I must admit I'm a monarchist & think they bring in/bring to the country a lot more than people realise. I think we'd be a lesser country without them. But, the way things are ( more government related than monarchy ) I think crowd funding for such events is more than worthy of note! A great piece of thought-provoking writing, as usual, Steve đ¤
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
Love your poem, JD. As a lifelong Leeds fan I empathise with your change of club (especially after our last two heavy defeats). However, I won't be deserting them.
"Marching on together
We're gonna see you win!"
at some time in the not too distant future, hopefully...đ
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Gorgeous poem, Stephen. I love the ethereal, ghostlike quality of your writing. Romantic and a little sinister ('shallow entrails') at the same time. Great!
Comment is about The Memory Of Her (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
John.
That same year 1974, my grandfather was living with us as he had recently been discharged from the hospital.
He was born and raised in Sunderland and was an avid team supporter. That year they played Newcastle Utd in the then-prestigious Texaco Cup.
As a comical swipe to his good nature, I decided to cheer on Newcastle Utd. the hated rivals. I even had a black-and-white striped tea towel to wave and annoyed the hell out of Granddad throughout the whole of the televised match. Sunderland won, and he reciprocated the jibing by never letting me forget at any time. This rivalry continued for several years until his death, with me buying scarves and hats just to wind him up. I never returned to supporting Leeds Utd but continued supporting Newcastle in a perverse homage to Granddad
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Yes indeed!
Make the most of what you've got
And stop regretting what you've not! đ
Comment is about Grumpy Old-ish Men (blog)
Original item by David Lindsay
How happy I am to have espied
An imagination open wide! đ
P.S. But is there really a shortage of large doctors?
Comment is about NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT (blog)
Original item by Short Attention Span Poetry
If money is the essential theme, perhaps we should be told
how much the existence of Royalty brings to the Exchequer
each year. It is certainly likely that the sum would pay for
any coronation envisaged - not least the less formal style
apparently advocated by the new Monarch.
I like a bit of pomp and ceremony - and if the world so clearly
endorsed the arrangements for the funeral of Her Late
Majesty - a truly impressive and inspiring occasion - then we
should honour her memory by granting her son and heir a
coronation to remember with pride and respect for an
institution that has served this country well through good
times and bad. God Save The King.
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
Hmm. How easy it is to either forget (those of us who were
around) or be unaware of the idiocy around football in days
gone past. I spent countless afternoons "on aid" to other
areas of London in the policing of matches, in and outside
the grounds. Chelsea, QPR, Fulham and Arsenal (at old Highbury) all come to mind and are readily pushed to the back of the mind without regret.
Some lads volunteered for the duty- soccer fans themselves -
but not yours truly. Each was a long thankless, often turbulent
tour of duty, starting well before match time and ending long
after the crowds had finally dispersed...not always quietly!
I recall one afternoon at Highbury in a "square" of uniformed
colleagues on the terrace behind the goal basically keeping
two lots of "fans" from attacking each other rather than
watching the game. It was necessary to draw our truncheons
like sabres during this ongoing stand-off. Pathetic if it wasn't
also so obviously a sign of something worse in society as a
whole. Crowd fatalities were to be the dreadful results of
this marauding mob mentality in notorious incidents to come
in various fixtures and countries. .
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Of course, no-one knows where it will end. But it will end. Just as all periods of peace end. Powerful and incisive, Stephen.
Comment is about Sloviansk (14 April 2023) (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
How can you do that, JD? How can you stop supporting your team?
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Nice observations, David. Lifeâs too short to waste it envying others.
Comment is about Grumpy Old-ish Men (blog)
Original item by David Lindsay
Something to look into!
Comment is about NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT (blog)
Original item by Short Attention Span Poetry
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJ8-hV5gSo&pp=ygUZSGVubmluZyB3ZWhuIHJveWFsIGZhbWlseQ%3D%3D
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
Through the hole in my sock
My big toe tickler
Still missing you.đ
Comment is about Three Haiku on Change (blog)
Original item by Andy N
....and the Chelsea Tractors, beloved of the "hunt em, shoot em and flog em" brigade; bullying their way around the Lancashire countryside, especially at the Holcombe Hunt, parking up on what were once lush grass verges, turning our YES OUR! country parks into a sea of mud.
Comment is about The Old England (blog)
Original item by keith jeffries
I wondered why the water was that colour đ & Newcastle Exhibition! Now, that was what you called bad head gear the next day! đ¤Ž. Happy memories...sort of
Comment is about The Memory Of Her (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
I too have memories of Prebends Bridge, Stephen, though not as yours. I was a student at Durham when the bow and arrow were secret weapons. Prebends Bridge was a stop-off on our way home to âdownloadâ the nightâs Newcastle Exhibition.
Comment is about The Memory Of Her (blog)
Original item by Stephen W Atkinson
Very much enjoyed this one David.
Comment is about Le Nu Provençal (blog)
Original item by David Cooke
I invite you for an interview in my orifice.
Comment is about NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT (blog)
Original item by Short Attention Span Poetry
Well written, and well said Steve.
Some of our nurses are having to choose between heating and eating.
Schoolchildren are going to school with not enough food in their bellies.
Teachers don't have the resources they need to do their job.
Schools are literally falling down around the heads of teachers and pupils.
The NHS has been deliberately trashed for ideological reasons.
The UK is a moral cesspit- an obscene joke played upon the most vulnerable of UK Citizens.
The Nursing Unions should be boycotting the Coronation, not playing the Plastic Patriot Game.
They should tell them:
"Shove your Royal Sceptre where the sun don't shine, then try to extract it with neither a nurse's nor a doctor's help, and without anaesthetic".
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
I must admit that I am not comfortable with the extravagance of these great national occasions when people are queueing up at food banks, the homeless figure rises, ex servicemen are living rough and those who govern the country possess enormous personal wealth. The last Royal Wedding cost the tax payer 13 million and now they don't even want to live amongst us. At a time of imposed austerity and hardship there needs to be a more prudent approach to what is being spent. At the end of the day the bill is paid for by the tax payer. (us).
Thank you for this
Keith
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
Dear Stephen I'm glad you liked my Nu Provencal poem. It's certainly a wonderful photo and I hope the poem does it some justice.
Comment is about Stephen Gospage (poet profile)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Hi HÊlène I'm glad you liked my naked lady. The photograph is certainly beautiful and I hope the poem does it some justice.
Comment is about HÊlène (poet profile)
Original item by HÊlène
Incredibly well said. đ
Comment is about Crowdfund the Coronation (blog)
Original item by Steve White
A breathtaking piece, JD. Compared to today's upwardly mobile Premier League etc, people tend to forget how raw and violent football (on and off the pitch) was then, as John says. Really well written. Thanks.
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
A very entertaining poem with some nuggets of truth, David. Thanks for posting this good read.
Comment is about Grumpy Old-ish Men (blog)
Original item by David Lindsay
Another classic, Classic. Sardonic humour with style. Love it!
Comment is about I Want My Forever Back. (blog)
Original item by Clare
An amazing poem which catches the reader unawares. It brings to light a number of paradoxes within death which, I am sure, are present for us all, but manages to be deeply personal at the same time. Stunning.
Comment is about Through a Childâs Eyes. (blog)
Original item by Clare
A gentle, charming poem, Helene. As soothing as the actions it describes. Thank you.
Comment is about Hands Together (blog)
Original item by HÊlène
A poem that speaks about how the world moves on accepting the faded things. Thank you for this.
Comment is about Three Haiku on Change (blog)
Original item by Andy N
Wed 19th Apr 2023 00:10
Actually forget the techno.,some Ivor Cuttler samples would slide seamlessly in some good ambient!
I don't know if anyone is doing that.,they should be.
Comment is about What does Ivor do? (blog)
Original item by Jed
Tue 18th Apr 2023 22:07
He was a true novelty, created a world of his own. I liked his spooky organ tunes. I wondered if Cuttler has been sampled into techno or something. He should be.
Comment is about What does Ivor do? (blog)
Original item by Jed
Thanks, Uilleam and John. The nature of snobbery and one-upmanship has always fascinated me. Where I live, the postcode and type of street are often indicators of supposed social superiority, just like everywhere else, I suppose.
In the end, what does it matter? We were conditioned to think of management consultants as'superior' to supermarket cashiers, until we realised how vital the latter were during COVID lockdowns.
Comment is about Polite Society (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thank you, Keith for your generous comments. You sum up the senselessness of this conflict perfectly and point the finger at the culprit. It is also desperately sad to see the likes of President Lula being sucked in by the Russian propaganda machine.
And thank you, Uilleam and John, for your comments. As you say, John, where (or when) will it end? A terrible prospect for us all, and for the millions of refugees faced with so much uncertainty.
And thanks to HÊlène, Stephen A and Manish for liking.
Comment is about Sloviansk (14 April 2023) (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
My grandmother used to give coconut oil head massages to all us children back then. It used to feel so soothing, like a blessing from her. And later, we all played out in the sun happily. This brought back all those memories for me. Thank you for this HÊlèna.
Comment is about Hands Together (blog)
Original item by HÊlène
Captures so well the chaos and disorder of a seventies football match and the impact on everything else around it at the time. Really like the line 'teeth lost, glasses smashed into faces'. Makes me think of the sheer pathetic stupidity of football violence back then. The dumb things people did for their 'team'.
Really like it, a very specific moment in time grimly described. Thank you.
Comment is about The Wail of Two Cities (blog)
Original item by JD Russell
Not someone you hear about very often. Nice idea and may be worth extending to bring in some of his ideas of the absurd.
Like the phrase âtranscended the seems of the worldâ.
Comment is about What does Ivor do? (blog)
Original item by Jed
As always, Stephen, you capture the mood of our times and inanity of what is happening. Where will it end?
Comment is about Sloviansk (14 April 2023) (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thank you Stephen.
You're spot on Keith.
What makes our impotence all the more painful and frustrating is the knowledge that our UK government's sleaze merchants are also the enemy within.
Comment is about Sloviansk (14 April 2023) (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Powerful social satire, Stephen. Love it! đ
Comment is about Polite Society (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thanks so much Stephen. I wish I'd kept a few old photos to use on WOL đ
William has flowing locks, as the poem implies. As a Botterill though, it may not last đ
Thanks for the likes Nigel and K Lynn.
Comment is about The Dare Devil Poet (blog)
Original item by John Botterill
Perfect! I feel the need to check metal archives to see if any of those names have been taken. Sure I must have at least two lps by The Snow Wolves already.
Comment is about Black Metal Band Looking For A Name (blog)
Original item by Ian Whiteley
Stephen,
This senseless war continues with no regard for human life or property. As you rightly say they know what they are doing. They are murdering at random. I recently saw the Dictator Putin in a Cathedral celebrating Easter, proclaiming his faith in the resurrection of Christ. He lights candles and kisses icons. He is a serial killer and a hypocrite. As a fellow poet I salute you in keeping track of these atrocities. The world must be told exactly what is taking place and who is responsible for it.
Thank you indeed for this poem
Keith
Comment is about Sloviansk (14 April 2023) (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
A truly profound poem, Clare. I can appreciate the contradictory emotions and the baggage they leave. Thank you for sharing this thoughtful verse.
Comment is about Through a Childâs Eyes. (blog)
Original item by Clare
Good advice, HÊlène, in a world which seems to have become so frenetic and 'over-scheduled'.
Comment is about Just Sittin' (blog)
Original item by HÊlène
Thank you for this funny, heartwarming poem, John. My hair is on the way out now (photo a bit out of date) and you reach a point where combovers are a waste of time.
Comment is about The Dare Devil Poet (blog)
Original item by John Botterill
I never learned to drive but this reminds me of many 2CVs I hitched rides in, in France. The only car I ever fancied owning. Either that or a Jensen Interceptor.
Comment is about The 2CV (blog)
Original item by David Cooke
Thank you friends. Your words mean so much to me. I write in loneliness as all true writers must.
A Flower Given to My Daughter
Frail the white rose and frail are
Her hands that gave
Whose soul is sere and paler
Than time's wan wave.
Rosefrail and fair -- yet frailest
A wonder wild
In gentle eyes thou veilest,
My blueveined child.
by James Joyce
Comment is about The wise man knows himself to be a fool (blog)
Original item by John E Marks
Stephen Atkinson
Wed 19th Apr 2023 17:57
let time dance like a dervish,
let well-being flow like water,
let eternity wash away your fears.
Let's all do this Helene!
Nice one đ
Comment is about Stepping Out (blog)
Original item by HÊlène