I canât see him releasing this version, MC. And thanks for the Likes, Aisha and Manish.
Comment is about THE OLD ONES (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Certainly, the present government (and Parliament in general)
has much to answer for regarding the inadequate political will to
act in the interest of the security and social stability of the
nation.
Comment is about Border Spectacle (blog)
Original item by John Gilbert Ellis
Well, you have to laugh, don't you? What other choice is there?đ
Thanks for the comfort of this Cliff Richard parody. I'm sure he'd
raise a glass from the confines of his vineyard in Portugal - or
wherever he's spending his senior years right now.
Comment is about THE OLD ONES (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
My jollies these days, Uilleam, consist of a pot of Earl Grey tea and a jam and cream scone.
Comment is about ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Having rebelled against many aspects of my Roman Catholic "religion", I am an admirer of Rowan Williams; but...could we please stop conflating "religion" with "spirituality"; the latter, I feel is the more important, all-encompassing and uniting aspect of our humanity.
Comment is about âYou never quite know whatâs going to count as a religious poemâ: Rowan Williams on his anthology of spiritual poetry (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
Thanks all for you comments and likes.
I feel overwhelmed to the point of depression, by the unrelenting horror of a situation which I had thought might just be resolved in my lifetime.
I feel it will never be resolved whilst cowards, holding on to power for its own sake, refuse to condemn the indefensible.
đ
Comment is about The Song of Songs (blog)
Aisha,
Thank you for a poem which is brimming with hope at a time when the world is full of intolerance and hatred.
Keith
Comment is about Pause For A Second (blog)
Original item by Aisha Suleman
I have had the privilege of meeting Rowan Williams on a few occasions and Know him to a man of profound faith and intellect. I shall be in the queue for this anthology.
Keith Jeffries
Comment is about âYou never quite know whatâs going to count as a religious poemâ: Rowan Williams on his anthology of spiritual poetry (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
Thanks Hugh. Good advice.
I could do with starting a similar movement:
"Staysober"
or "Stopsober"?đ
Comment is about Stoptober -quit smoking (blog)
Original item by hugh
Thank you Lewis. Some deep stuff there.
Would that be Old Walt up there?
Comment is about Absurdish (blog)
Original item by Lewis O'Brien
Thank you Charlie.
I read D. Thomas's poem at my dad's funeral service.
I refuse to go gently into that dark night of ignorance, as some would have us do; but I will rage against the darkness on behalf of those who cannot rage.
Comment is about ReMember The Night (blog)
Original item by Charlie Stuart Gay
Thank you to all those who liked and commented on this poem. I feel passionately about the subject. A wealthy civilised society should be able to fund all education, health and welfare. Otherwise we are failing all the people. There is no excuse.
Thank you again,
Keith
Comment is about The Disadvantaged (blog)
Original item by keith jeffries
One gets one's jollies where one can-prostrate, if need be.
Comment is about ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Good poem, Keith. Inequality of opportunity is certainly a major problem. Apart from all the other issues of funding etc., it is so easy for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to get sucked into an anti-learning culture in their peer group.
Comment is about The Disadvantaged (blog)
Original item by keith jeffries
An uplifting poem, HĂ©lĂšne, which inspires and gives hope. There are so many things we don't understand, yet we can be transformed by something which we feel is positive.
Comment is about Unexpected Joy (blog)
Original item by HĂ©lĂšne
Thank you very much for your comment, John, and thanks to HĂ©lĂšne for the interesting link.
And thanks to Nigel, Holden, Aisha and K Lynn for liking.
Comment is about Voice (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Love this...kind compassionate caring listening. I like the way the poem reaches out to the deceased grandad...still here.
Comment is about Still Here (blog)
Original item by Rasa Kabaila
Yes, thank you Keith for a superb poem.
Comment is about The Disadvantaged (blog)
Original item by keith jeffries
Yes, powerful, thank you Adam. Mothers weep, war goes on.
Comment is about I (blog)
Original item by Adam Barrett
Articles in this think-tank website are helping me understand a wee bit about the complex forces behind the current horrific situation
https://www.stimson.org/2023/ideological-and-religious-extremism-underlie-the-war-between-israel-and-hamas/
Comment is about Voice (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
I like that interpretatIon, John! I was thinking of family conflict, but global conflict may well have similar elements (egos, woundedness, misunderstandings, craziness, etc etc)
Comment is about Warrior Shoes (blog)
Original item by HĂ©lĂšne
This is a masterpiece, Keith! I love the concept and flow of it. Evocative and powerful. I particularly liked the last few lines-
"Equality of opportunity is a lie as the majority are repressed,
each forms a potential amongst the great oppressed.
Until all, irrespective of wealth, can exercise their inalienable right,
we might as well kiss the world's future goodnight."
It's a great poem that acts as a voice of those capable"disadvantaged" people, like mentioned in the poem, who are just declared as illiterates because they do not have the wealth to get into a university, or get a recognised degree. I believe that this poem should reach across all parts of the world for a probable, positive change.
Thank you.
Comment is about The Disadvantaged (blog)
Original item by keith jeffries
Well composed and profound in content.
Thanks
Keith
Comment is about I (blog)
Original item by Adam Barrett
Iâm happy to be a provider of public service information, RA.
Comment is about ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Really well written and certainly one to stop me in my tracks and think. So many people living and dying in terrible times.
Agree with Stephen, at a time like this, we need poetry like this.
Comment is about Just Some body (a child refugee) (blog)
Original item by David R Mellor
You make me think of the need for adults to enter the room in a number of global conflicts. Not sure if that was your intention.
Comment is about Warrior Shoes (blog)
Original item by HĂ©lĂšne
Very good Stephen, really well articulated.
I'm struggling to proceed with thoughts on the current conflict, wanting the best outcome for all, but sitting on the fence isn't an acceptable place (yet) for those so caught up.
Comment is about Voice (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Crikey. This web site is a constantly shifting jewelled wonder of language and information. Bravo to Ben & all involved in this essential enterpriseđ
Comment is about ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Thank you Stephen for your kind words , and comment on the subject
Comment is about Just Some body (a child refugee) (blog)
Original item by David R Mellor
An imaginative template John.
The restoration of safe and legal routes for refugees and immigrants would be an obvious solution in preventing needless deaths, and any unlawful criminal activity.
Sadly, the hatefilled racist, misogynist, islamophic and homophobic dog-whistling rhetoric of this UK government devoid of any credibility is all they have left in the way of garnering any kind of support; they need scapegoating with the Help of the Daily Sewer to distract from their failures and so will not provide safe routes.
Comment is about Border Spectacle (blog)
Original item by John Gilbert Ellis
This is really beautiful and uplifting. Iâm sending it to my daughter because I know she will love it! đ
Comment is about In the Field of Life (blog)
Original item by HĂ©lĂšne
Wonderful poem, fascinating back story. I'm gonna google that gal...wow.
Comment is about The Dreadnought Suffragette (blog)
Original item by R A Porter
Thanks guys for the likes and thanks to Stephen and Helene for your encouraging comments. I wrote this back in 2016, but somehow it seems appropriate now
Love and peace to all
Comment is about When mercy sleeps. (blog)
Original item by Martin Elder
Thanks, RA. I know Ethel Smyth's music.
Comment is about The Dreadnought Suffragette (blog)
Original item by R A Porter
My own thoughts on the subject received an unsettling jolt upon
learning that the murderous Brussels gunman (now deceased)
had connections with people smugglers.
Comment is about Border Spectacle (blog)
Original item by John Gilbert Ellis
Thank you Stephen - Iâm ver glad you liked it. She was indeed remarkable. Her sister Una was an evidently talented and radical novelist writing under the pseudonym of Marius Lyle and her Aunt Ethel Smyth was a composer and also a suffragette who reportedly taught Emmeline Pankhurst how to throw stones (!) Quite a family.
Comment is about The Dreadnought Suffragette (blog)
Original item by R A Porter
Nice one!
There's one Kanga whose naughty antics it could rue!! đ
Comment is about A Kangaroo at the Barbecue (blog)
Original item by R A Porter
Thank you, Greg. I bought this some years ago. Not the easiest read, but I still come back to it and try again. A fascinating life.
Comment is about Dissenter, mariner, spy, journalist, poet: the remarkable life of Basil Bunting (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
Ian McMillan is a clever guy, so I am sure he will avoid cheesiness and clichés. Happily, the best artistic works e.g. Wagner's Ring, Swan Lake are eternal and can take whatever crazy fantasies directors and librettists throw at them.
I'm sure there will be no such craziness here. Good luck to everyone!
Comment is about From Seville to Bradford: Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan adapts Rossini's classic opera for city festival (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
I think Simon Armitage is right to speak out about this. Global heating is such a serious issue that poets (especially the laureate) need to draw attention to the catastrophic effects of climate change. They are here already, not in 2050!
The Woodland Trust is an admirable organisation, Uilleam.
Comment is about 'We've had our money's worth ... now poets should speak up for nature': Simon Armitage in the Arctic (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
Thanks for your lovely comment, HĂ©lĂšne. I shall try to keep writing from my heart.
And thanks for liking, Holden.
Comment is about If Only (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thank you, Graham, for your thougthtful remarks. No, we shouldn't stop trying! It is true that many of us see conflicts in black and white terms, but I think that certain universal values (which I have satirised as 'abstract' here) should prevail. Every life lost in a conflict, on either 'side' is one too many, an unnecessary waste. Talk may be cheap, but things like this need to be said, even if people are annoyed by it.
Thank you, HĂ©lĂšne. I sympathise with your friend's suffering, and we should mourn and condemn all the slaughter. And, of course, we should do our best to be kind. And we should not forget the pity and the waste of all war, and set that as our benchmark.
Thanks again to both of you for responding to this poem, inspired by the current, appalling events.
And thank you to Adam, Frederick and Manish for liking.
Comment is about Voice (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Terrifying yet humane, David. We need poetry like this.
Comment is about Just Some body (a child refugee) (blog)
Original item by David R Mellor
Graham Sherwood
Thu 19th Oct 2023 16:42
hahaha! What's next
"We're all going on a Saga Holiday"?
Comment is about THE OLD ONES (blog)
Original item by John Coopey