Philipos
Sun 27th Mar 2011 15:37
Hi Cynthia - (When Man Has Gone) I am not sure why I arrived at a ten-toed foot other than to demonstrate an alternative form - I have responded in some depth on this and really appreciate your views. Thanks for commenting in such depth x
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Philipos
Sat 26th Mar 2011 19:58
Hi Cynthia - many thanks for commenting on Ireland with Betjeman - I did wonder how this might be perceived and who Emily really was especially in the light of some recent revelations that it may have been the late (?) Duchess of Devonshire from highest nobility in the land x
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Hi Cynthia
Thanks as ever for your kind comments on Routine is Death. I'm staying in the Rhondda at the moment and the driving on the dangerous hill roads round here contributed to the chain of thought. Curious what starts a poem isn't it.
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Hi Cynthia. Many thanks for the kind comments on my poem. In response to your question - it was 50/50. The majority of the poem came out quickly but several lines took a long time to finish. I'm not sure I ever got it right.
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Thanks for your comment on BITCH. I use the term bitch because I think sometimes when women act the way they choose instead of conforming to what's expected they are labelled a bitch and basically if that makes me a bitch then yeah well thats what I am. However thats other peoples perception of the word not mine! Hope that helps.
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<Deleted User> (8943)
Sat 19th Mar 2011 21:04
Thanks Cynthia, as ever your comments are appreciated xXx
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Philipos
Sat 19th Mar 2011 19:46
Hi Cynthia, Re: Rain on PVC - your comments and insight into a fairly unusual poetical theme much appreciated - this really did begin life as raindrops on a pvc coat and then developed a journey all of its own as highlighted in the final stanza
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In answer to your question, Cynthia, see my previous comment below. I first wrote it last summer but wasn't really satisfied with it. I did some tweaks to it last week - one line and a couple of odd words - and suddenly I thought it was ok at last.
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Thanks for your comment on Betjeman at St Pancras, Cynthia. It certainly is a sonnet, although I don't think Betjeman went in for them much himself. I just feel a little sorry for the statue, which seems rather lonely and forgotten where it is.
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Pete Crompton
Wed 16th Mar 2011 20:01
always a pleasure to hear your ideas Cynthia, thanks for the feedback/comment on the 'Silence' poem, I think you know the poem better than me! One day i'll work out what its about!!! Pete.
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Aye - was pretty incredible that dream.
I have always wanted to fly, btw, right from being a kid. I went on my first plane flight at the grand old age of 28, in a noisy ole propeller plane to Belfast, and wept with happiness and euphoria the entire time there and back *shame* :D
Still can't go on a plane without pressing nose to window on take off, and I'm one of those rare individuals who positively enjoy turbulence :)
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Thanks for your interest in Touch Wood, Cynthia. The title was a writing group homework. I came across the story of the whipping yew while away for a couple of days on the Welsh borders. We found the actual tree, and could see how it had been used. The thought of people being left there all night was horrible. As I wrote the poem it dawned on me that the fellow was innocent of the crime for which he was being punished, but maybe guilty of other, unconfessed misdeeds that had been preying on his mind for a long time. Whether the burden was lifted - or whether he was still alive, or sane at the end of it - I don't know!
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Mon 14th Mar 2011 18:03
HaHa-thanks, but No, no shaman round ere folks - thanks for comments & compliments.
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Thanks for your comments on The Uncertain Narcissist-it was a bit of a departure for me! : )
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Philipos
Mon 14th Mar 2011 17:52
Hi Cynthia - thanks for commenting on Half-Light - you mentioned re-reading books which is something i very seldom do - are you working on a magnus opus with your reading or just for enjoyment? x
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Philipos
Sun 13th Mar 2011 17:36
Thank you for commenting on 'Jehovah' Cynthia - do appreciate your taking the time to say so and for spotting the typo
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Thank you for your comment re my compering Cynthia - I was very touched. If I could be anything in life, I would be a comedienne - you need an awful lot of confidence and talent to do that though. It has taken me many years to reach the stage where I can compere. Who knows? Perhaps one day, when I'm in a wheelchair, I'll be knocking Peter Kaye off the stage! xx
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Thu 10th Mar 2011 17:57
Re - "the Pauls" - Paul Brunton - he wrote The Secret Path ??
I've read all of the castanedas - some 3 times over until they all hung together & made sense - which they certainly did not after just one read !!
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Wed 9th Mar 2011 18:12
after reading about the possibility of waking dreaming or lucid dreaming in the books of carlos castaneda, I tried for years without success, then out-of-the-blue the first time was on hols with my then girlfriend on tenerife. Carlos' way of getting into a lucid dream is to find your hands in your dream. in the (ordinary) dream I was standing at the Trevi fountain & there were fish in the water. I saw a transparent fish go by which I thought was odd, then I saw another fish but this one had a lion's head - I thought "this cant be real", so I MUST be dreaming - in which case, find your hands I said - I looked down & there they were (not just hands, but MY hands). It was such a massive shock I just woke up instantly with a thumping heart but very thrilled. It happened only 6-7 times in 20 yrs - so I wrote them all down. The best was where I was washing my hands in a lemon coloured sink with chrome taps - I found my hands & was awake in my dream. Within my dream I thought - "this is odd, because it's more real than real life - so why ?" I decided that in the dream world, everything in front of me 180 degrees was in sharp focus the whole time, whereas in life you have to focus on one thing at a time & that was the crux. I was amazed by this revelation even within the dream, but also realized that if I wanted to, I had no idea how to wake myself up. Just then I "felt" a presence to my left & looking up it was me - looking at me !
I wasn't shocked, just interested, cos carlos says that in a dream you can ask any question & you'll get the true answer - and guess what - I couldn't think of a single thing to ask or do - I could have gone flying, walked out into the street - anything - but I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do or ask (damn ! ) -
then I woke up - still amazed by the clarity & super-reality of it all - not like any dream ever - this was as real as real gets !
these dreams are the most exciting things to ever happen to me bar none - I just wish I could do it to order !
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Tue 8th Mar 2011 20:45
Hey Laura & Cyn - don't mean to butt into your private meanderings - but have you ever had lucid dreaming - where you "wake-up" within your dream ? - I have about 6-7 times & it is amazing - like THE best ever high
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Howdy Cynthia :)
Aha - a fellow dreaming stair-jumper eh? Excellent :D I used to swim on top of the water in my dreams (prior to actually learning, obviously). And as well as jumping down stairs, I used to flic flac down them too - now THAT'S what I call a good dream :D One time I did it after being mostly eaten by piranhas - little bloody bits of me still in a body formation, flic flaccing down stairs heh.
I will look out for some Dr Seuss then - on your rec :)
Did you ever dig out that spooky bible numbers list?
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Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for your very kind comments on "Knowing when to Surrender". xx
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Sun 6th Mar 2011 13:31
thanks for the very kind comments Cyn - but I think you're in a minority of one there ! xx
(stand-up)
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<Deleted User> (7164)
Sun 6th Mar 2011 12:27
Hi Cynthia, thanks for comment on my hair poem :-)
you are not far out with your interpretation. Further explanation beneath poem if you care to read again.x
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Thanks for your comments on Fix, Cynthia.
You're right about the grammar. In perfprmance I retain the singular "was" but replace "and" with "or".
It did seem a whole lot easier being a good dad when the kids were little!
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Hi Cynthia, thank you for your comments on belt, glad you liked it. Win
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all i was trying to say was there is only life or death, and you can choose to keep living or to die at any point, to commit suicide or not, to keep on living a little bit longer.
this is what my days are like lately: heads or tails...
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Thanks for your comments on the haiku. xxx
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Sun 27th Feb 2011 21:42
BTW Cyn - I posted a pointer to a poem I liked out of the guardian by David Harsent called "Red".
given your thoughtful way of writing I thought you might appreciate it - for me it gets better every time I read it. xx
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=237476
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Sun 27th Feb 2011 21:34
Cyn - ta very much.
(around dawn) - the odd thing is that you seem to like mine which I think are barely worth posting ! Hmph. xx
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Hello Cynthia,
Thanks for your thoughts on Magpie. You're right about the substitution of "probably". I'll bear it in mind when I perform it.
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Hi Cynthia. Looking for your 'insular buses' poem. Is it on here?
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Fri 25th Feb 2011 20:22
Hi & thanks Cyn - yet more silliness, I'm afraid... B
(coulda had religion)
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many thanks C
S x
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Philipos
Mon 21st Feb 2011 15:40
Cynthia (Matapos) thank you for being such a spur - I really do appreciate it
incidentally I have visited this place but years ago and these thoughts are still fresh in my mind - another friend (not WOL)who did not know I wrote poetry seemed astonished when she saw this and that I had not mentioned my interest in the muse x
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i did'nt see that one but thanks very much cynth your words are really encouraging.
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Hi Cynthia - thanks for the comment on 'Perfect Place'. It's one of my favourites - if you are at Poetica on Wednesday coming when I am chairing - I'll tell you a funny story about it which I won't repeat on here... thanks again - x
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na thats pretty much it. The longing for change and the helplessness of akcnowledging it's failing to happen.
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Dear Cynthia. I did blog 'Love is' once before, early last year, but got cold feet and deleted it within a few hours and before anyone had commented.
I enjoyed writing it, but I don't think it hangs together as a poem...it's more a collection of nice ideas.
You know, I've only just realised this moment that...
'Love starts with a smile
and becomes a wildflower
tucked behind your ear.'
is a Haiku. Blimey!
Winston, are you watching?
:-)
Thank you for your kind comments.
Jx
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Thanks Cynthia for jumping into that poem about fading memories. I know I am not the easiest poet to read and I usually take the flack for that but I am deeply appreciative of your tenacity in grappling with the poem. Yes, it could be rain and it could be water pouring and splashing from an industrial tap. The simmering is the interaction with spending time in the baking sun and the splashing water that cooks and simmers 'memories' per se as they travel downward (with the help of gravity) and instead of pooling and puddling trickles away, thus fading off.... that can be a relief (ergo 'joy') or it can be a tragic reality of aging in an often uncaring world. Of course there is much room for interpretation as I aim not to tightly word my poems so as to restrict readers to an intended meaning. I am only too happy with a reader's construction from the verses as they work themselves into an individualised awareness and realisation. Again, thank you.
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not better, just different, eh?
thank you. let's get a place by the sea.
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Philipos
Sat 19th Feb 2011 08:46
Hi Cynthia - thank you very much for your very kind comments on Vespers - such encouragement always appreciated x
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<Deleted User> (8943)
Tue 15th Feb 2011 22:00
Hi Cynthia
Thanks for your comments on "Sunday" and to answer your question I haven't been to Africa but have seen enough nature programmes to appreciate it's stark beauty and that of the seeming savagery of natural law which we humans often deem cruel.
Glad you liked it and as always your feedback is welcome and appreciated. x
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Philipos
Tue 15th Feb 2011 20:52
Actually Cynthia (re; Night Walk)- this was just one of those places waiting for a poem - a while back now and I was invited to be the male escort with 2 ladies and 3 kids travelling from South Africa to Zim and back - yes special companions and lots of nice memories - thanks for commenting x
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<Deleted User> (8943)
Mon 14th Feb 2011 07:30
Thanks for your comments on my untitled piece Cynthia, much appreciated x
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<Deleted User> (7164)
Sun 13th Feb 2011 14:06
Hi Cynthia, thanks for comment on 'Nightmare' :-)
I appreciate your honesty here because i actually felt it was lacking something sensory but i couldn't seem to make more of it so went ahead and posted anyway.x
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Philipos
Sun 13th Feb 2011 13:50
Hi Cynthia - re: Down to Earth - many thanks for the detailed analysis your comments always valuable - like yourself I have quite a varied background with mine straddling a Master's in Philosophy amongst other qualifications and 3 significant career paths followed by adventurous living overseas - poetry though has always been precious to me and some might regard me as aloof because I always seem to be working on the next muse - although I do have a whacky sense of humour probably born of my northern origins in the face of adversity x
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Hello Cynthia.
Thanks for your thoughts on Red Lady of Paviland.
The pressing rhythm I tried to achieve by the unremitting trochaic metre and then vary the line length using alternate full and truncated tetrameters. Simples!
I bet Lomgfellow would be awed to be in the same sentence as me!
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<Deleted User> (7212)
Sat 12th Feb 2011 21:39
Cyn- thanks for the comments
(retro-fitted smile)
to be honest, playing devil's advocate, I'm probberly just all bitter'n twisted :D
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Philipos
Sun 27th Mar 2011 15:46
Hi Cynthia - many thanks for commenting on Jacob's Ladder and especially for taking time to unwrap the various layers of allegory x
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