This is why we do it!

Comment is about Poetic vision (blog)

Original item by Ruth O'Reilly

The answer it lies in migration
To a land way way over the sea
I'm afraid it costs more than 10 pounds now
Then greet me and shake real hands with me

?

Comment is about NHS STRESS KILLS (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

bli.....bli....

Janet's trying to make contact Fred. Just need to tune the frequency a bit more

blip......blip.....That's better. She's saying you sounded a bit echoey to begin with and thought you nearly got zapped at one stage.

She was shocked you called the ship she co-pilots a 'flying saucer'. The statement you don't believe in them is a risky one. You know what happens to unbelievers when Santa comes sleighbelling over their houses on Christmas Eve. I take no responsibily for her actions in matters like this.......

blip....blip.....

She'll forgive you this time Fred. O ye of little faith she says.......

?

Comment is about Extra Terrestrial Poets (Audio) (blog)

Original item by Rick Varden

So understand the frustration - where lies the answer I ask. Blessings. P.

Comment is about NHS STRESS KILLS (blog)

Original item by M.C. Newberry

Thanks all, I will watch out for Janet though. I’m posting some extra terrestrial follow ups, WTS.?

Comment is about I fell in love with an Alien (audio) (blog)

Original item by Rick Varden

It so happened that October’s Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox coincided with Halloween … and a number of our wonderful poets certainly entered into the spirit of things. Compere Rodney Wood wore a Halloween hat, Geoffrey Pimlott went undercover, Kitty Coles, who specialises in the ‘spooky nature’ genre, admitted she was ‘spoilt for choice’; and Michael Cutchey provided a spectacular finale, donning Victorian garb – an undertaker if I’m not mistaken – to recite poems by Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe, and HP Lovecraft. We also heard a captivating set by our featured poet, Richard Hawtree, delivering poems with great humour and brio from his entertaining and engaging Dempsey and Windle pamphlet, The NIght I Spoke Irish in Surrey. Not to be outdone, Donall Dempsey enlisted the help of Heather Moulson to give us an enlightening piece of medical science involving a very long word that means the back of the knee. We are also close to Remembrance Day, and there were poems about war from newcomer Chris Britt-Searle – a remarkable epic with a savage twist at the end - Lorri Pimlott, and Karen Izod, while Anne Warrington delivered a powerful and angry poem about people smugglers and their trafficked victims. Thanks also to Pete Jardine, Nathan Hallam, Frank aka Charlie Cheerful, Ray Pool, Heather Moulson, Tony Demoncy, Peter Taylor, Louise Blake, Amel Oudjida, Eddie Chauncy, and Janice Dempsey. Apologies for not having pictures of Pete – I was busy filming him, of which more in a separate post. Suffice it to say that Pete spent much of the rest of the evening videoing poets in a trial run of something which we hope to take further. Thanks for all your efforts, Pete! Thanks too to comperes Greg Freeman and Rodney Wood. Commiserations to Karen Swaley and Andy BJ Low, who both suffered train mishaps which meant they were unable to join us as they had intended. The next Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox will be on Thursday 28 Nov ember – but no open-mic poetry at the Lightbox in December, as the last Thursday of the month is on Boxing Day.

Review is about Write Out Loud Woking on 31 Oct 2019 (event)

We enjoyed a wonderful guest set from Tom McColl at Write Out Loud Woking in September. Tom arrived just in time, fresh from the hurly-burly of his job at Westminster. Mr McColl is a welcome breath of warmth and sanity in these days of overheated language, even if he did feel the need to don a balaclava for one of his poems. He quickly established his usual rapport with his audience, and poetic highlights included his 21st century riposte to TS Eliot, and tales of dodgy goings on with fruit and veg in the heart of Soho. Our debut open micers this month were The Almost Poet, Mary Morgan, and Terry, and many thanks also to our wonderful regular poets Carla Scarano, Ray Pool, Pete Jardine, Elliot Msindo, Phil Whittick, Matthew Paul, Janet Collinson, Geoffrey Pimlott, Nathan Hallam, Michael Cutchey, Lorri Pimlott, Heather Moulson, and Kitty Coles. Also good to see Eddie Chauncy – hope you feel well enough to read next month, Eddie. Comperes Rodney Wood and Greg Freeman also had something to say, while Gillian Freeman stepped in again to collection Lightbox donations. The comedians had taken a night off, while the scientists tiptoed past us to look at the stars outside. Winter drawers on. It is already very bracing at the Lightbox after its usual opening hours, so wrap up warm when you come next month. Our guest in October will be that very accomplished poet Richard Hawtree. The last Thursday of the month is 31 October, so anything on a Halloween theme would be appropriate. Nothing else happening that day, is there? Let’s keep Write Out Loud Woking a B-word-free zone, if we can …

Review is about Write Out Loud Woking on 26 Sep 2019 (event)

Yes Brian. Time was I was charging £500 a day to tell companies what I thought. Fellow Facebook travellers don’t appreciate the value they’re getting out of me. FOR FREE!
Thanks, Po. Bland electoral promises should always stand scrutiny.

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

One of the best things I ever did was to join Write Out Loud in Stockport. I was at the very first meeting, and have been a keen participant ever since...
Write Out Loud is absolutely fantastic!

Comment is about 'Get on a website called Write Out Loud': Tony Walsh's advice to would-be poets (article)

Original item by Greg Freeman

Hi John . Smells in particular always feel very personal and seems do poignant in bringing back memories. Ghosts like smells are insubstantial . I like the framework of the poem and the way the last verse makes a strong case.
I think your work redeems the site at the.moment.

Rsy

Comment is about THOSE GHOSTS (blog)

Original item by john short

Powerful piece. ?

Comment is about The Eagle/By Alfred, Lord Tennyson/translation into Amharic By Alem Hailu/(ንስሩ/በሎርድ ቴኒሶን፡ ትርጉም በዓለም ኃይሉ ገ/ክርስቶስ) (blog)

Original item by Alem Hailu G/Kristos

Yeah, you did well out of that didn't you John...

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

I kept the piano
but what can i say
pianos need players
yet I don't know how to play.

Comment is about A Peterson (poet profile)

Original item by A Peterson

Thanks, Tim. I will check it out.
On another front I could never dis the work of that valuable contributor to society, the management consultant, having pinched a lucrative living for 20 years advising companies of the bleeding obvious.

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Honest and upliftng.

Comment is about Fear (blog)

Original item by DIYwrites

This site will be most enjoyable to you.

Comment is about Sick (blog)

Original item by DIYwrites

Welcome to WOL. No apologies ever necessary. We all write from the heart. Commenting really does make good friends.

Comment is about DIYwrites (poet profile)

Original item by DIYwrites

Witty poem John, but I’d like to recommend a book to you: Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. It’s very popular and quite influential in leftist thinking at the moment. I was listening to it on audio last week, since although Graeber is clear that gardening isn’t a bullshit job, much of the work I do is mechanical and repetitive and I can perform it just as well while concentrating on a book about economics on my headphones. His thesis is that a good half of the work people do today is completely pointless, of no benefit to society and has been invented merely to keep people busy. John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s predicted that by now people would only need to work only 15 hours a week to keep society functioning because mechanisation would have made most jobs redundant, and as he usually turns out to be, Keynes was essentially correct except he didn’t foresee that society would absorb the redundant workers by creating a vast structure of managers, assistant managers, assistant assistant managers, consultants, marketing departments etc etc. I don’t agree with everything in the book but it’s an entertaining and thought provoking read.

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Btw....who dis attracted you??? Hehe?
Good one!!

Comment is about Block (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

Very well said New shoes!!! Thank you ?

Comment is about I lost to win!! (blog)

Sheesh Jason. Spent hours trying to work out 'Is distr..........'. What's that Thale? Did I look at Jas's answer?. I like to work these things out myself Thale.. Sheesh Jason, make it easier next time......

?

Comment is about Block (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

Exactly Peterson....there's no reason to give up....light shines on those who walk under the sun or atleast switch on the bulb....hehehe!!
Thank you dear?

Comment is about I lost to win!! (blog)

Golly gosh Chloe! heavy stuff......

?

Comment is about Overwhelmed (blog)

Original item by Chloé

Oh Donny dear.....it's not like you to give up
Your rhymes are all so brilliant
Your poems really in millions
We are big fans of your write
If you abandon we might die
So carry on writing
Just shake yourself up a litlle
Lift ur bums and twist and turn
May be from your knees
New ideas will finally return

Hehehe!! ?

Comment is about I've Failed as a Poet Again (blog)

Original item by Don Matthews

I like playing around with words in rhyme. When it works it it give a nice warm rush, The last line made me think did I REALLY write this.

Give Oz a miss mate. Some guy don matthews is knocking all us other poets over.....

?

Comment is about I've Failed as a Poet Again (blog)

Original item by Don Matthews

Sweet hours and beautiful time,
tick tock my heart chimes

Well written!!! ?

Comment is about Tick Tock (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

Thanks Dorothy, I got to thinking about dementia again.
To lose oneself before the eventual physical death can be like dying twice if we let it.

J. x

Comment is about The Lost Shores (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

..... action.

J. x

Comment is about Block (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

I'm dancing with this rainbow
Called ROY and G and BIV
It's wearing all me body out
Me legs are gonna give

ya

These rainbows are a pushy sort
No reason for my rhyme
Just wanna play around with it
And have a real good time

Yep. Rainbows make ya feel good

ha

?

Comment is about Let Us Praise Rainbows (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

Rainbows keep fallin' on my head
ouch ooh ee
it's a wonder i'm not dead
the sky keeps a fallin
the sky keeps a fallin
down on me e e

ya

Comment is about Let Us Praise Rainbows (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

"The angel of death takes the past away"
new frame of mind begins to convey

Comment is about I lost to win!! (blog)

That's deep thinking Ruth. Even a good rhyming scheme.

blip...blip....

What's that Janet?

She says Ruth star dust is running out, We going to be replaced with robots. So her little book tells her. Or should that be Little Book?

?

Comment is about The Stars Are Our Future (blog)

Original item by Don Matthews

Ruth

Janet from some other planet. She can't remember which one. It's not in Janet's Guide to the Universe.

Fred hasn't a clue what I'm talking about. Sorry Fred

Maybe I could do Fred's thing and get a blip...blip....sound effect from BBC Sound Library. Needs to be fee-free cos LMS is broke

?

Comment is about I fell in love with an Alien (audio) (blog)

Original item by Rick Varden

I enjoyed that Fred, great sound effects and sci fi storyline. Used to love The Beverly Hillbillies with their cement pond. That Jethro was a bit like an alien lol.

Don what planet is Janet from again?

Comment is about I fell in love with an Alien (audio) (blog)

Original item by Rick Varden

Interesting topic A.P. Must have been absolutely horrible working in the depths with all that heat. Wonder what happened to the tomb robbers if they got caught. (Orf with their what evers probably). ?

Comment is about Anubis (blog)

Original item by A Peterson

Ben Jonson

On my First Sonne

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy;
My sin was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy.
Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay,
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
O, could I lose all father now! For why
Will man lament the state he should envy?
To have so soon 'scap'd world's and flesh's rage,
And if no other misery, yet age?
Rest in soft peace, and, ask'd, say, "Here doth lie
Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry."
For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such,
As what he loves may never like too much.

England, 1616

Comment is about Shadowing (blog)

Original item by John E Marks

Extinction's what we face
Humans to be replaced
With star dust we've been laced
So let's retrace our roots
To space....

Comment is about The Stars Are Our Future (blog)

Original item by Don Matthews

Maybe the truck driver kept it. ?

Comment is about Homeless Piano (blog)

Original item by d.knape

You worded that way better than I could've. I just say I may be down but I'm never out. Ha.

Comment is about I lost to win!! (blog)

Fred

We at Like-Minders Society were worried it was Janet you had fallen in love with.

He hasn't a clue what you're talking about Don

Thalia (LMS secretary) here Fred. You see, Janet is Don's alien spaceship co-pilot's friend who communicated (blip...blip...) that she detected 'love waves' coming from earth.

We listened to your alien words of love Fred and gratefully sighed it was not Janet.

?

Comment is about I fell in love with an Alien (audio) (blog)

Original item by Rick Varden

If I was running the Labour Party, Graham, there would be a few casualties.
Brian - I do see myself as soft left but I cannot buy into some of the barm-pot nonsense they come out with. And Tracey who?
Also, thanks for the Like, Dorothy.

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

John, I always took you for a leftie...but the penny seems to have dropped.

BTW off at a tangent...just watching Classic Corrie and who is in it? Tracey Brabin, looking a lot happier than she does now!

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

This is amazingly beautiful.... I liked how the poem develops and rolls back to the same feeling.....?

Comment is about The Lost Shores (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

I have no explanation, reason or intent with this. It just wanted to 'dance', and I let it.

Comment is about Let Us Praise Rainbows (blog)

Original item by Cynthia Buell Thomas

JC you've already got the right initials. I think you should be running Labour. Brilliant financial analysis in poetry form!

Comment is about THE FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK (blog)

Original item by John Coopey

Oh no Brian, make sure it's fully empty before you refill it my friend. I can't tell you how envious I am of the fact that you're in the pub right now, in the words of Monty python, "you lucky, lucky B******d?.

J. x

Comment is about Be (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

A great sentiment Jason. Too many people are constantly digging back into their past to find ways to justify their current negative attitude. BE glass half full, though currently mine is half empty so it's back up to the bar soon to re-fill it.

Comment is about Be (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

It is in the interests of certain groups (I will avoid mentioning them) - to out populate indigenous peoples in order to put across their own messages and so gain the upper hand - despite local people having managed to cope with their own problems in the past. I see it happening in Oz where there is a fear of foreign faces and we have an in-built mechanism to react to it & in which sense we are little different to other life forms that react to intrusion on local resources. Ask me what happens when ants intrude upon the territorial resources of another species and I will tell you. Call it poppycock if you like but I have lived in this world for more decades than I would care to admit and have visited more places than I can remember the names of - so I have taken from the pot of local resources as much as I have contributed in various other ways. Tolerance has always been in short supply and I cannot offer a solution to this problem. Alas. ?

Comment is about The Stars Are Our Future (blog)

Original item by Don Matthews

Thanks Dorothy, you're so right. as i've said before, "Value the story in your scars, pity those that have none," and I think that sums up the human experience really, value even the tings that have hurt you, perhaps especially the things that have hurt you because they're a sign that you truly felt something.

J. x

Comment is about Every Tear the Skies Have Cried (blog)

Original item by Jason Bayliss

Thank you for reading and the nice comments.

Comment is about The Gift (blog)

Original item by Mike Bartram