November
by Thomas Hood
No sun–no moon!
No morn–no noon!
No dawn–no dusk–no proper time of day–
No sky–no earthly view–
No distance looking blue–
No road–no street–
No “t’other side the way”–
No end to any Row–
No indications where the Crescents go– Continue reading “November”
Bearsy set a high bar for this one, but here’s my attempt.
Continue reading “The Owl and the Pussycat, Twenty Years On. (Poetry Comp.)”
Did I see a comment about restarting the poetry competition, anyone?
How about a Roald Dahl-esque poem, telling a fairy tale, but not one he did in his Revolting Rhymes Collection…. so not ‘Cinderella’ – ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ – ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’- ‘Goldilocks’ – ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ – or the Three Little Pigs.
Closing date December 10th. Post a link in comments below…
Ever let the Fancy roam,
Pleasure never is at home:
At a touch sweet Pleasure melteth,
Like to bubbles when rain pelteth;
Then let winged Fancy wander
Through the thought still spread beyond her: Continue reading “Keats…”
When I was a child, one of my favourite books was Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat. I must confess that from the age of eight I was firmly on the side of the dashing Cavaliers and Charles 1; and in many respects, I still am to this day!
So, whilst I am preparing an account of why he came to such a sticky end, and extolling the virtues of Oliver Cromwell, you might enjoy this poem by one of the “Cavalier Poets”, Richard Lovelace, set to music by Fairport Convention.
To Althea, From Prison
Richard Lovelace 1642
When love with unconfined wings
Hovers within my gates;
And my divine ALTHEA brings
To whisper at the grates;
When I lye tangled in her haire,
And fetterd to her eye,
The birds, that wanton in the aire,
Know no such liberty.
Geoffrey Hill, Professor of Poetry gives a public lecture three times a year and yesterday was the last of this academic year. So, after work yesterday I drove into Oxford and parked the car in St Giles, then walked across town to the Examination Schools. Timing was tight: the lecture started at 5:30pm. Continue reading “Inside and outside”
And then they land, and thou art seen no more.
Maidens who from the distant hamlets come
To dance around the Fyfield elm in May,
Oft through the darkening fields have seen thee roam,
Or cross a stile into the public way.
Oft thou hast given them store
Of flowers—the frail-leaf’d, white anemone—
Dark bluebells drench’d with dews of summer eves,
And purple orchises with spotted leaves—
But none has words she can report of thee.
Matthew Arnold – The Scholar Gypsy
Where are you, Poets, that a Hero dies
Unsung? He who, when Duty brought too soon
His billet of rest toiled on till he had won
The countersign of Glory?
A plea for pomes!
An Author Addiction
And Awful Affliction
Avoiding Any Actual
Artistic Achievement
Alliteration in poetry can be very effective, and overdone can be amusing. Any form will do, but a minimum of eight lines please. The theme is gem stones or precious metals but please include some awesome alliteration!
Submit your scribbles, or even gorgeous gems in a post or on this thread by Midnight, 19th May 2011
On the Canal
The pondskaters’ erratic
flick-flack glide disrupts
like light shower dimples
while the flash of a fish
spreads ripples through
inverted sunset clouds.
Over fragile corrugations
the skaters slip-slide
sideways to the dark bank
as night breathes in
through the fading light
like brush strokes
Submission time for this period’s competition has come and gone.
The rules weren’t too taxing, any genre to include at least one African place name or personality.
We had three entries and I enjoyed each and every one (as I always do.)
Araminta’s submission continued the woes of Monty Mouse and his holiday plans, I do enjoy the trials and tribulations of poor old Monty, thank you Ara keep ’em coming.
Bearsy submitted a very clever piece on financial fraudsters leaving even close family members destitute. It reminded me of close friends of my parents who were left in a similar situation back in the ’80’s, they lost almost everything, thank you Bearsy, I love it when these competitions make us sit up and think.
Christophertrier submitted a haunting entry on post colonial Africa, will things get better? Christopher doesn’t tell us but I’d like to think so.
And the winner is….
Christopher, congratulations, over to you for the next one!
Boadicea's Chariot 
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