The poem is almost true, apart from the Lady of the Night. I wrote it after a comment on a discussion string I started on this Website. They wanted to know what happened next.

I wrote in with a blue type of lyric in mind and that is the style I would deliver it at a performance

Thanks for the feedback Zuzanna

Comment is about Freezing my Brazils Blues (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

That's me you're talking about you bastard!

Comment is about Everybody wants to be famous dont they? (blog)

Hello, Mr. Malpoet
I love this write. Excellent flow and the story in this poem are picture perfect! Enjoyed the rhyming lines and the poem little mystery when comes to the kind of fish that produces the caviar'......Interesting!

Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Caviar (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Dear Belle ~ Perfect Haiku, so much being said with a few words! Really beautiful poem.

Warm Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Haiku (blog)

Original item by Belinda

Excellent write Philip,
The refrain I need my woman sounds perfect, almost like a Lyrics. Loved your determination to have your wife back or rather to get together after long day...
GREAT JOB!

Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Freezing my Brazils Blues (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

Nice one Phil, Enjoyed reading it !

Comment is about Freezing my Brazils Blues (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

What a lovely poem Bel. I think Haiku's suit your delicate style.

Well done beautiful Belle.

Mel
x

Comment is about Haiku (blog)

Original item by Belinda

Hey Nicola...I got a comment! :-) Interesting observation on "A Pair of Boots" by you - in fact there was a last, redemptive verse originally but I dropped it.
A pretty true story by the way, except that I hope that I've brushed the clay off now!
Thanks for popping by.

Comment is about Robert William Black (poet profile)

Original item by Robert William Black

Hi Steve, thanks for your comments - I do love your art work and if you don't mind I will keep in touch with you by email?

Magi

Comment is about garside (poet profile)

Original item by garside

The site is not recognising the Croatian letters. The name of the village is Ahmici

Comment is about Get it up for War (blog)

Pete. I cannot thank you enough for such a detailed reply, I am truly humbled by your response. I hope I'm right in assuming that you were not offended by my points, I guess it's a strange thing as a writer when you almost always value criticism more than compliments, as a critical approach is a more honest one.

You were right to assume that i was refering to the last two war poems of yours, and not the last two poems, that was my mistake. My stay in the Balkans is more personal than professional, as my girlfriend is Croatian and lives out here at the moment, as an artist (you should look at her work: www.margareta.pondi.hr) However, I have met many interesting people with endless stories to tell. Since meeting her I have taken a keen interest to research the history of her area, as well as learn the language.
The wars which happened in Croatia and Bosnia were nothing short of horrific. They were almost exclusively targeted at civillians, and the phrase 'ethnic cleansing' was formed at this time. It is a direct translation from the Croatian phrase 'etni?ko ?iš?enje' One of the more famous stories was that of the Bosnian village Ahmi?i. Ahmi?i was invaded and the whole town literally burnt to the ground, with people still inside. It was discovered by a UN commander Lt Col Bob Stewart, (who I have had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions) and reported widely on the news. Ahmi?i however, was just a few kilometers from a UN base, there were many such villages which suffered a similar fate, but were in the middle of nowhere. Hence went undiscovered at the time. I read a story about a Serb soldier who gave an account to the Haugue, admitting he was ordered to kill one thousand civillians in a single day from a village. In the same village, all women/girls over the age of fourteen were raped before being killed.

I don't intend of inflicting a history lesson on anybody, but I thought it important to mention these point to give a brief insight to my feelings on this matter. What I have seen, heard and read has influenced me greatly, so much so that I intend to write my second novel about it. But I have to finish my first berfore I can start on that!

In response to your question about PTSD, I am familiar with that, and I am aware that the condition results from all manner of experiences and not just war. People can have personal conflicts which do not involve weapons or mass killings but have a simliar mental effect. I am however, somewhat ignorant to this area, having never suffered from it myself. My empathy of your situation has grown immensley since reading your response, as I now feel I know a little more about you.

Unfortunately I cannot write much more, as I am returning to England tomorrow morning, and need to get everything ready.

In conclusion though, I feel that your writing is extremely expressionist, possibley more so than many other poets on WOL. I am a big fan of expressionism in all forms of art. Poetry is indeed an artform, and the purpose of all art is to provoke a reaction. Your two war poems have sparked my reaction, and this conversation. Therefore, I feel they are already successful. Because it's awful to post up works which nobody comments on.

I will also read follow your work closely and I look forward to passing more comments and learning more about you.

Regards

Mat Rakowski

Comment is about Get it up for War (blog)

Hello, Shelley
Nice meeting you. I like your last name too. Sounds somehow familiar...Smile Thank you for the heart prints on my poem.
Hope our pats will cross again.

Warm Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Shelley Ann Dwornik (poet profile)

Original item by Shelley Ann Dwornik

Hi Peter, I asked Matthew why they put Rob Zombie music with his games and with war shows, He said its to make it more intense. I said why make such an intense situation more intense? He answerd me with a question, why have soft music in a love story? He said it expresses feelings, the hard music expresses to him that its hard times in war, that those men are forced, wether they joind up in peace time or were drafted, they are forced to buck up and bite lips and move forward as commanded. I think he may have a point, but I think all so that the military has used this form of music to get young men to join up, to seem cool, to seem more man like. But of corse I know a man can be soft and loving and still be a man and a man can clean house and cook and hes still a man to me. They dont have to go to war to prove it.But if Im in a situation and those are rare, I expect to be protected, If Im the one brandeshing a bat while being attacked and hes in the closet, I may lose some respect. Ok now Im off the subject. LOL take care

Comment is about Please help me to glorify war (blog)

Hello, Malpoet - I was absorbed with your imaginary in this write. I think you based the poem on real life experience. Australia has a various animals so the cats can be very different from those in Europe. Also here where I am we do have different breed of cats as well. Beautiful poem!!

Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Cat (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Hello, Belinda
It was a pleasure to go back memory lane and think back of my life. I too left my sisters behind in different Continent. Well written, nostalgias in your words. Enjoyed reading your write.

GREAT POEM!

Warm Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Nan (blog)

Original item by Belinda

I love this Belinda, its so nice, and made me think of times now gone, that someday Ill be the old Nan and Ill tell the storys. Life its remarkable,even the normal day to day stuff is great! Wonderful poem I really enjoyed reading this.

Comment is about Nan (blog)

Original item by Belinda

Bravo, you have done it! I belive most do want it all. Im glad Im not one of them. have fun!

Comment is about Everybody wants to be famous dont they? (blog)

LOL jerry Springer, I wont say what I think of his guests as I may get called names for being truthful. However in their defence, dont they to have a right to be on TV and tell all their dirt? I think it wise to keep dirt unsaid and under a rug lost at the back of a closet. But thats just me. I used to feel different about that, I used to think it was great to tell all. I dont watch jerry Springer anymore, not sure if hes on TV. After a while it was the same things over and over and it became good for a laugh. Is he still on TV? I heard about a broadway play about him, and some such rot and people upset about him and his views on God. Gezzzz, they need to live and let live and get over it all. Great little poem, you could really go into detail on this one!

Comment is about Jerry boo hiss (blog)

Nice poem Peter, Could it be that men dont understand themselves? Could it be that the females dont understand themselves?Could it be that some through no fault of their own play games and dont even know it? I really like this poem some of the ways you explain things are very different, and I enjoy that !

Comment is about note to self (blog)

My teacher says

too similar

thats

me

style

sometimes

Comment is about Everybody wants to be famous dont they? (blog)

rock n roll Mel

I dedicate this one to Mel o Mel
then

maybe in Wigan??????

Comment is about Everybody wants to be famous dont they? (blog)

Hi Clarissa
its crazy they put all that zombie music over the kiling

nutz

but it seems more so in USA? or is that just becuase the technology starts there, then spreads? prob

nothing new under the sun

Comment is about Please help me to glorify war (blog)

Sophie
super
thanks
smashin!

Comment is about a broken law of friendship (blog)

Hey Clarissa
I understand your comments there
thanks for your thoughts on the poem
you always have great things to say
and always take the tiem to read all the poets here

thats wonderful and a great gift of giving
Clarissa

xxx

Comment is about a broken law of friendship (blog)

Hi Matt,
I took time to read about you and I think I understand a bit more. You have some interesting projects on the go!

Will keep an eye on your works

Pete

I think it was Steven Hawking who said communication was the key to survival.

Comment is about Get it up for War (blog)

Hi Matt,

Thank's for your feedback.
I would like to answer your questions if I may.

"Have you any experience of war?"
-
from this I presume you mean 'actual' experience.
The answer to that is NO

My experience of war comes from radio, books and TV.

It comes from documentaries like 'VITENAM REQUIEM' films such as 'Apocalypse Now' and books such as 'weapons of world war 3' , 'War Plan UK' , 'atomic weapons - principles'

My experience of war comes from a study and interest in war. This has included in my life field studies of battlefields, in particular the landing beaches of Utah, Omah. Field studies along the coastal defences of Western France, visits to ex airbases in UK, Studies of the UKs position in a nuclear war. I have a keen interest in 1st hand stories of troops / soldiers, and perhaps I would like to hear of your stories too.

"have I visited a war zone, current or past"

Just answered that above.

"have I ever met people my own age with only one leg because the other was taken off by a mine?" - you are 29 and you have.

er, No I haven't although in the documantery 'Vietnam Requiem' there are many many interviews with Vets who have appaling injuries, and the film is very raw. I really felt for anyone in this situation.

I am aware of pain.
Acutely so.

I feel others pain so often it hurts, Matt.
Do you know what I mean?

'your poem is incredibly well written'

thank you.

' being in the Balkans right now with the shadow of war around every corner, even thirteen years on, I've found your last two poems quite offensive and disturbing'

HMMM This is where I'm confused Matt.
First of all I'm sorry that I have offended you.
With which poems do you refer?
Do you mean the last two WAR poems, or literally the last 2 poems?

lest be logical and assume its the last 2 WAR poems.

first of all, I appreciate you are in the Balkans, I read all about it when you told us the first time.
Im in Southport, UK by the way.

I can appreciate there must be a lot of tension there.
The poem 'Get it up for war' SHOULD explain itself.
if you take everything in it literal I can see why it may offend, sometimes the meanings in my poems are not immediately apparent
The poem (and I hope I have conveyed this) underlines the darker driving forces of war. I felt I wanted to illustrate this as it interested me why men built such weapons and how the surface hides the sexual overtones of war, because there are many sexual overtones of war. If that offends, then I'm sorry, but I will write it as I feel it Matt.

Most of all I wish not to be blasé about War, I’m not that kind of person.

Lets deal with the second 'War' poem-
'please help me to Glorify War'

It is here that I think we may have one of the problems, read literal it could be seen as me wanting to make a film of war then add rock music.

It is not about me, it is a film based upon you tube film footage. Search you tube, have a look at the pathetic, disgusting war footage of IRAQ with rock music on! its tasteless and thats what I was trying to show. How the mind of youth had made no connection with the enormosity of the weapons and the indiscriminate killing. Do you know what I mean Matt?

It may well be ironic, and I have misinterpreted your actual words 'offensive / disturbing'
do you mean that they disturbed you inside, or are you actually meaning I distrubed you / offended you upon where you wish to read no further?

Please help! – I’m not sure how to take the comment! ?

I am against killing any living thing except in one on one self defence (and even that would be difficult to live with)

I do not seek to glorify war, but seek to expose the situation that glorify war. I am always anti war.

'I would love to read a poem of yours dealing with the EFFECT of war and not the cause'

both poems I have written do this to a degree, but I take that point and I am actually writing one at the moment based upon POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

are you familiar with the sysmptoms of PTSD Matt? Wondered if you had any first hand experience of it? Perhaps with the people you met?

I have.
many of us have - albeit not all war related, some violence or accident related.
one thing though,
we have ALL experienced our own pain. Whether
in this country or the Balkans. Whilst we cannot see yours, and you cannot see mine, never underestimate the power of empathy.

Empathy is a powerful and positive emotion, one that is capable of bridging many barriers.

Thank you very much for your comments.

and now I am interested in your life and work in the Balkans!

I hope one day we can talk about all of this.

Yours

Peter Crompton

Comment is about Get it up for War (blog)

Have you any experience of war? Have you ever visited a war zone, current or past? Have you ever met people your own age with only one leg, because the other was taken off by a mine? I'm 29 and I have. Your poem is incredibley well written, being in the Balkans right now with the shadow of war around every corner, even thirteen years on, I've found your last two poems quite offensive and disturbing. I would, however, love to read a poem of yours dealing with the affect of war, and not the cause.

Keep up the good writing.

Matt

Comment is about Get it up for War (blog)

Pete

This will be a fantastic performance poem. It will be electric.

Mel
x

Comment is about Everybody wants to be famous dont they? (blog)

Hello Phil, you have done tremendous job with this write. The poem shines. There is sadness and loss and again things changed for better the heart was mend to be whole again.
BEAUTIFUL POEM!!

Thank you...Zuzanna

Comment is about Tears Cascade (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

Hi Clarissa, thanks for your kind and accurate comments. It was hard to write. I look foward to your feed back

Thanks

Comment is about Tears Cascade (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

HI Phil, this is nice, very sad, but rings true from the heart. I htink the last stanza is very nice. Im still reading the other and thanks for sending it. Just been very busy of late, with work and one sickness after another. Ill email you next week, sorry about how long it has taken me. take care

Comment is about Tears Cascade (blog)

Original item by Phil Golding

Cool. Well, I really did not think you were looking for a song, esp that type of song. I dont really like that stuff either, but when I was having ex husband problems, I did listen to them at times, I guess, though Im small, the music made me feel bad and bigger, altho I am a non combative type, Ill yell and run away. LOL what a chicken, I am. Seems many poems have nothing to do with you, or are old feelings, or something you relate to. I agree most is tripe, I will give Rob Zombie an actors award, as hes not his music. I remember the Guns and roses convo, but it could be that he is his music.Vietnam what a mess that was, and inocents were on both sides, as the military was lied to, by CIA operatives, but of corse that does not make it less painful for those that lost loved ones there, or got their legs blown off. Yeah I have seen it on You tube, cant say that I like it, but to each their own. The killer I knew and told you about was my grandfather who was in WW2 fighter pilot, he acted as if killing was fun. I never did understand him. Remeber I told you about him, hes the bad one. You welcome, gee more then 2 words. im amazed.

Comment is about Please help me to glorify war (blog)

Hi, Lenford
It is a great pleasure to read your poems. You have a wonderful way of expressing love in your writings. Keep writing as your poems are great! I do enjoy each of them.
Thank you for your comment on the ‘LOVE FROM ABOVE'

Regards,
Zuzanna

Comment is about Lenford White (poet profile)

Original item by Lenford White

Hi Clarissa
Thanks for your encoragement!
I dont want to be mis-understood, many of my poems have nothing to do with me, I'm not looking for a song, but I think i can imagine those ones you mentioned, thrashmetal crazy stuff!

I would never even go there
not even listen to a second of the tripe
i loathe it
its not music to me.

I would never look for any music, nor dare put it over the poor innocents of vietnam villages

but

they do it on you tube regular

thats what I thought about

the killer instinct you mention, yes I understand about that ........

thanks a lot for comments and positive observation

Comment is about Please help me to glorify war (blog)

Hi Peter,
Here are a few songs for you to look up
Rob Zombie- superbeast
Rob Zombie-lords of salem
Metalica-enter sandman
Slayer- not sure what song there
God ... what to say about war.
Video games and war, seems boys love them.
But I dislike them and war.
Good poem I think I can see where your going with this.Seems some that have never seen how vile and graphic and painful war can be, how final, well when they do see it, it seems to not bother them.That is to say the pictures and games/movies.I guess it may become real and thus painful in real life for most, and then it is to late, they have been hurt by visions, and thus live with pain. Then it seems some dont care,I know of one such person, it could be he was crazy and had a killer instinct. Good poem peter.

Comment is about Please help me to glorify war (blog)

Good poem.

'this Rasputin wanders'

great line!

Comment is about Cardiac Ward (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Hi Clarissa

I am afraid it would take a small book to explain it properly. It is rather an in joke aimed at those who went on the trip. Sorry about that. It was not at all exotic actually, just a short visit to Bordeaux in France where a dozen drunken British poets rolled around the city for a few days talking rubbish, getting lost and showing off as poets do.

Just a few little translations:

Camel - pure fantasy pilot
My baby - BMI Baby airline
Alabaster - pretty poet and fine musician Alabaster de Plume
Stupid-o-clock - four in the morning
La Manche - The English Channel to us. (Everything in the world is English or British)
What the actress said to the bishop - conversation laden with innuendo.
Tall Guy and Fat Girl - the hands on Gemma's watch.
Strong armed & church of christ - John Armstrong, maths graduate of Christchurch College, Oxford and our trip organiser.
Black burned Jeanne - French heroine Joan of Arc burned by the British for being too like a man.
pluie d'or - golden rain - pee
Bury beret - beri beri - disease of malnutrition - Gemma from Bury wearing a beret - alcoholics get malnutrition - Gemma doesn't drink.
Spanner in the legs - legless drunks - line from Gemma's poem
Shorn and shriven caverners - allusion to poet Sean Kavanagh.
Cambridge - English pub in Bordeaux - host to La Poesie.
Rosbif - French term for the English
Poa Tribe - reference to powerful performance poem by Scott Devon.
Bebe thrown to ground - some drunken discussion in the pub about another of Gemma's poems & the extreme height difference between Scott & Gemma.
River Jordan and 2 horses refers to Julian Jordan and his Citroen 2CV car. The grape and picnic relate to an eccentric French psychologist and his garage of 2CV's variously decorated as grape fields, fish bowls, etc.
Aunt's old pen - Alabaster again
Anarking - Paul Blackburn - the anarchist King of Poetryland
les grenoulles - the frogs - affectionately insulting English term for the French
feathers and gems refers to Alabaster and Gemma. Hues of blue are about the colours of Oxford and Cambridge universities. Oxford is dark blue. John and I went to Oxford and the pub is the Cambridge.
Then the hungover trip home when Gemma's tall guy indicates.

There you go. I think I missed some out, but I am exhausted now.

Comment is about Captain Camel & the Band of Hope (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Very Nice Malcom, It sounds very exciting,wish I could understand more. Is there any way you could explain more of it to me?Please, it sounds fantastic, like a trip to an exotic place. But then Im an American, I may be missing it all. haha take care

Comment is about Captain Camel & the Band of Hope (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Why aye man

Narmean

Comment is about Captain Camel & the Band of Hope (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

Tis, too. Fabulous.
It's the way you read it, too, Amanda. Your stage presence is superb and your poetry touches the souls of the listeners, those with ears they can call their own.

Comment is about MzMIlly (poet profile)

Original item by MzMIlly

Nice one Malcolm
Ca évoque bien le sejour poetique a Bordeaux, like.

Comment is about Captain Camel & the Band of Hope (blog)

Original item by Malpoet

thanks Sophie
hey ill prob put this up as an MP3 ya into or what?

ill be writing from a diffeent space for a while, if anything just to sharpen my traditional sphere, if such a thing can be done (as I cant find any corners) especially on the moon it being so round these days

Comment is about back to the moon (blog)

Photographs by Paul Blackburn

Comment is about Bill Brierley at the Howcroft, Bolton January 2008 (photo)

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Comment is about Part of the Crowd at the Write Out Loud open floor poetry night, Howcroft Inn, Bolton February 2008 (photo)

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Comment is about Frank Abram comperes in a masterly fashion at the People Under The Stairs, Wigan Feb 2008 (photo)

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