How do you plead, Prime Minister?

https://youtu.be/z4M_usg8GMg?list=PL9n8fNFZ2frSmBVFrhaCwOoXb9qQUvPJe

Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

It's good to hear your poem. Feels harsh, the reality of things. I hope this helps us as well.

Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Excellent, Adam. Very pictorial.

Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)

Original item by Adam Whitworth

Yeah, I hear you Uilleam. Sometimes I am so angry at wars, torture, etc.etc. etc. that I feel my head is going to explode. Black humor helps. 😡😇

Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)

Original item by Hélène

Glad the poem lifted you up Rolph. It's funny, after posting this poem on WOL, I edited it in my journal to take out the line "resilience, resilience, resilience" because it seemed too repetitive; now I'm going to put it back in! I learned that word some years ago at a school meeting for a grandkid w/ learning disabilities; one of his teachers commented that he tries to teach the kiddos to be resilient. Bravo, I remember thinking, what a great way to approach life's challenges.

Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)

Original item by Hélène

....to be fair, at least one eminent journalistic source is on record as citing cholera...ah well, poetic licence an' all that!😉

Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Sorry, I missed your question, Rolph.

No I'm not from Limerick, though I've been there. I'm teaching myself Gaeilge-Irish; the form of the poem is of course, a Limerick; I just use my writing as a way of learning Gaeilge, and playing with language in general.
As to the origins of the Limerick form, there's a myriad of stories, and I've read articles in which citizens of Limerick claim it has its origins there.

Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Thanks, Rolph.
This is an edited version of a Limerick I wrote this a year or so ago.
Never in my darkest moments did I forsee a time when I would be forced to admit that I AM truly ashamed to be British.💗

Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Uilleam, this poem may be short, but it lands like a punch. There’s no mistaking your fury—and honestly, it feels earned. The line “his solution is final” is chilling in the way it forces us to confront just how far things have slipped, not just politically but morally. You take the polished mask off power (the British Prime Minister) and show us what’s rotting underneath. Satire like this isn’t just clever—it’s necessary when the truth becomes too sanitised to bite.

Thank you for refusing to blunt the blade.

Take care,
keep on fighting, expressing your thoughts,
Rolph

P.S. Are you from Limerick?

Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Thanks Adam.
I've had a brief go at piloting/driving? a narrowboat on couple of occasions-an interesting and relaxing experience. And I've walked several hundred miles on towpaths in the UK and France, which of course, are generally easier/flatter. The history of the canals is fascinating.

Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)

Original item by Adam Whitworth

Uilleam, your poem reads like a siren in a fog of propaganda—sharp, unflinching, and painfully necessary. I admire how you cut through the manufactured fear of “the Other” to reveal where the real damage lies: not outside our borders, but in the hands of those who feed us lies while dismantling everything that once held meaning. The line about “dissent from genocide’s a crime” stopped me cold—it captures exactly how dissent is being reframed as threat. This isn’t just poetry; it’s resistance. Thank you for refusing to look away.

Kind regards,
Rolph

Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

nothing more tranquil than a canal holiday on a longboat. Navigating history is a particularly relevant line to the canals. Nice piece Adam

Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)

Original item by Adam Whitworth

Thanks to those who have sent likes and to Uilleam for comments.

Always appreciated.

David RL Moore

Comment is about Waking dreams (blog)

Original item by David RL Moore

Thanks for your likes:
Tom Doolan
Aisha Suleman
Holden Moncrieff
Yanma Hidayah

We mistakenly thought that Fascism had been banished from Britain at the Battle of Cable Street, and the ensuing WWII; but Mosley’s and Hitler’s spectre now stalks the streets of our allegedly “United Kingdom”, aided and abetted by the Murdochian Sewer, and gutless and corrupt politicians.

Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Good morning Keletso,
Your poem presents a fierce and unvarnished examination of the complexity behind understanding someone—or even oneself—beyond surface emotions. I respect how you dive into that tension between searching for meaning and feeling overwhelmed by confusion and silence. The way you blend scientific imagery with theological doubt gives the piece a unique gravity, highlighting how sometimes our closest connections feel more like puzzles or contradictions than simple truths. It challenges the reader to confront the discomfort of not having easy answers, which is both brave and compelling. Your poem leaves a lasting impression by refusing to settle for easy interpretations.
Cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about NOT A LOVE POEM (blog)

Original item by Keletso

Aisha, your poem is such a beautiful reminder of how simple acts of kindness can light up the world. I love how you capture the quiet strength in smiling through tough times and how love grows softly but powerfully. It made me want to be more mindful of the small ways I can brighten someone’s day.
Take care,
cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about Smile Like The Sun (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Dear Rolph,
Good evening from Indonesia, and thank you so much for your beautiful words.
Reading your reflection truly touched me, and knowing that it resonated with you in such a personal way means more than I can express.
You're absolutely right, sometimes the deepest pains are spoken through the soft veils of metaphor, in the hope that someone might still hear. I'm grateful that you listened deeply, not just to the poem, but to the echoes behind the words.

With gratitude,
Yanma

Comment is about A Poem I Could Never Fully Understand (blog)

Original item by Yanma Hidayah

Thanks for extra likes: Aisha & Keletso 👍

Comment is about Lost Soul (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

Good morning Larisa,
There’s a raw honesty in your poem that really hits home. It’s like you’ve captured that uncomfortable truth we all try to avoid — that someday, none of this will matter except the love we gave and received. I keep thinking about the image of “playing a different string” to be truly human; it’s such a vivid way to say we need to change how we live and connect. Your words stay with me, urging me to slow down and appreciate the people who matter before it’s too late. Powerful and necessary.
Take care,
cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about One Day We All Pass Away (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

Good morning Yanma,
Your poem moved me in a quiet, almost haunting way. The line “she hides her wounds beneath layers of metaphor” especially stayed with me — it captures something so true about how many of us speak pain without ever naming it directly. There’s such tenderness and reverence in the way you describe her — not as someone to solve or define, but as someone to listen to, patiently. It made me reflect on the people I’ve failed to understand simply because I wasn’t listening deeply enough. Thank you for putting that into words — or rather, into poetry that lingers long after the reading.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about A Poem I Could Never Fully Understand (blog)

Original item by Yanma Hidayah

Thanks, Hélène.
To be truthfuI, at the moment, I'm having trouble with your first line: but I'll try at least to deploy a bit of "black humour".😈😄

Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)

Original item by Hélène

When in doubt, Tom, have a brew!

Comment is about The Waiting Room (blog)

Original item by Tom

I was never into all that, Rolph, but hey, if it upsets the establishment, bring it on!😈

Comment is about Prince of Darkness, Dreamer True (blog)

Original item by Rolph David

Nice line: the edge of the day peels open,

I rose on Thursday morning, thinking the sun was going to put it's hat on, but it had its balaclava on for a while, some parts getting a soaking.

Comment is about Waking dreams (blog)

Original item by David RL Moore

The sound of 💖Fiona Lali 💖of the Revolutionary Communist Party speaking truth to power, and giving Nigel Farage a right good ragging, is music to my ear. Hypocrites and sanctimonious priggs, beware.

Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Amazing creatures, Mike.

Comment is about Lonesome Nests (blog)

Original item by Mike McPeek

"...the way a weary theologian dissects a gospel he no longer believes."

I like that line.

Comment is about NOT A LOVE POEM (blog)

Original item by Keletso

Thank you Aisha.
I've been working on a poem about the morning sun.
What with the state of the world, I, in particular, badly need some sunlit words and smiles, and I'll do what I can to share my light around.
💐💐💐💐💐💐X

Comment is about Smile Like The Sun (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Good advice, Larisa.
It's so easy to be thoughtless and selfish.
X

Comment is about One Day We All Pass Away (blog)

Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska

https://youtu.be/lfSdR-ymk9E

Comment is about social engineering (blog)

Original item by Landi Cruz

Cheers guys, appreciate the comments and the feedback. I was a little unsure about this one, because I did think that could come over as a little pretentious.

Glad you liked it.

Comment is about My Heavy Head is Drunk Again (blog)

Original item by Tim Daly

Thank you so much, Rolph, for your beautiful analysis, it really means a lot that you take the time! 💖

Comment is about Balloons (blog)

Original item by Holden Moncrieff

Thanks Rolph David🌷🕊️🙏🏻 glad to hear. This helps fine tune the trajectory of my poetic journey.

Comment is about evening at the tide (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Thanks for the Likes, Yanma, Tom and Redbrick.

Comment is about TWINS (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Many thanks once again Rolph for your detailed and incisive feedback. It is very much appreciated. 🙂
Thanks for likes: Red Brick Keshner, Hélène & Yanma Hidayah. 👍

Comment is about Lost Soul (blog)

Original item by Tom Doolan

My mum was a strong woman, the youngest of eight children, she had to be.
She also raised three strong lads; this one admits to frequently weeping.😊💖

Comment is about Not-Girl Guides (blog)

Original item by Cryptid

That's friendly of you. I don't really believe in Earth&Humanity anymore. At least, I think it's going to take a really long time to fix all the damage we have done.

That's it.

Thanks

Comment is about Nutter School (blog)

Original item by Rich Brewer

True.

I hope the terrorists who attacked my mom's family know that as well.

'I met some Christians who told me Catholics are no Christians.'

Well, can someone tell that to those suicide-terrorists as well?

Comment is about Unmasked (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Thank you for your likes:
Tom Doolan
Trevor Alexander
Holden Moncrieff
K. Lynn
Hélène
Yanma Hidayah
Rolph David

Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No. 27. Christians Awake!] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

I'm sorry to hear you've had a difficult time as I can relate with my experience playing Badminton for Hampshire when younger. There is pressure in all circumstances but it's about getting the right support networks in place for you and sometimes you need to create these networks yourself unfortunately.

I hope you have better experiences now and can find some joy when you play Chess today.

Comment is about Nutter School (blog)

Original item by Rich Brewer

Thanks for your kind words, Rolph.

I am struggling to deal with what is being perpetrated and enabled by my own government; I risk being mentally overwhelmed by horrific scenes of cruelty as I sit in the relative luxury of my home.

However, when I see Jewish Holocaust survivors, and 83 year-old female priests being manhandled by His Majesty Charles III's Constabulary, and imprisonned for protesting against such criminality, I have the consolation of knowing that I'm on the right side of history...and that I can pursue my personal intifada and jihad with a clear conscience.

Oh, and the "Abstract" is a masterpiece by a little-known 5 year-old!😊
💗💗💗💗💗💗

Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No. 27. Christians Awake!] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Hugh, I love your playful yet powerful message!
You’ve turned health advice into a fun, memorable poem—with a serious point beneath the rhymes. The mix of humour (“sit in comfort…”) and urgency (“toxic times”) makes it really effective. Green living never sounded so lively. Well said!
Cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about Go green NOW and stay alive !! (blog)

Original item by hugh

Holden, this is quietly profound.
I love how your poem contrasts the chaos of facts with the lightness and freedom of balloons—symbols of imagination and movement. That final line, “to where life does matter much,” really lingers. It feels like a subtle call to re-center what matters. Beautifully done.
Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about Balloons (blog)

Original item by Holden Moncrieff

Leon, your poem is striking and full of atmosphere.
I could really feel the storm’s fury in your words—especially the image of lions roaring and the frost’s "pictorial breath." There's something haunting and beautifully old-world about your style. It reads like a cry against both nature and fate. Really evocative work!

Cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about When cursing the tempestuous sky (blog)

Original item by LEON STOLGARD

Good morning Red,
What a marvellous and deeply meaningful poem.
There’s such quiet power in the way you weave grief, nature, and healing into something almost sacred. I was especially moved by “each wave a footnote of mercy”—what a beautiful image of gentle, ongoing grace. Thank you for sharing something so reflective and tender. It truly lingers.
Cheerio,
Rolph

Comment is about evening at the tide (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

Thanks David! 🌷🕊️🙏🏻

Comment is about evening at the tide (blog)

Original item by Red Brick Keshner

What a beautiful and empowering poem, Aisha.
Your words are a heartfelt reminder that authenticity is strength, and that we don’t need to hide behind masks to be worthy. I especially loved the line “There is beauty in a voice that shakes, but dares to speak where it belongs” — it captures the courage of being vulnerable so perfectly. Great job!

Regards, Rolph

Comment is about Unmasked (blog)

Original item by Aisha Suleman

Dear Uilleam,

Your poem cuts right to the heart of a painful truth — how often the world ignores suffering until it touches those it chooses to notice. The line “They’ve come for the Christians” speaks volumes about this selective attention and the broader injustice faced by Palestinians of all backgrounds.

I stand with you in rejecting this silence and indifference. Your words are a powerful call to recognise and respond to all human suffering, beyond divisions of faith or identity.

Thank you for your courage and for speaking out so boldly. Your poem is a reminder that justice demands our unwavering solidarity.

In respect and solidarity,
Rolph

P.S.: I really like your very abstract image of our world.

Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No. 27. Christians Awake!] (blog)

Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Good morning Tim,
Your poem truly captures the frustration of battling that foggy, restless state where creativity slips just out of reach. I know it soooo well! I felt the weight of the “heavy head” and the struggle with the empty page—the quiet self-sabotage that so many artists know too well. Your words bring that internal conflict vividly to life, making it feel real and shared. Thank you for writing something so honest and relatable.

Regards,
Rolph

Comment is about My Heavy Head is Drunk Again (blog)

Original item by Tim Daly

Dear Stephen,
The Grip is a powerful metaphor for those unseen forces tightening around us without warning. Your poem captures that slow, almost invisible tightening that conditions and divides, making the threat all the more dangerous. It’s a vivid reminder of how easily influence can spread when we’re not paying close attention. Thank you for shedding light on this unsettling reality with such clarity.
Kind regards,
Rolph

Comment is about The Grip (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage