Category: Creativity

Poetry: 10-January 2012 the Results.

They were all good, there really is an abundance of talent on this site (sometimes it does take a little drawing out).
To use a quote from Janus, I am kind of “rumpty-tumpty” poet myself (if I am any poet at all and I make no claim). As result I do like a rhyme in my pomes and I was drawn to Ara’s late entry and Janus’s masterful compilation of place names for that reason, but for staying with the theme and evoking the kind of perplexity that only a new beginning can do, I must award the “Poisoned Chalice” this round to Bearsy. Well done, that Bear.

A Friendly Poke

Just a reminder that the Poetry Competition has but a few more days to run, it will of course be extended indefinitely, until some contribution from the female side is received.
By way of encouragement I offer this little piece from a local paper. When I read It I thought of Bearsy who has favored this form in the past, I have a hard time with the sonnet, something about counting in fives.
Continue reading “A Friendly Poke”

How to deal with a whole salmon

I have lost count of the number of meals I prepared over the Christmas and New Year period, but have now reached a point where we are simply using up the left overs. Tonight I will be making fish cakes with the salmon, left over from New Years Eve lunchtime. The salmon has already helped to provide for 14 and there’s a decent part left.

I was lucky, in that I was in the right place at the right time as the fishman in Sainsbury put out the new batch of whole salmon just before Christmas. It was marked at £8 and was suitable for home freezing, having not been previously frozen. I was unlucky, in that when I arrived home to put the salmon in the freezer I discovered that the small freezer which forms the bottom of my kitchen fridge was failing to keep the contents below -6c. Continue reading “How to deal with a whole salmon”

Window (Short story competition)

It took a few moments for her to realise that the man she thought had been waving at her through the window was in fact cleaning it. In readiness for a response she had already subconsciously improved her posture, moved her face into a smile and was just on the point waving back when she simultaneously realised her mistake – it wasn’t Alasdair – and felt a shop assistant observing her with an amused expression.

“In which aisle would I find eggs?” she said turning the ghost of the smile on the girl, determined that she should stay in control and suppress the deep heat of a flush that had already started, “And crystallised ginger?” She turned the trolley in anticipation, “I can’t seem to find anything since you had a change around in here.”

Later, after she had piled all the bags into the car boot she returned to the store’s cafe with The Guardian to have a latte, an almond croissant and two paracetamol. She pulled her glasses and an A5 notepad out of her hand bag and flipped over a few pages of lists to find today’s scrawl and started ticking and adding until she come across something, in her own handwriting that she couldn’t remember adding, and it was completely indecipherable. It seemed to say jumper bernies. She sat and stared at it for some while, but nothing clicked and in the end she put he notepad away and returned to her coffee and croissant. God, she thought, am I going completely mad? She picked up the newspaper and glanced at the front page before opening it at the crossword.

The first clue she glanced at was 1 Down:  What can a sticking plaster sing at Yuletide? (2, 4, 4, 3, 9). She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Shut her eyes and leaned back to think.

“Well I never! Hello, Vicky,” said a man’s voice.

She looked up to find a tall, elegant man smiling at her. She frowned lightly,

“I’m sorry?” Continue reading “Window (Short story competition)”

People’s Poet, Roger McGough

I have for a long time enjoyed listening to ‘Poetry Please’ on Radio 4. I particularly love listening in the garden, whilst working on the borders in the Summer months, for example.
Not all the poetry is to my taste and a big chunk of it is ‘poetry learned at school’ as requested by members of the listening public – but it is all read so beautifully and there’s a wide choice, so get to hear poets and poems that I have haven’t yet read. There are numerous publications – I googled and discovered there’s now a CD which was released for an anniversary, which may just slip onto my Amazon Wish List!

‘Poetry Please’ is not currently on the schedules, (so I can’t send you to a ‘listen again’ link) but then presenter, Roger McGough, he of Lily the Pink and Scaffold fame, is busy taking on a new responsibility. Continue reading “People’s Poet, Roger McGough”

Unwitting Thief

The ones at the front were full of people so I entered the train at one of the middle carriages. Travelling light, I was only going to be on for a few stops. I sat down and heard the train whistle. Before it moved away a young man managed to squeeze himself onto the train. Even though there were lots of empty seats he sat on a chair facing me with only a table between us. Little beardy guy, he was. Had socialist written all over him. Was carrying a cheap Pravda rucksack. I expected him to ask me for money.

Trying to ignore miniature Castro and with lunch still some time away, I decided to have a snack. There was a vending machine in my carriage and I fancied a Mars Bar. These machines can be a bit of a lottery at times and they’ve malfunctioned on me many times in the past. This time I felt confident. Continue reading “Unwitting Thief”