So much will never be explained, Ray. In a world where we expect to 'understand' everything, this is difficult to accept. I think that your poem illustrates this imperfect state of events.
Comment is about TAKING STEPS (blog)
Original item by ray pool
Fri 30th May 2025 08:09
Thank you Rolph for your thoughtful words! Very apt about the shift! How protagonist’s panic is triggered by the crowd, that panic is eased by the same. And yes, those phobias are parts of me, in some points of my life.🙂
Comment is about THE CROWD (blog)
Original item by Manogna Bhamdipati
Your phrase "Shifting Sand" exposes both the arrogance and stupidity of those who impose arbitrary boundaries on populations they claim to have conquered or "civilised".
Mother nature recognises no such boundaries: the recently collapsed Swiss glacier, and the ever-shifting land around the San Andreas fault are just two examples of that.
Comment is about Shifting Sand (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
Thanks to everyone who liked and commented on this poem. I felt as though I was wandering into other people's territory but it seems to have come out all right. I am pleased that it brought a smile to your face, Rolph. John - that's right, you can never have too much. Uilleam - that may not be a bad thing, but where do they go?
Comment is about Fred Bunting (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
This gets it just right, Uilleam. A nicely judged verse of support.
Comment is about I Love ye Scowsers! (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thank you Marla I am glad that you enjoyed it
Comment is about Don't look back (blog)
Original item by Martin Elder
Thank you for the early like Reggie.
David
Comment is about Shifting Sand (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
Thu 29th May 2025 20:38
In this world with all it's trouble, it is so nice to see something so absurdly charming.
Thank you.
Comment is about Underwater World (blog)
Original item by Rick Varden
I could be totally off course, but I read into this of a time in the future when Gaza has been cleared of Palestinians and turned into a holiday resort. But I guess it's open to different interpretations. Well done Stephen for the ambiguity.
Comment is about If only Hitler was as nice (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
Thank you so much Rolph, appreciated.
Comment is about Underwater World (blog)
Original item by Rick Varden
“Herded into pastures new” is most appropriate, Stephen.
In the Irish Parliament, a couple of years ago, a politician angrily quoted the words of half a dozen or so members of the Israeli government and the IDF, who had described the Palestinians as animals.
As was the case with the Jews and others in the Nazi prison camps, their dehumanisation and demonisation are essential to justifying their extermination.
Your description of oppression masquerading as order is spot on, Rolph. Mosley's ghost is stalking the streets of Britain, whilst the Ambassador for Genocide says "jump" and we ask "how high?"
Comment is about If only Hitler was as nice (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
Dear Manogna,
Reading “THE CROWD” felt like stepping inside "your" (?) experience — the anxiety, the fear, the fragile balancing act of daily life with phobias so often invisible to others. Your words beautifully capture the intense vulnerability of those moments when the world feels too close, too loud, and too overwhelming.
What touched me deeply was the shift at the end — the way empathy and kindness from strangers transformed that terrifying panic into something tender and human. It’s a powerful reminder that even in our most isolating moments, connection can come from unexpected places.
Thank you for sharing such an honest and moving glimpse into "your" (?) world. Your courage in giving voice to this experience shines through every line.
With heartfelt respect,
Rolph
Comment is about THE CROWD (blog)
Original item by Manogna Bhamdipati
Hi Stephen,
Loved your poem! The slightly bawdy but never crude tone really hit the perfect note—funny, cheeky, and with just the right touch of British wit. Made me chuckle more than once, hahaha. Thanks for the great read!
Cheers,
Rolph
Comment is about Fred Bunting (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Hi Rick,
This poem was a total splash of fun—cheeky, surreal, and strangely dreamy. I love how you’ve created this underwater fantasia that’s part nightclub, part myth, and part countercultural refuge.
The nod to Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” was a great touch—it gave the whole scene a rebellious, bohemian vibe, like we’re slipping away from the surface world and into something wilder and freer. And the Man from Atlantis reference? Genius. That little pop-culture flash pulled it all together—nostalgia, escapism, and that innocent-sexy sci-fi edge.
The humour and innuendo are spot on, too. You’re clearly having fun, but never at anyone’s expense. There’s a warmth and inclusivity in the way you imagine this world—where “mermaids take you by the hand” and no one’s “in it for the money.” It’s a proper trip.
Thanks for the ride through your underwater dreamscape. I might just grab my wetsuit.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about Underwater World (blog)
Original item by Rick Varden
Good morning Uilleam,
This is a beautiful, heartfelt piece—what begins as a quiet elegy quickly becomes a loving tribute to Liverpool and its people. The sense of recent loss is palpable, and whether it’s tied to soccer or something more personal, the emotion runs deep.
I especially loved the blend of personal memory (“walked with dad”) with iconic local landmarks like the Strand and Water Street. It’s intimate and civic all at once. And that closing line—“they’ll never walk alone”—landed perfectly. It echoes not just the club anthem, but something greater: a community’s resilience, humour, and dignity in hard times.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about I Love ye Scowsers! (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Good morning Stephen,
This poem struck me with its searing irony and unsettling beauty. The opening line jolts the reader awake—not to glorify horror, but to force confrontation with the way cruelty is sometimes reframed, repackaged, or even celebrated in today’s narratives. Your use of sarcasm is razor-sharp, and the imagery—“Joyous in subservience,” “a glorious dictator glows”—beautifully exposes the absurdity and tragedy of such spin.
It’s uncomfortable, and that’s precisely its power. By blending poetic elegance with brutal themes, you’ve held up a mirror to a world where oppression can masquerade as order, and democracy quietly erodes while we sip cocktails.
Thank you for daring to write something so provocative and timely.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about If only Hitler was as nice (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
You have a captivating style in your story telling. Nicely done.
Comment is about Don't look back (blog)
Original item by Martin Elder
Thank you, Uilleam!
I feel like the grotesque in her face forces us to linger, to feel discomfort and maybe that’s where meaning begins, too: in what feels not quite “right.”
Uilleam, I’ve been trying to understand imperfection from the perspective of a higher purpose, at least according to what I believe. I’m a Muslim, and in the Qur'an—our holy book—Surah At-Tin (95:4) says, “Indeed, We created humans in the best form.”
So perhaps what appears to be imperfection isn’t a flaw in the design, but an invitation to look deeper. In the end, the unsettling parts of ourselves and our lives might become the very ground where meaning grows—where values are formed.
And maybe that’s how we begin to fill the “inner report” we’ll one day present before God.
Of course, this comes from my faith, and as my mother always reminds me, “everyone holds different beliefs.” I share this not to preach, but in the hope that my perspective might offer something to those who need it—not as a truth to be accepted, but simply as something to consider. And for that, I’m grateful you resonated with it.
Comment is about La Gioconda (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Thank you guys, appreciate your comments
Comment is about He Marches Home. (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Thanks mate, I was at the parade, but not near the incident.
Comment is about 'Bertie (The Liver Bird) Saw It All (blog)
Original item by Mike Bartram
Thank you, Yanma.
From a distance, the sfumato technique may well be effective and deceiving, but up close, I find her browless eyes and her mouth unsettling and bordering on the grotesque.
I think you’re right about imperfection being the beginning of meaning.
Comment is about La Gioconda (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Thanks to Graham and Uilleam for the comments and to those who sent flowers.
David RL Moore
28 May Thanks to Stephen for the like
Comment is about Into Silence (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
Thanks for the like, Stephen.
That's a picture of the world.
The artist's a five-year-old, her grandad's a different kind of artist altogether.😉
Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No.18. Wibbit!] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Phew, Uillean. I thought for one moment you were rejecting Bridlington on the basis that it was a dump already.
Indeed Skegness would qualify, Stephen.
And thanks for the Like, Redbrick.
Comment is about "DALLAS : MUNICH : GRIMETHORPE" (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
I'm afraid the answer’s no, John; not while there’s a 77 year-old Nakba (genocide and ethnic cleansing) in progress.
Comment is about "DALLAS : MUNICH : GRIMETHORPE" (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
We all share these first-world problems.
Comment is about "Journal entry #3: feel those big feelings so you can get on with your day" (blog)
Original item by Laura Bray
Oh dear, the elephants in the room have escaped!
Comment is about Fred Bunting (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
It’ll have been all that broccoli, Stephen.
Comment is about Fred Bunting (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
A sensitive poem, Mike. Well put. Thank goodness it wasn't worse.
Comment is about 'Bertie (The Liver Bird) Saw It All (blog)
Original item by Mike Bartram
A fascinating poem, JD. Heroes indeed.
Comment is about He Marches Home. (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Fair point, John. Skegness might do as well.
Comment is about "DALLAS : MUNICH : GRIMETHORPE" (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Well written and truly disturbing, Rolph. I feel slightly guilty about telling the vocal prompt on our TV remote to change channel. Can't imagine getting to this stage, but it can happen so easily.....
Comment is about Thou Art Not, Yet All To Me (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Nature; the greatest artist ever.
Comment is about Watching the clouds roll by (blog)
Original item by Maureen
Thank you JD.
I would like to think that all that suffering was not in vain.....
Comment is about He Marches Home. (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Yes! The quill 🪶 is such a magnificent image; thanks @Uilleam Ó Caellaigh 🌷🕊🙏🏻
Comment is about the marrow of the moment (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
Thanks @Martin Elder 🌷🕊🙏🏻 That stanza does have some personal value to me 🌷🕊🙏🏻
Comment is about the marrow of the moment (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
A very difficult read so it must have been a tough write too.
Often poetry/prose has a way of untangling things. At least it does for me.
Comment is about "Journal entry #3: feel those big feelings so you can get on with your day" (blog)
Original item by Laura Bray
Clouds……those endless resources of inspiration well captured here!
Comment is about Watching the clouds roll by (blog)
Original item by Maureen
That's wonderful, Maureen.
Comment is about Watching the clouds roll by (blog)
Original item by Maureen
Thank you, Martin! So happy the last lines landed for you
Comment is about La Gioconda (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
"Aye Uilleam, maybe Alexa's just playing hard to get—she knows a Lancashire lad's got poetry in his soul and she's not ready for that kind of commitment!" 😄
Comment is about Thou Art Not, Yet All To Me (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Wow so much poured out on to the pager flowing beautifully. Almost a life time. I can relate to some of this. A beautiful poem
Comment is about Going Home. (blog)
Original item by Clare
I was immediately caught by the title. Marvellous
Comment is about The Skin I'm In (blog)
Original item by Marla Joy
I particularly like the line 'The hand moves in quiet rebellion'
Comment is about the marrow of the moment (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
self recrimination can be a real problem but I like the way you rounded it off Bob
Comment is about Aching Memory Holes (blog)
Original item by Robert C Gaulke
I love this particularly the way it is rounded off with those last two lines
Comment is about La Gioconda (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Alexa down the pub’s a right stand-offish so and so. All these years she’s known me, but she still pretends she can’t understand a Lancashire accent; when I say “Love, Love Me Do”, she just blanks me. No fool like an old fool I suppose!😍
Comment is about Thou Art Not, Yet All To Me (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Stephen Gospage
Fri 30th May 2025 08:23
Superbly written, David. The rhythm of the last verse gives it great power.
Comment is about Shifting Sand (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore