Thanks for reading and commenting on 'War is such a Cliché' - glad you enjoyed it. I feel a bit embarrassed about pointing it out actually - it just seemed to fit with Rachel's thread :)
But thank-you - really appreciate it.
Cx

Comment is about Greg Freeman (poet profile)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hi Andy
Within this poem, ‘World’s Turn’ I am trying visualising the mystery and ever changing beauty of femininity comparing it to the daily splendour of sunset utilising her clothing in metaphor.

Thank you for taking the time to read my work and comment

Thanks again

Gus xx

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Good Evening Val
Within this poem, ‘World’s Turn’ I am trying visualising the mystery and ever changing beauty of femininity comparing it to the daily splendour of sunset utilising her clothing in metaphor.

Thank you for taking the time to read my work and comment

Thanks again

Gus xx

Comment is about Valerie Cook (poet profile)

Original item by Valerie Cook

Thanks all.We've 5 daughters and 1 son. My son and I wanted the house painted claret and blue - Aston Villa colours.As always, Girl Power won the day.Dunno what shade of pink it is, blushing I expect. Definitely not posh.

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

You paint a perfect picture Gus. I have seen such nights and mornings in the rising and the setting of the sun.

Comment is about A World,s Turn Away (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Thoroughly enjoyed this, Ray. The only house round here that's painted pink belongs to our ex-MP, who lives round the corner (in the posh houses).

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

life is a dish best served with hash. nice piece man and a clever idea.

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

I can see her now :-)
beautiful imagery Gus.x

Comment is about A World,s Turn Away (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Family mayhem....a wonderful dish served to the slightly insane and not to be tackled by the faint hearted!! Yum yum!
Cate xx

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

You are obtiously a match made in heaven Ray. I think I would love your house, whatever colour. x

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

Light relief! What shade of pink?

Comment is about How To Make Yourself Crackers (blog)

*cackle* :D

Comment is about Interview (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I really like this - reminds me of earlier Irvine Welsh writing. Love the 'cultural' [;)] references, the almost-dirty realism, can see Ivor Pie and his ilk, and I do love a nice bit of sneering contempt now and again :D

Comment is about New poem: Workers of the World... Fragment... (blog)

some excellent lines here, steven - i particularly like the first stanza.. if i am honest, it's possibly a bit long for my tastes but it doesn't hide from the power (if that is the right word here) in the piece... nice one, bud

Comment is about Dreams (blog)

Original item by Steven Kenny

particularly love the first stanza, gus although i really enjoyed all of it gus and the last line brought a lump to my throat..

top banana - may see you next week at G & W or W.O.L. Bolton soon???

Comment is about A World,s Turn Away (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Be not sad for the badger, but be glad of his life, and the food for the crows and insects.
the sad thing is he was probably shot by a TB scared farmer and laid next to the road so it looked like he had been hit by a car. I hope not, but it is quite a commonly done thing.
Having hitched for many years and travelled the roads slower than most, i have seen lots of roadkill close at hand, and found 3 badgers in about 100 yards once. It sickened me, but also opened my eyes to the ways of some farmers.

Comment is about lament for a dead badger (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Like SB said-but would probably lose verse 4; think it would give last verse a bigger punch Liking the plain statement style.

Comment is about Apathetic Son of a Bitch (blog)

Original item by David Mac

Handled with care-hilarious!

Comment is about Interview (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Thanks : )

Comment is about Gareth Writer-Davies (poet profile)

Original item by Gareth Writer-Davies

Hi Ray


Yes indeedie Poo... I have no idea why there is an 'a' and i also agree that the reverse of wording much improves the flow.


Many thanks for you critique.


gus

Comment is about A World,s Turn Away (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Thx for the feedback in the love poem Val- very much appreciated.

Hopefully make the next wol event in Bolton.

My Best

Chris

Comment is about Valerie Cook (poet profile)

Original item by Valerie Cook

Thx for the feedback on the love poem Laura.

Not been on the site much of late...but hope to catch some of the events in the coming month.

My Best

Chris

Comment is about Laura Taylor (poet profile)

Original item by Laura Taylor

Thank you, Winston. :)

Comment is about Drifting Upon Waves (blog)

Great Ann! well found and presented for us to enjoy. I really like the repeating storage heater line, more emotional than the vulnerable people policy line for me which is weird! and therefore should be last line. Jumping snippets of important piffle! enjoyed v much. Win x

Comment is about museum diary (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

more seriously - Honest and powerful extremes in this piece Steven, we have all been there and some in reality as well as in a dream state, The dream state has certain advantages. Thx for posting. Winston

Comment is about Dreams (blog)

Original item by Steven Kenny

less cheese Steven...

Comment is about Dreams (blog)

Original item by Steven Kenny

Good to have a different experience tonight listening to an audio without text. Transported to a very different place. Winston

Comment is about A Queer Response (audio) (blog)

Original item by Richard Thomas

Fabulous...although I think you missed a trick with Sue 'Whitworth'.

'Whitworth (BSW) is one of a number of imperial unit based screw thread standards which use the same bolt heads and nut hexagonal sizes'.

As we all know.

:-)

Jx

Comment is about Interview (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

It's every six seconds, actually, John. Trust me.

Comment is about Interview (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

High poetry here...puddle nibbled raddled..snarled. Lying, rotting waiting.

The last four lines...well, four and a half, would make a perfectly decent poem on their own...

there’s a badger
lying outside Ferndale
he’s rotting and he’s waiting
for a decent badger burial
poor abandoned badger
lying lonely by the road.

But, the first verse is just as good...

There’s a badger on the road
pushed into the verge
lying in a puddle
getting rather nibbled
his fancy coat is raddled
all snarled up by the rain

Fab, triff, neatness in a sad soggy bundle.

Dead lovely.

Jx

Comment is about lament for a dead badger (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

I'm not sure that the penultimate line shouldn't be the ultimate line but anyway I thought this was great, really splendid.

Comment is about museum diary (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

There's summat about 8 syllabled lines and I liked these two lots

Skirts of bright embroidered ruby
Skirts of bright all jet and golden

I don't know why you think you need "a 2 between petticoat and dawning and I'd prefer shining before sequined.

Comment is about A World,s Turn Away (blog)

Original item by Gus Jonsson

Powerful and inspiring - well done

Comment is about Latest Mental Health Poem: In Therapy (blog)

Original item by Gemma Lees

Ray - I won't go over well trodden ground - only to say I agree with all the positive things said about this poem - it's great - well done

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

thanks A

Sx

Comment is about Andy N (poet profile)

Original item by Andy N

Yup M

many thanks

Sx

Comment is about Melanie Coady (poet profile)

Original item by Melanie Coady

many thanks W

S

Comment is about Winston Plowes (poet profile)

Original item by Winston Plowes

many thanks C

S x

Comment is about Cynthia Buell Thomas (poet profile)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

Hi Ann - know how feel about the badger and I do see the bones of an odd one or two on common land either victim of a fox (doubtful) or natural causes - I learnt a new word today 'raddled' always like that about a poem. We are always so sentimental about such creatures and yet nature just recycles in the interests of hygiene x

Comment is about lament for a dead badger (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Thanks Greg - but we're only a little charity! It's always a case of "all human life is here" though I guess!

Comment is about museum diary (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

... and all the better for it. Really enjoyed this, Ann. Maybe you should tag it 'big society'!

Comment is about museum diary (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Today he is gone. RIP.

Comment is about lament for a dead badger (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

A totally "found" poem.

Comment is about museum diary (blog)

Original item by Ann Foxglove

Merci beaucoup Isobel pour tes commentaires sur mon poème
'All that you want...'
La dernière ligne n'est pas nécessairement triste...
Cela dépend comment tu le lis et comment tu l'interprètes ; )

Alors... Qu'est-ce que tu penses maintenant d'après notre conversation d'hier ???

Comment is about Isobel (poet profile)

Original item by Isobel

My, you are a serious soul Julian...

I am glad you understand my sense of humour Dave. The massacre of millions of innocent people is a sombre subject indeed. The ability to sometimes make light helps me to cope with the world as it is and as it was.

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

Thanks for coming in, Julian, but I really don't mind. What Izz says is all part of the 'robust exchanges' which make WOL so much fun, and is a legitimate point of view. It's only when people get personally hostile that it's a problem and that hasn't happened for me so far.

Like many others, I went through the background to the world wars exhaustively at A level and university. It's very, very complex but one thing seems certain - if the Allies had been more intelligent, imaginative and generous-spirited towards Germany in 1919 then the Nazis would have had fewer grievances to build on. Perhaps it was asking too much after such an appalling war. At least the lesson was understood and things were different after 1945. Who says we never learn?

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

I am not sure that, in terms of encouraging quality of debate, putting down a well-considered, thought-provoking reply such as Dave's, is helpful.
It is, in fact, one of the most important questions of our era that Ray's poem reminds us of so well: what might have been? How did it happen? To assume that it is all down to one man who had a dangerous, misguided charisma is to "under think" perhaps the greatest tragedy of the 20th century, one that is the reason I exist and overshadowed most of my life.
As Einstein reminded us: to every complex human problem there is always a simple solution; and it is almost invariably wrong.

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

You over think things Dave. You obviously haven't watched any Bruce Willis films. Not many people could deliver speeches like him or whip up such a frenzy - the bastard needed shooting.

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

Intriguing and well written. There is an 'Alternative Histories' genre which explores the 'what ifs'. I would lean towards a view that Germany's predicament would have led to a successful extreme right-wing party of some kind. Maybe without Hitler it wouldn't have been quite so appalling, but who knows. And that's the point isn't it - who knows? Who is in a sufficiently godlike position to really know what someone will do? Psychiatrists making decisions on whether to recommend release of potentially violent prisoners face this dilemma every day.

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)

Thanks Isobel for putting my small worry in perspective, and giving Ray's poem its proper due. (I love Springtime for Hitler, Ray, and the North Minehead by-election sketch)!

Comment is about The Banality of Evil (blog)