Your last line reminds me of an incident 6 years ago when I was about to go under the surgeon's knife to repair a rupture. As I lay in pre-med slowly going under I heard the surgeon say, "I'm just going to take your hand"
I just had time in consciousness to think, "Shi..."
Needless to say I checked my limbs when I came round.

Comment is about PROSTRATE WITH A PROSTATE (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Harry...
I know that of which I write - being an ongoing
PSA/prostate biopsy patient at a major London
hospital. You have my sympathy for your own
experiences.

Comment is about PROSTRATE WITH A PROSTATE (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

M.C.
About `knowing what it`s about` (a true story)

As a sixty year old ancient desperately trying to
catch up with my education at Uni, I had two (yes two) prostate operations whilst studying.

I bet there were not many students went down with that during that particular year?

Comment is about PROSTRATE WITH A PROSTATE (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Hi Karin

Many thanks for your comment on Before and After :)

Welcome to WOL - hope you enjoy yourself round here :)

Comment is about Karin (poet profile)

Original item by Karin

hey Dean! ta for the invite-will catch you some other time if that's ok?


Cheers dude!xx

Comment is about Dean Carroll (poet profile)

Original item by Dean Carroll

thanks guys. it's a good project this one to attempt.

i tried napwrimo past two years and it destroyed me last year (a poem a day for a month).

doing one a week is probably doable but you never know - lol

and i loved writing this piece

Comment is about Cat’s Prayer (blog)

Original item by Andy N

Yes indeed, MC. I'll never get my brass. I was rather hoping some revolutionary friends on here might have taken up the offer.
I dispute the Ages of Man. I always thought it was Lager, Aga, Saga, and Gaga.

Comment is about Vive la Revolution (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

A beautiful poem.

I often wonder why people want to carry on living - in certain countries and situations, where I'm sure I'd just want to give up the ghost. Your poem answers that.

Comment is about girl next door (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

If you want to be really picky you could have pilots crashing, or change pilot to navigator or path finder :)))

I really like this poem Dave - it's quirky and funny. I know that you would be the first to admit writing the occasional bit of rubbish yourself - which makes the humour a whole lot more understandable. I now brand much of my early work as rubbish - as poets we grow and evolve - which isn't to say that today's masterpieces won't be considered tomorrow's rubbish - heh heh - you've made me scratch my head and think.

Nothing rubbish about this piece then! xx

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

The "Three Ages of Man"?
Idealist
Revolutionary
Realist
JC - I'm sure you've long given up on your money.
To that mindset words are a means to an end,
with little value as "currency" when the bank of real life calls in the debt.

Comment is about Vive la Revolution (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

An effective boost for those striving to have a
say in the online poetry world and enjoy the
process in good company.

Comment is about Today's Great Undead Poets (blog)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

Thanks very much for the kind words, folks.

I find it hard to 'see' my work clearly when I've first written it - too close to it, and too aware of the changes and editing that have gone on, I guess. So thank you all very much for the feedback. :-)

Comment is about girl next door (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

Thanks Steve! I do my best -using the dictionary diligently- but I do feel quite limited in my writing so far. A good practice in releasing some control behaviour, though. ;)

Comment is about Karin (poet profile)

Original item by Karin

Thanks for looking in on 'I am the seed' Karin, reading your work I find it hard to believe English is your second language! I particularly like 'I begin'.
Best wishes, Steve

Comment is about Karin (poet profile)

Original item by Karin

Not room on here for another parody, Thomas!
Excellent stuff. No question - get it recorded and posted.

Comment is about Staines just wanna have floods (blog)

Original item by Marnanel Thurman

More succinct than my own take on the issue.
http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=31005

Comment is about Male Health Issues: No.1 (blog)

Original item by fitzroy herbert

What ho, Dave.
Excellent piece. If empirical evidence of poets writing rubbish is required I'm happy to put myself forward.
For our generation (that is, pre-emoticon) I always understood that an ! denoted a joke.
On a technical (and hyper-critical level) I tend to agree with Chris about the pilots getting lost.

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

thank you :)

Comment is about riddle me this fatman (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

fantastic! the two opening lines? killers!x

Comment is about riddle me this fatman (blog)

Original item by Paul Sands

sorry that you took my simply asking you Mr Co to allow me to have my question put to Dave as a personal insult.I thought it was a civil request?I have no problems in apologising if you took it in another way.

Thank you.

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

I like this piece. Also Thought your stuff was really really good at the spoke the last time I went Dave. I have a couple of favourite of yours though I'd like to hear again. I Love the one about us behaving like children when we argue like we are having pillow fights and we need a parent to shout up stairs at us. Also the one about you being a true Hippie after the fad had died out. And the one about your wirey hair. I can never remember titles but always remember the sentiment I fell from them. Your really good at putting a sentiment across in your stuff. Good work mate

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

No idea why you're being so aggressive and insulting Solar. I did nothing more than comment. Ok I understand you wanted the answer from Dave, that's fine, but really, was there any need for that tirade? You don't know who I am or what I am like - you really don't have the first clue about me.

You lecture me on judging people's poetry, I have in fact NEVER done that. I have commented thousands of times over many years on this site and can say that in that time, I have made just one, singular critical remark. So I have no idea where this negative attack comes from. Separate from which I have supported poets every single month of the year for many years, helping and supporting poets in significant ways, but you wouldn't be aware of that as you don't me.

Let's leave it there, it seems best to, even if it is disappointing.

I'm sorry if you thought I was being critical of you, when my intention was merely support of Dave, re his intention. Knowing Dave as. I do I felt I had an inside track with regards to the fact that he doesn't target people - that was all I was trying to say.

Best to you

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Hey Laura,

Glad you enjoyed my latest spewing! Souxsie...a woman who has done far too many drugs ha ha I didn't know the song you mentioned so I looked it up. The live vid was 'something'!!!

Hope you're still well :-p

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Thanks Karin.. glad you liked

Comment is about Karin (poet profile)

Original item by Karin

I like the presence and simplicity of this poem along with the message of faith and knowingness.

Comment is about I Am That Seed (blog)

Original item by Steve Higgins

A very clever, transparent poem and I really like your playfulness with words and sentences.

Comment is about Before and After (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

This has a creepy feel to it..like a snapshot from a horror movie. Great!

Comment is about untitled (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

I still maintain my question that if poets occasionally write rubbish,who has the authority to determine such a view.Who is this god of poetry?Besides which I did aim my question at Dave and certainly not at you Mr Co.Therefore I would prefer that in future you allow me to receive an answer from the person to who the question was intended for.I have since been given a very nice satisfactory and kindly explanation from Dave for which I am grateful for.Personally I would never regard myself as a judge of other peoples poems my preference is to say some are fantastic,some are good,some are okay,but none would I regard as rubbish.We all have to start somewhere and be allowed time to improve,however much other people don't allow them that kind of understanding.That concludes my view.All previous poems by Dave have and always will be very much appreciated.Thank you again Dave for the the reply.x

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

The self awareness and paradox of confidence and vulnerability is what has allowed you to write the poem.

No vulnerability - no vital insight.

No confidence - no ability to see the strength of vulnerability.

The poem links the personal to the universal and vice versa, something that usually and has brought about a real interest and connection.

The pacing of the language is very good, but in a sense I only know this, because I can picture you performing it and hear your voice as I read it.

One that would definitely benefit from an accompanying audio/ aural performance to open it up and show everyone the rhythm that exists in this. Somehow I feel that is more than the grammar or layout alone would allows for...if you catch my drift. Some poems can do that, be a little more than the page alone allows for.

Enjoyable

Best of

Comment is about Before and After (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Solar, it is satire, self evidently satire. Speaking of things self evident, of course poets write rubbish, just as they write the distinctly mediocre, reasonably good, and exceptional poetry - choose your own adjectives. Bell curve distribution and relative distinctions anyone? Hehe

The use of "very occasionally" clearly gives away the poets humour, good sense of humour at that. If anything, humour lies in the understatement. A lot of crap is written, anyone who denies that denies reality. That said there is absolutely no target to this, not even the merest whiff of attack.

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Intriguing. The flatly descriptive style is in counterpoint with the inspirational content in an unusual and striking way.

Comment is about Today's Great Undead Poets (blog)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

Hands on!
Enjoyed the cinematic nod of the last line
in the context.

Comment is about Male Health Issues: No.1 (blog)

Original item by fitzroy herbert

Or - in Eliot`s terms- : Applausal Disocciation.

Comment is about Curtain Call Parts I & II (blog)

Original item by A Means to an End

Aw, Joseph, gerrofff! even I don`t think I`m that good!

(Then again, though...I mean `great` `undead`...
`mirroring the virility and vitality of life`...
I don`t know though...maybe I am a `treasure`...
folk just don`t appreciate me.)

Stop it! If you keep goin` on like this I`ll have to buy a new hat.

Comment is about Today's Great Undead Poets (blog)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

commiserations Alanna-good poem though.Nice to see you back on again.xx

Comment is about La Ronde (blog)

Original item by Alanna Rice

your best one yet guys.x

Comment is about Today's Great Undead Poets (blog)

Original item by Joseph J. Breunig 3rd

'very occasionally
poets write rubbish'

....according to?

for me,this teeters on the offensive.
If the intention behind it is to wind up-
who?and why?

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

This one comes with a satirical and knowing wink. A short yet clever send-up that doesn't take itself too seriously. Of course the irony here, is that this is a good little poem.

Went down really well last night at the Spoke :)

The only thing I subjectively might change is - pilots get lost. I think all the other examples have a consistency that this doesn't quite achieve. Apart from that - v good.

Best of

Chris

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

Am I the only person who found the opinions of these sentries mildly irritating and patronising? Mind you, not quite as bad perhaps as some rejection letters I could cite. The last line was true.

Comment is about The art of choosing: magazine editors reveal how they sift and select (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

really nice piece Noris.xx

Comment is about This morning my pen confesses (blog)

Original item by Noris Roberts

We intend using this for future gigs adding some music and effects to the vocals, thanks for reading - AMtaE

Comment is about Curtain Call Parts I & II (blog)

Original item by A Means to an End

Totally endorse what the others have said. What a terrific poem. Crafted, balanced, well paced, some cracking phrase-mongering and a wonderful humanity shining right through it. Great!

Comment is about girl next door (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger

What would people think if we had 'men only' open mic events?

Comment is about Loose Muse goes west with new women-only open mic in Cornwall (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Thanks for the chuckle on "The Galmpton Robin"
By the way, the comment on your post about "RLS"
from "Moriam" seems to appear everywhere else on
WOL posts, including "The Galmpton Robin" I put it down to a crafty way of advertising another
poetry site. Flattery is always a sure-fire way
of "selling" something.

Comment is about John Coopey (poet profile)

Original item by John Coopey

Harry - I value your constructive comment about
the last stanza. I think it was a personal
connection with the area around the River Dart
that resulted in it being written. I certainly
appreciate the view you impart about it and may
well obtain a future recording MINUS the last
four lines. Less is more perhaps?
JC is his usual inimitable self. I would probably
be disappointed if it were otherwise. I put his
comment down to a painful attack of "thrush"!!
:-)

Comment is about THE GALMPTON ROBIN - New Music Setting (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

sad but true in so many places
best wishes,
Steve

Comment is about Anytown (blog)

Original item by Ian Whiteley

As if!
Great one Dave!

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

I help deal with incidents like this almost every week. Some are sorted quickly, others not. All are shocking to greater and lesser extents. Some involve death, others involve negotiators talking to the would be suicide person for what seems like ages. All are upsetting, especially when you stop for a few moments and jot down a few lines.
Thanks for reading and commenting Mike and Solar

Comment is about On The Bridge (blog)

Original item by Steve Higgins

Hehehe :D Only 'very' occasionally? ;D I consider it a central part of my writing process to churn out regular poetic garbage :D

Comment is about Surely not! (blog)

Original item by Dave Bradley

*grit in eye*

Wow. Takes a special skill I reckon to write another gender, and to do it so tenderly, so carefully too.

This is a wonderful poem. I love how you resist any conclusion, how you keep that special something out of it, and it lives just in the optimism, in her song.

Some amazing lines:

vixen, vamp, a heartbreaker
who queues in the supermarket for reduced to clear

she’ll buy a packet of ten
and take five minutes out
to spark one up and watch the world go by

and she is singing because
she knows, for a cast-iron
solid gold copper-bottomed certainty
that something good
is going to happen

You're a proper poet you are Steve ;)

Comment is about girl next door (blog)

Original item by steve pottinger