Category: Poetry

Waterstone’s Sonnet -Jan Poetry Comp.

I’m found high up, a tiny crescent mark
a comma wand’ring from its rightful place
abused by every ill-read grocer’s clerk
some oft’ used plural noun to sore deface.

When I’m true placed, behind all proper nouns
the power of possession, I’ll at once confer.
I’m in mid-word?  I beg thee, spare thy frowns,
you’ll know the missing letters I do there infer.

A worthless vestige, or some antiquated sign
I never was.  Sad victim of some Ad-man’s pen
will never be, until the writing of the final line
means to us all the great, and last, amen.

When the rules of English usage they defile,
ALL the many Waterstones must we revile.

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.

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”

John Donne

A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day
 
Tis the year’s midnight, and it is the day’s,
Lucy’s, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks;
         The sun is spent, and now his flasks
         Send forth light squibs, no constant rays;
                The world’s whole sap is sunk;
The general balm th’ hydroptic earth hath drunk,
Whither, as to the bed’s feet, life is shrunk,
Dead and interr’d; yet all these seem to laugh,
Compar’d with me, who am their epitaph. Continue reading “John Donne”

Poetry Competition – A New Beginning

Theme for the first competition  of 2012 – A New Beginning.

Anything you wish to make of it.  The New Year,  a new home, a new country, a new love, a new bike, upon being released from prison – you get the idea.

To avoid the somnolence which follows the season’s festivities I would like to set the closing at midnight January 10, 2012 (GMT or equivalent) or when the first female contribution is made, whichever is later 🙂

Results of the Revolting Rhymes competition

A good, but short selection of ‘Revolting Rhymes’ for this revival of the poetry competition. Very hard to judge….

Bearsy’s poem (here) was a well told tale of the ‘King’s New Clothes’ with an excellent delayed rhyme scheme and with overtones, to my mind of AA Milne as well and Dahl!

Low Wattage gave us a new version of ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ (here) capturing their grief after the wedding excellently, with a couple of ‘in-house’ references, cleverly placed!

Janus made an excellent go of ‘The Tin Soldier’ (here) – though from the comments I read afterwards he had to sort out formatting and do a little post-post- editing, helped in the end by Bearsy! I hate that stanza thing disappearing when pasting in from word! What’s the answer, Old Bear?

John Mackie’s contribution tells the tale of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (here) with a lovely twist – the addition of Stockholm Syndrome!!! Hilarious.

After thought and consideration I hereby nominate Low Wattage as the winner this time and hand the honour of setting the next competition to him.