So childhood wasn't a picture post card for you either then...

Perhaps that's what links us as poets - the ability to see right through to sadness, even at a young age.
Can't be arsed commenting on your imagery - it works. You don't need to thank me for commenting either - I will assume your gratitude instead :) La dee da dee da x

Comment is about Bucket and Spade (Childhood) (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

I have indeed been compared many times to Leonard Cohen, and to David Beckham. I think they've said I play football like David Beckham and write poetry like Leonard Cohen.
No, my wife says they said it the other way round.

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Hi Greg
Excellent poem of the month, perhaps because it is from an era I still recall (for the moment!). Round our way (up north, to you I suppose) they were t'shadders.
And Hank did panto? How sad; your brother’s Lepanto perhaps, he being outwith the pale of we Beatlophiles.
Had me reminiscing and chuckling anyhow. Thank you.

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

hello and thank you for reading and taking time to comment x

Comment is about Marianne Daniels (poet profile)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

thank you Andy x

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

thanks Ann x

Comment is about Ann Foxglove (poet profile)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I think you should definitely go to the WOL open mic venue your friends have signed you up for John.
Being part of WOL is a journey. The poetry you are writing now is probably very different to the poetry you will be writing in 6 months or a year from now, if you stay the course. Reading other people's work (which is what WOL should also be about) affects your way of looking at things and writing. I think it makes us develop as poets.
All the best. Isobel.

Comment is about John Woodhouse (poet profile)

Original item by John Woodhouse

Hi John , Welcome to WOL. Hope you get some feedback and enjoy the site. Winston

Comment is about John Woodhouse (poet profile)

Original item by John Woodhouse

Thanks very much, Marianne, for your comment on Stuffed.

Comment is about Marianne Daniels (poet profile)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

Lovely. Last two lines are very nice.

Comment is about Rites Of Spring (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Nice poem. You might lose "written",
a book of hello in a thousand tongues.I liked the last verse best, though I think you might swap en route and swaddled around.

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Ann- nothing wrong with a Quickie every now & then ;)

Comment is about like paper (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

incredibly powerful. x

Comment is about My childhood rainbow (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

I agree with banksy and always like to catch up with what you are writing. Love "slowly strangled by the air" really pushes a sense of futility and dispair.

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Great poem - going throught the list of new additions, I took to this straight away - you have a very "easy" way of writing which doesn't jarr & I like it.
Poem - I like it just the way it is.

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

particularly love 'Floating the edge of insanity
with a torn umbrella' but there's a lot of good stuff here, Kath.. Pleased you are writing lots of stuff at the moment (I need to put up some of my stuff - reminds me - lol) xx

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

This isn't the kind of poem where I would normally comment on technique or imagery but one thing struck me. You could probably lose the 'slowly strangled by the air' and replace it with something else. I think the fact the fish is dying could have been imagined by the reader.

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Have you ever been compared to Leonard Cohen before John? I seem to think you are more cheery! ;-) x

Comment is about Cradle - A Triolet (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I like this Kath - I love the "book of hello" and the last verse especially. x

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

I love the quirkiness of this...
I can envision it.
My favourite parts are 1st and 3rd stanzas.

Comment is about Left turn (blog)

Original item by Kath Hewitt

Hadn't planned to log in but had to, to say how good this one is.

Comment is about Rites Of Spring (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Really liked this.
Cx

Comment is about Rites Of Spring (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

But who needs a bear when they've a stuffed monkey in their pocket? Tut. Kids these days, they want it all.

Comment is about Childhood Recollection (blog)

Original item by Anna Percy

Yes I do agree with you Isobel about not just posting but commenting on others. That's what i've always done and it's a main reason why I don't post that often - because it is wrong not to read other people's stuff and comment on it in a supportive way, and I don't always have time to do this properly. If you don't like it at all, best not to comment, I'd say - unless it;s actually offensive in some way and you feel really strongly the need to comment anyway, but it can and should be done maturely - not something everyone is capable of on here sadly, altho no doubt they consider themselves well-endowed intellectually!

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

A very enjoyable read - thanks.

Comment is about Rites Of Spring (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding

Thanks for commenting on my La dee da dee da poem. With all these wonderful site changes, it looks like I'll soon have nothing to write or complain about! Will have to start writing serious poetry then! x

Comment is about Gus Jonsson (poet profile)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Thanks for commenting on La dee da dee da Elaine; it was a bit of silliness inspired by a very boring night in. It seems to have struck some chords though. Hope to see you around :) x

Comment is about Elaine (poet profile)

Original item by Elaine

Emma, thanks for your comments. Wonderful to hear that you have a collection published. Best wishes to you. x

Comment is about Emma McCourty (poet profile)

Original item by Emma McCourty

Hi Greg congratulations on being poem of the month worthy prize winner great stuff

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hi Gus
Many thanks for your response to my comments on Raged the Wind.
Good to hear you keep in touch with Augusta. She was, in fact, something of an inspiration for me when I did Cradle, my latest blog. I tried to capture some of that sense of "oooo..err" she puts into her mysteries.

Comment is about Gus Jonsson (poet profile)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Hi John


Thanks for the tip re Augusta... Dont worry on that score ... we are very close.

Thank you so much for the wonderful and extremely flattering comments made to my poem.

‘Raged the Wind’

The catalyst for the poem was one of trying to capture a moment before the world as we know it through history and geology actually deciding to render up the spark that began the development of life. To the dizzy heights and progress of today’s Homo sapiens in let’s say for example in Wigan today.

Once again many thanks for taking the time to read and comment I very much appreciate it.

Gus

Comment is about John Coopey (poet profile)

Original item by John Coopey

Hi Laura

You thought you could hear the wind... Believe me thats possible I should never go near brussel sprouts before i settle down to write an epic.

Thank you so much for the wonderful and extremely flattering comments made to my poem.

‘Raged the Wind’

The catalyst for the poem was one of trying to capture a moment before the world as we know it through history and geology actually deciding to render up the spark that began the development of life. To the dizzy heights and progress of today’s Homo sapiens in let’s say for example in Wigan today.

Once again many thanks for taking the time to read and comment I very much appreciate it.

Gus xx

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Afternoon Isobel

I used to be a bouncer at Mothercare...

Thank you so much for the wonderful and extremely flattering comments made to my poem.

‘Raged the Wind’

The catalyst for the poem was one of trying to capture a moment before the world as we know it through history and geology actually deciding to render up the spark that began the development of life. To the dizzy heights and progress of today’s Homo sapiens in let’s say for example in Wigan today.

Once again many thanks for taking the time to read and comment I very much appreciate it.

Gus xx

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

This is very good Dermot.
"what’s the use in still having feelings? Still, standing close, I feel, but I try to go numb.
AHW XXXXX

Comment is about Standing close (blog)

Original item by Dermot Glennon

i love the last stanza. excellent poem.

Comment is about Stuffed (blog)

Brrrr.... my, it's cold in there :-)

Reminds me of a scene from Paradise Lost in moments where the devil wins.x

Comment is about Raged a Wind (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Thanks for the comments.

Philipos.It's a fascinating subject to me. There really was a belief that the splendour of the old asylums would raise the spirits of the inmates.Appearances and reality, eh? Can a sign not request?

Elaine. It's nice to see one's subtleties noticed! Ta.

Ann. At my age, a measured pace and dignity means everything.

Isobel. These days there isn't even a pretence to external magnificence!

Jules. I'm talking about the old asylums. What do you think I'm talking about?

Comment is about Stuffed (blog)

Enjoyable read. Love the line 'each time you lie, a bit of your soul dies'.. it gives it a dark edge ;-)

Comment is about Lies (blog)

I was just about to say that the Macleod reference is whiskey and you went and beat me to it Dave :-)
I read this on Tuesday and didn't have time to comment.

I love the references, too many good ones to pick out but if i had to choose one it would be the Mcavity one because it reminds me of my junior school days and my headmaster who loved reading poetry to us.x

Comment is about Burns Night (blog)

Original item by Dave Carr

I love the intrigue this portrays for me. Nice one Ann :-)

Comment is about like paper (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Well done Marianne, i love this ;-)
I agree with Dave Carr, the words do knit well together.

The Sestina form always reminds me of John Clays. You may have met him on the circuit. He's written loads of 'em and they always go down well when read at venues too.x

Comment is about Reading (Sestina) (blog)

Original item by Marianne Daniels

Very romantic. Here's one in return.

My Flower of Hope

You are my cyclamen
My oasis in the desert
Blushing with life, breathing, pulsating
Yet still and auspicious
Trapped in a moment in time
I’m reassured
By your sturdy green leaves
I’m entranced
By your wispy pink blossom
My thoughts turn to a painting
To a moment in time
I think of you
And I smile

Comment is about You Could Call Me (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

I like the pale corona of hair. I have cycled the wall from one side to the other. I live in Durham, and found this poem very moving.

Comment is about Childhood Recollection (blog)

Original item by Anna Percy

I like the line spirits of the mad, for a while I thought you were referring to a psychiatric hospital. I'll post The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum soon

Comment is about Stuffed (blog)

Some social problems are impossible to solve. Within 'madness' I suppose there are all kinds of levels from temporary to deep and irreversible - housing all those levels appropriately being impossible. Care in the community would only work if the community was caring - loneliness being a large factor in mental illness, I would imagine.

Your poem reflects very well the old style asylum where on the surface things are fine but not beyond.

Comment is about Stuffed (blog)

Hi mate, thanx for comment, good to see u in action at middleton, hope to see you tmrw and next thurs @ Butterflies, cheers Jeff

Comment is about Kealan Coady (poet profile)

Original item by Kealan Coady

Thank you for your comments. Ray, this poem is tuned for sound, i.e sound patterns, hence the syntax,and omission of ''teddy'' etc I think it is also rather obvious that a small girl wouldn't be carrying a real live bear. I was unsure if shaken sheet was a cliche or something I lifted from somewhere accidentally, we shall see.

Comment is about Childhood Recollection (blog)

Original item by Anna Percy

I like this a lot. I like the measured pace, it has a dignity about it. As I suspect you are trying to give dignity to these poor souls. Good poem!

Comment is about Stuffed (blog)

Thanks for your thoughts on Cradle, Tom.
I didn't know of LC's The Faith. I checked it out though and you're right - it is that poem. Apparently it's a traditional Quebec folk song. There is a lot of rhyme repetition which serves to reinforce the sense, but it isn't a villanelle.
I've had a pop at a couple of these, which I find a bit unsatisfying - something to do with the 3 line structure, I think. In fact I submitted one a couple of blogs back called "Wrong Road Roun'" - it's a bit ripe in language, though.
Anyway, once again, thanks for your thoughts.

Comment is about Tom Harding (poet profile)

Original item by Tom Harding

Absolutely great Tom! Lovely drawing too. I love the cat!(In the poem as well as the picture)xx

Comment is about Rites Of Spring (blog)

Original item by Tom Harding