortune for a much smaller satisfaction. It’s fascinating how things shift — how what felt like an enormous treat in childhood is now a reminder of just how much more complex and expensive life has become.
Despite this, your poem reminds me that there’s something beautiful about those simple moments, even the ones that seemed small or insignificant at the time. The way you recount the “Vimto” stall, even though it didn’t quite live up to expectations, is a perfect reminder of how small disappointments are also part of those formative experiences — and how they become treasures in memory.
Thank you for taking me back to a time where things were simpler and smaller, but still so filled with meaning. Your poem brings the past to life with warmth and nostalgia.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about MEMORIES OF BOLTON (blog)

Original item by Flyntland

Dear Stephen,
Reading "Fawn, Lick and Grovel" felt like a much-needed release. The way you lay bare the toxic cycle of submission and humiliation that comes with dealing with a manipulative figure like the one in your poem is striking. It’s painful yet perfectly true, this idea of constantly fawning, licking, and groveling to someone who only rewards you with backstabbing and lies. You capture that feeling of being caught in an endless loop where no matter how hard you try to appease them, you’re left standing alone in the end. That pile of rejects on his lawn—it really hits home.
I have to admit, your poem resonates on a deeply personal level. Trump has been busily occupying my mind too—too much, honestly. It’s like his influence is so contagious, and the negativity he spreads seems to infect everything around him. It's almost impossible to look away from the spectacle, even when you know that engaging with it only leads to more frustration and despair. It’s like we’re stuck in this toxic cycle of appeasement, where no amount of groveling or compromise will ever lead to anything other than humiliation and division. How did someone like him come to have such a grip on so many people’s thoughts and actions? It feels almost contagious, as if his manipulative tactics are so widespread they’re poisoning everything they touch.
Reading your poem helps me step back and reflect on that feeling of being trapped, of giving in to that cycle. It’s a powerful reminder of how much damage a person like this can do — and how important it is to break free from that hold before we become just another discarded reject on his metaphorical lawn.
Thank you for sharing this raw and brutally honest piece. It’s exactly the kind of reflection needed in times like these.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Fawn, Lick and Grovel (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Dear Red Brick,

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed "whale-watching season." There's such a quiet, powerful beauty in the way you bring together the grandness of the natural world — that whale breaching in the twilight — with the simple, grounding act of grilling dinner. It’s as if you’re reminding us that awe isn't reserved for distant horizons; it lives right next to us, in the everyday.
I love how you create this sense of shared wonder, where humans and nature are part of the same unfolding drama. The way you move from "spraying mist" to "oil seeps through grill’s crevices" feels seamless, like both moments are equally sacred if we only pay attention.
Your line, "Hooked by the vast expanse / of the Outback and the Sea," lingers with me — there’s a sense of being caught, captivated, maybe even humbled by something much bigger than ourselves. I feel that deeply when reading your work.
Thank you for this piece — for capturing that beautiful overlap of the ordinary and the extraordinary. It made me pause and look up from my own "grill" to notice the wider world.
Looking forward to reading more of your words.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about whale-watching season (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Hi Red Brick Keshner - thanks for your thumbs up. The subject matter seems to put some people off.

Comment is about Born of Rot: 14 June 1946 (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you again: Tom Merton, Manish, Stephen Gospage, hugh, Red Brick Keshner and Nigel Astell for your like.
It is really nice of you!

Comment is about The Fall of the False Saviour (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Hello Stephen, I'm also afraid that the danger is far from over - after almost 7 weeks of horror-world-power-agitation, psychopath-terror. We are indeed at the beginning of chaos, hell and what we could never have imagined in our wildest dreams. What we experienced from 2016 - 2020 is rubbish compared to what is yet to come. That's what he stands for with his name. Unfortunately. We can only hope that the financial markets will collapse catastrophically and finish him off or that the people will realise at some point that it was wrong to give him power again. Or nature will sort it out. Here's to a Trump-Putin-Erdogan-Lukaschenka-Jong-Un-Xi-Orbàn-free world!

Comment is about The Fall of the False Saviour (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you Tom Merton, Flyntland, K. Lynn, Holden Moncrieff, Aisha Suleman, hugh and Red Brick Keshner for your expression of appreciation!

Comment is about Auto-Pilot Activated: Your Life is Loading… (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Hello Holden,
I'm glad that I was able to reflect the madness that is eating its way through our societies. I am a teacher and my students don't see the danger, no matter how neutrally and sensitively you broach the subject. Their parents set an example for them - society does the rest. Blessed are those who don't fall completely prey to this multimedia social media rubbish and can put the brakes on for themselves. I am, thank God, immune to this. There's nothing more for me than dosed Internet. No social media madness, no anonymous at-home-behind-the-screen rants...I'm out of it - for miles. But I fear the worst for the rest of our societies. They have long since - I think hopelessly by now - succumbed to this crap (sit venia verbo!).
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Auto-Pilot Activated: Your Life is Loading… (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you Yanma, Manish, Uilleam and Red Brick Keshner for your "like". You are truly loyal souls!

Comment is about The Wrecking Ball of Democracy Incarnate (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Hello Uilleam, I hope that your fears in England, in Great Britain, do not materialise. As we all know, hope dies last. It dies, but last!
Yes, the American dream, a concept that has come true for Trump and his weird accomplices is becoming a nightmare for the rest of the country. Many voted for him and this chaos, but I feel sorry for all those who did not. He is plunging the world into chaos and one can only hope that the financial market and the population will soon wake up and send him and his henchmen packing, or as he always says: To hell!

Comment is about The Wrecking Ball of Democracy Incarnate (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you Naomi, Flyntland, Steve White, Holden Moncrieff, Stephen Gospage, Red Brick Keshner and Nigel Astell for your like. I'm very pleased that you liked the poem.

Comment is about Who Do You Call Coloured? (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Thank you all for your thumbs-up, i.e. Pinnochio, Naomi, Manish, Stephen, Uilleam, Red Brick Keshner and Nigel. That's very kind of you.

Comment is about Deported by His Own Decree (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

I'm sorry, Uilleam, that I'm only replying now, but I'm going through turbulent times at the moment. Would you like to dispose of the orange face in beautiful Scotland? Oh no, not in Europe...in the deepest part of the Mariana Trench or with Musk in his rocket to Mars. Along with all the cowardly lunatics of the GOP.

Comment is about Deported by His Own Decree (blog)

Original item by Rolph David