A very loving lament packed with detail and nostalgia. Enjoyed this, Martin.
Comment is about Mothers earth (blog)
Original item by Martin Elder
Very public-spirited, John. You should get at least an OBE!😃
Comment is about Helping Out (blog)
Original item by John Botterill
Thanks, Isobel. Unduly harsh on yourself, I think. Sorry to hear about Wigan. You make a fair point about not using high street shops. Perhaps we are all slaves to convenience now; I'm sure I am as guilty as anyone.
I see what you mean about charity/vintage shops, Martin. Some of them have become time-shifted versions of shops from the past and they have mushroomed into a highly organised sector. In some London commuter towns, they seem to dominate the high street, along with estate agents.
Thanks to Nigel for the like.
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thanks very much Martin. Prague has a special atmosphere certainly. We saw a video of Prague in 1900 and it was unchanged. Trams were in charge then, too 😂
Comment is about A Tram Ride in Prague (blog)
Original item by John Botterill
I have to confess it’s all true, Isobel, apart from the source of the “punchline”. I said it and not him.
Comment is about DISABLED PARKING (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
"of twin tubs and rubber gloves"
"buses with conducters"
It all sounds so familier - Black and White Minstrels and jumble sales need a mention somewhere though.
I do like the repetition of "This is my mothers earth"
thank you for this one
Comment is about Mothers earth (blog)
Original item by Martin Elder
Funny you should say that, Martin. I do have another Dalek poem, which often is dusted down at readings https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.com/2019/02/04/return-of-the-daleks-by-greg-freeman/
I usually change two of the three-word slogans, depending on what is currently in vogue, but 'Take back control!' never changes!
Comment is about 'The Daleks take the Treasury' (blog)
Original item by Greg Freeman
<Deleted User> (5011)
Mon 26th Sep 2022 13:06
Neil, thank you for this wonderfully woven piece of writing, reminding us of Heaney's humanity, erudition, literary genius and the complexities of his status; above all, of his exceptional poetry, whilst putting the whole within the context of Ireland's troubled history and dramatic landscape. This was a joy to read. I had never before considered that the pressure of the Nobel prize might have had such deleterious effects on his health. Tragic, if so. Thank you.
Comment is about When Seamus Heaney met the Queen: an appreciation of the Nobel prize-winning poet and his allegiance to people and places (article)
Original item by Greg Freeman
yes, I agree with Stephen I was definitely on the journey with you and imagined something along the lines of 'The third man'
Nice one
Comment is about A Tram Ride in Prague (blog)
Original item by John Botterill
Thankyou, Izzy. There is a school of thought that argues literature should be “nice”. I don’t think Shakespeare subscribed to that view!
Quite, Martin. I’ve told my kids to Chuck me on the compost heap when I’ve gone.
And thanks for the Like, Frederick.
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
I like the pace and rhythm of this poem as much as its content and its words
Nice one
Comment is about hear it now! (blog)
Original item by Nadia Coia
yes, I could never fathom the depths of these morning people. I was never a great fan of terry Wogan for this very reason. I had nothing against him as a fellow citizen. But not all that chirpiness first thing in the morning.
though with many others I do have to get up at least once in the early morning to answer the call of nature struggling to get back to sleep. As has been already stated its and age thing.
Comment is about Morning People (blog)
Original item by Tom
I am with you on this one Greg. I would love to hear you read it with a dalek voice.
Comment is about 'The Daleks take the Treasury' (blog)
Original item by Greg Freeman
It is sad to say that you have captured an everyday story of towns up and down the land very often filled with pound shops and fast-food outlets. I have also discovered that you can read a town by the number and the quality of its charity shops, some of which have become vintage shops. Many items in the said vintage shops I can remember from some years ago when I was a boy.
Nice one Stephen
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Very informative and in our terms today quite gruesome. Dare I say it that it puts a whole new perspective on recycling!
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
I love
'Grinding the bones of yesterday's news
Great poem Bob
Comment is about Framed (blog)
Original item by Robert C Gaulke
powerful stuff indeed.
I particularly like the line 'He has thoughts of vampires thriving in his sadistic soul'
Nice one
Comment is about Living life king size (blog)
Original item by N.B
Thank you for letting me know. Yes seems to be working fine now.
Comment is about WOL Access to previous posts (blog)
Original item by julie callaghan
My thanks to Frederick - John Coopey and Tom for taking the time to read and like.
To John Botterill - thank you for your very positive comment - and for your like.
Comment is about THIS PEARL SET IN A SILVER SEA (blog)
Original item by Flyntland
JC the expression ‘borrowed time’ applies to us all somehow. It’s just that some of are more in debt than others.
A lovely piece John
G 👍
Comment is about BUYING TIME (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Well I'm left not believing that you parked in a disabled spot. Surely that was a white lie just so you could get your punch line in?
On the subject of disabled parking, at our local cinema I'm mystified at the number of disabled parking bays that have been allocated. When I go to the cinema and have to park about a mile away, I keep looking out for these armies of wheelchairs that should be converging on the cinema - wondering if I'll even get a seat.
Comment is about DISABLED PARKING (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
I like this one John - so very meaningful to us older poets.
Comment is about BUYING TIME (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Yuk - that's a nasty piece - I bet you do get that said to you very often 🤣
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
PS Paul tells me that the problem is fixed now, Julie
Comment is about WOL Access to previous posts (blog)
Original item by julie callaghan
Much better thought out than my political poem!
You could be describing my home town Wigan here, a carcass of what it used to be.
There's more to it than lack of funding though - which I'd agree doesn't help. We all want a shiny buzzing high street to visit when we fancy a day out , but how many of us want to buy their goods there rather than just browse and have a coffee?
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thanks Stephen. I think this must be the first political poem I have EVER done as by and large I don't like the genre. These are desperately bad times though and I needed to spit my dummy out.
John Coopey, that's a shame. Can't you bring Gert with you?
Comment is about Despair on fiscal policy (blog)
Original item by Isobel
I think the poetic angle is favourite, Isobel. Cayman Islands, anyone?
Comment is about Despair on fiscal policy (blog)
Original item by Isobel
Thanks to Greg, Flyntland, John B, John C and Ray for commenting. The hollowing out of many mid-sized towns and the consequent lack of warmth and community (as your comment suggests, Flyntland) seems to be a Europe-wide phenomenon.
Ah, levelling up, Ray - it probably sounded a good slogan at the time. Not sure where it figured in last week's budget.
Greg and John C. There have been quite a few Sids, including, in my case, an uncle who ran off with a secretary on a building site. 'If you see Sid, tell him....' The jokes were endless, sadly. If I remember, the BP privatisation was the end of Sid culture.
Thanks once again, John B, and to Julie and Frederick for the likes.
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Moody poems appear to have become a frequent feature in my writing over the years so it’s good to hear comments like this. Thanks John (Botterill). Bow 🙇♂️
Comment is about hands off that snooze button! (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
Apologies for our apparent slowness in following this up, Julie. I see what you mean, and I have asked our technical expert Paul to look into it.
Comment is about WOL Access to previous posts (blog)
Original item by julie callaghan
Thankyou John. My official moniker is “t’finest bloody poet from Chapel Haddlesey ever to draw breath”.
Comment is about DISABLED PARKING (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Nice to hear from you again, Isobel. It’s a nice thought (Oct 9 not the leg piss) but I suspect I won’t get a pass-out from The Boss.
Comment is about Despair on fiscal policy (blog)
Original item by Isobel
😂 me with piss running down my leg? What you up to on 9th October? I'm compering at the Marsden WOL jam and that's probably not far for you.
I recently thought of you when I was in Haworth. There was a sign post to Penistone and I had visions of you limbering up...
Comment is about Despair on fiscal policy (blog)
Original item by Isobel
Thanks John and MC.
I walked round Towton battlefield a couple of years ago. It’s reckoned to be the bloodiest battle on English soil. It was a bloody inhospitable place with a howling Gale and the rain coming in upwards of horizontal. Pity the buggers who fought there in a blizzard with some hairy arsed bloke trying to stove your head in.
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Good to see an unchallenged example of "taking us beyond our
comfort zone"! Extraordinary information considering the
frequency of warfare in centuries past. I visited the Waterloo
site years ago and confess that the consideration of this
somewhat startling information didn't enter my mind.
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Highly relevant, accurate and very well put. 👍
Comment is about THIS PEARL SET IN A SILVER SEA (blog)
Original item by Flyntland
You are so right, Greg. What planet are these people on?
Comment is about 'The Daleks take the Treasury' (blog)
Original item by Greg Freeman
I don't believe this, John. You never write shit poetry! You're the bard of... somewhere or other! I read it on your blog once! 😎
Comment is about DISABLED PARKING (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Very informative, John, and I can see some links to more recent Events. Thanks for this. 👍
Comment is about WATERLOO TEETH (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
All is not lost Stephen, there is a levelling up minister now apparently.
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
A glimpse into an alien world for me, Tom.
Comment is about Morning People (blog)
Original item by Tom
You've done it now, Izzy. It's an image I can't get out of my mind!
Comment is about Despair on fiscal policy (blog)
Original item by Isobel
Sid, indeed, Stephen and Greg. I certainly wasn't above taking advantage.
Comment is about In Town (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
John Botterill
Mon 26th Sep 2022 17:11
Thank you, Stephen. Generosity is my middle name and millionaires need our help at this time.
Comment is about Helping Out (blog)
Original item by John Botterill