An intriguing one Emma, that is no doubt inspired by personal experience. Once senses the hint of a story in all this - the casting back of your mind to other times.

The question you end on leads the reader to question whether it is really over, for the main character.

Did you write this for the 'Shoes, Feet and all things Podiatric' themed competition we are having? I just wondered since you make reference to flip flops, feet and toes.... If you'd like to be part of it, please tag the poem with 'feet'. It is just a bit of fun we have here on WOL now and again. There is no prize, other than recognition from fellow poets.

Isobel x

Comment is about Old Glitter and Flipflops (blog)

Original item by Emma McCourty

... and I watch the weeds grow... not much loving it but enjoying the inactivity. Your poem catches that - together with a love of life and all its colours. x

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Truly evocative of the Rainy City. Probably changed somewhat since then but this brought back many memories of long ago student days there. Thank you.

Comment is about Manchester Morning (blog)

Original item by Alan McKean

A great subject to tackle - I'm struggling with some of the imagery though - probably me being dense...

I don't get the bit about the couch and local youth centre. I can understand that one might dig a tunnel to escape - like a prisoner of war...

I'm presuming the last verse is to do with heart beat and the fear of losing the audience.

Your poems are never obvious!

Comment is about Stage Fright (blog)

I really liked the uncomplicated lay out of this and the subject matter enough to terrify the feint hearted

Comment is about Stage Fright (blog)

Thanks all. The poem derived from a lovely writing group I go to - subject for the last meeting - being boring - so thought of watching paint dry and how that might not really be boring after all!

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi Mike - drowning/fighting the tide is a well used metaphor for the kind of suffering you describe, yet you seem to handle the theme in a fresh way.

I liked the 'bright shore of optimism' image - a bit like a mirage and out of reach, I guess.

'These waves, peaks, troughs, clouds' seem to be apparent within most of us poets - the downside to brains wired like ours, I suppose.

I think if you were to stop fighting the tide for a moment and look around you would find it teeming with others - equally significant.

Comment is about Pawn of Insignificance (blog)

Original item by Noetic-fret!

Lovely in its simplicity and understatement. Although written in first person there is a detachment in the poem, which makes it all the more powerful for the reader.

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

This is very special, well done.

Gus

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

Sad and beautiful. And real.

Shirley

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

Poor Augusta I'm sure she would blush crimson if she thought for one moment i would ever wish to undertake such an intimate commission.

Thanks for you kind words re my poem and yes looking forward to seeing when ever you have a moment.

Regards.
Gus

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Dis chick keeps it well hidden within the silken folds of her knickers ... or so I've bin told.

Many thanks for reading and commenting John, good to hear from you again.

Gus

Comment is about John Coopey (poet profile)

Original item by John Coopey

Thank you Anne for kind comment.
Gus xx

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

How well you know me Izo ... Im sure you could locate me upon the planet 'Dark' in the middle of deepest starless night hidden underground within a blanket chest.

Great subject, and wonderful to hear from you again and a chance tooggle yer pins agin.

Many thanks for reading and commenting.

Gus xx

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

I'm great thanks Ann! Hope you are well too.

(Finally finished my first year at university so I've got my creative brain back!)
Take care x

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Very atmospheric, haunting quality.

Comment is about The Lost Bodies Of Last Year's Summer (blog)

Original item by Kealan Coady

This sounds like a man with a real problem. You have hit a sharp nail here, those 'forty's types' who still eye the 'teens and twenties in their skimpy clothes and see only bodies 'taunting in their unavailability'. It's a very honest poem; but probably fools no one. 'Wanting to be noticed' is a modern society sickness. You've made a great social comment.

Comment is about Invisible (blog)

Original item by Martin Togher

I Like this very much; you capture 'essence' so well in all you do. IMO, the second stanza might be omitted. I think the intimacy of your intense joy in physically 'painting' is not much enhanced with those references. But I do realize you may be thinking of 'artistic camaraderie'. Title is superb, a real eye-catcher.

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

false modesty - you're bristling with pride !

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Like the juxtaposition of the local youth centre and the doors of heaven, Ray. How did the gig with Cooper-Clarke go?

Comment is about Stage Fright (blog)

Loved every line of this one.

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

I like this one too. That last line is great!

Comment is about Lost (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

Lovely poem - I must have missed it before. To me it reads like letting a son or daughter go.

Comment is about Walking away (blog)

Original item by Christopher Dawson

I thought it just needed brushing up a bit actually! ;)

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

.....it's easely one of yer best :)

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Thanks for your kind comment on Watching Paint. I've added some new colours because Francine spotted that I'd included Scarlet Lake three times! I don't know how it's possible to write something and not spot these things yourself! :)

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hi Isobel, I have entered a poem which was entered into the last comp '1971' I have added to it with reference to feet. I know that this is not what I am supposed to be doing, sorry but I was never one for convention. If I am disqualified just say so and I will remove the tag, no problem. Win x

Comment is about Shoes, Feet and all things Podiatric (blog)

Original item by Isobel

Hi Steve. Welcome to WOL. Your profile made me chuckle tonight, I share some of your listed interests but not telling you which! Winston

Comment is about STEVE RUDD (poet profile)

Original item by STEVE RUDD

Hi Shirley, thanks for putting up your profile and samples. Welcome to WOL. Winston

Comment is about Shirley Smothers (poet profile)

Original item by Shirley Smothers

Hi Jess, Don't stop the poetry! welcome to WOL, great sample work, like your almost rebellious and very refreshing use of English here, look forward to seeing you soon, best wishes Jeff ps will drop you a line about performances and various gigs and stuff you might be interested in!

Comment is about Jess Green (poet profile)

Original item by Jess Green

Thanks Francine - I never noticed! Might have a bit of a change about tomorrow!

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

This is so expressive and beautiful... flows like a work of art!
I love all of the unique colour names.

p.s. You must love Scarlet Lake - you mentioned it three times!

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Thanks, Steve. I think it's a general problem here, that all poems, good and not so good, disappear rather too quickly.Attention Deficit is rife!

Comment is about Attention Deficit (blog)

A paean to the transforming powers of paint, and also to the restorative power of not doing very much ... just watching paint dry. Enjoyed this very much, Ann.

Comment is about watching paint (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I liked the poem very much - didn't know who had written it till I got to the end! Very engrossing! And moving too. No idea how good a translation it is cos I can't read french. But it read well to me. (And the whole thing is a great idea.) How about an audio of both versions? I think that would be a very interesting way to compare them.

Comment is about Poetry in Translation Group (group profile)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Its a great idea... look forward to throwing my stuff out there to see if anyone would care to give it a voice in another tongue...

Comment is about Poetry in Translation Group (group profile)

Original item by Poetry in Translation Group

Thank you to everyone for your comments. As always, they are very much appreciated.

Comment is about Blameless (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Not many sonnets on WOL and this is pretty good too. You've kept the 10 syllable count and rhyme meticulously, though that sometimes leads us to unnatural constructions like

your shoulder-chip it will not hack away.

when it will not hack away your shoulder-chip is what we want - and probably what we started with?
The stress seems a bit wrong at the beginning of this line too

until you can embrace the present-day.

yeasifies!? Is that a proper word?

Comment is about Baggage Class [sonnet] (blog)

Original item by Alan Morrison

Powerful message through deceptively simple language. XX

Comment is about Blameless (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Really touching, Laura. Some folk seem too good and loving to have to go through such pain. And sometimes it's almost as if it's worse having to stand by helpless and watch them go through it. XXX

I want to echo here Andy's comments - superb performance at G&V - what a professional.

Comment is about Wine, Tears and Consolation (blog)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Ahhh... Reminicent of sweet and delicious moments.

Comment is about Keeping The Scent Of Insignificance From The Door (blog)

Original item by John Togher

Thank you for liking Old Glitter and Flip Flops Alan! :o)Take Care, em

Comment is about Alan Morrison (poet profile)

Original item by Alan Morrison

Good to see you on here, Jess.. Enjoyed all of the samples on here.. Hope to see next Saturday at Cadence - if the weather holds - it'll be a good un! x

Comment is about Jess Green (poet profile)

Original item by Jess Green

I like that a lot. Very nicely done. Especially the trailing rhymes and the alliterative "You winked the wisdom I needed". I'm really impressed. Thank you for sharing.

Comment is about Old Glitter and Flipflops (blog)

Original item by Emma McCourty

Hello Jess, enjoyed your performance in Wigan last night, liked stop the poetry in particular.

John

Comment is about Jess Green (poet profile)

Original item by Jess Green

I Like it!its is very fluid and captivationg due to the same words beginning each stanza. Its suits the list style and keeps the intense focus on the 2 protagonists :o)

Comment is about chocolate shoes (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi Jess, Keep up the good work. Hope you enjoy WOL. Winston

Comment is about Jess Green (poet profile)

Original item by Jess Green

Thanks for the namecheck, Val, but all the credit goes to John! I've never been to Prestatyn ... and I don't think I'm going to go there now.

Comment is about Nights in Prestatyn (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Um, it's probably safer to avoid men AND cucmbers if you ask me!

Comment is about chocolate shoes (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

excellent, john.. one of your best yet i think.. really enjoyed it.. A

Comment is about Song for an unborn child (I never) (blog)

Original item by John Darwin