I don’t write them like I used to they’re not carved out of my bone the way they used to be
I don’t bleed over the carpet in some mouldy rented bathroom like I used to
They used to say it was the angst that drove me some mild flair for painting what had pained me but you have to make peace eventually I don’t know what is driving this anymore
At the end of that final line there’s an ellipsis at the end of all I said there’s an ellipsis saying so much more than I
Now, I don’t sweat it out in twisted sheets with cramped heart and cracked beliefs surrendering my barbed emotions like a flag the way I used to
I don’t tap that vein of pure unfocused bile don’t let it gush across the front row of my imagined audience they don’t say much about my unbridled verse these days like they used to
At the end of every poem there’s an ellipsis at the end of all I said there’s an ellipsis dragging on and on
Pen devoid of poems adventure long overdue living room carpet growing long in the tooth I’m pining for movement so keen to get out I’ll go walking down to Holly Hagg
Little glimpses at normality haloed by golden rays There’s no poison in the idle river no politics in the quiet horse cantering to another chew
The clouds of working day part while I’m out walking bathed in nature’s endless beauty which never disappears only ever obscured by thought or perspective Eased back into focus on the road to Holly Hagg
With every step I take the tension unspools And there are words, waiting ideas that come to me pinned to ancient fenceposts nestled in the cracks between the stones making up the wall that keeps me on the road to Holly Hagg
The walk becomes a gallop blood pumping in my chest body now loose enough for every step to be a dance I am light and free as I close the distance on my prized poetry and the generous view expands beyond Holly Hagg…
Hello dear readers… Fellow blogger, Darell Philip, has nominated my site for a Liebster Award; a way of sharing and discovering interesting new blogs on WordPress.
Darell’s site is well worth a visit. He covers news, opinion pieces and poetry. Check it out, if you get the chance:
My prize/punishment is to answer some of his thoughtful questions and nominate other great bloggers. Which I’ll attempt below:
QUESTIONS:
What is your favourite book and why?
It’s very hard to choose just one, but the book I’ve read most is London Fields by Martin Amis. The prose is dazzling and every line drips with a cleverly constructed barb of black humour.
Which season (Autumn, Spring, Summer or Winter) of the year best describes you?
I was a winter child but since I turned 30, I feel most alive in summer. Autumn is easily the most beautiful and inspiring season though. For me, the new year has always started in mid-September and Autumn has always been waiting there to paint it so colourfully.
In the event of an emergency home evacuation what is the first item you grab?
My pet rabbit, she loves an adventure.
Which historical figure would you most like to meet and why?
Does Carl Sagan count a historical figure yet? I’d love to talk space, humanity and the future with him.
What makes a good blog?
I’m a sucker for a simple, easy to navigate layout. I’m here for the poetry above all else. So, a blog which recedes into the background and just showers me with delicious writing is what I long to stumble across. A mix of styles, quality over quantity and something which offers a bit of background or context about the author (even if it only helps to deepen the mystery/enigma) is a nice touch.
Back to the past or forward to the future?
I would love to have traveled the world before globalisation; perhaps in the 1960s. I’m already headed into the future and quite happy where I am thanks.
Your dream vacation?
I’d love to take a year out and explore everywhere in Asia, writing about the people I see and encounter.
The greatest movie of all time?
Very hard to choose. I love the poetic cinema of Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski (particularly The Double Life of Veronique) but I think the film which ‘has it all’ (for me) is Being John Malkovich; it has big ideas, it’s funny, silly, serious, sad, sci-fi, eccentric and melancholic.
Wealth or health?
Health, 100%.
Your proudest moment?
I’m proud of my career outside of writing and I’m proud of some of my writing. I don’t think there is one moment which stands out though.
MY NOMINATIONS:
Note to nominations: Don’t feel obliged to fill this out or to respond in any way. However, if you find yourself with half an hour to spare… Why not answer the same questions that Darell asked me and repost.
Thanks again to Darell for the nomination and to all the great writers and bloggers out there who inspire me every day. Please do check them out!
Finally, here’s a little piece which sums up what I love about writing and reading poetry:
Why Poems?
Poems are my photographs my diary my inner monologue poems are my measurement my record the fingerprints of emotions invisible no more Poems are my expression the sum of interactions they show my working out Poems are the breath of lost lovers against my neck Poems are my kisses for family and my friends the hugs I seldom give
And your poems… your poems keep me company a little light calling to my lost ship I sip my tea and slip into your mind…
The Lighthouse 