Remember/Forget

 

I’m proud to be supporting the Orange Sunshine event tonight raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Here is my poem about this terrible condition which will be in my set.

More about the event can be found here.

We can all forget things it’s true,
Trivial thoughts can easily slip our mind,
Phones or keys can be misplaced,
Sometimes you lose track of the time.
But what if you forgot something,
That was a large chunk of your life?
What if you lost those thoughts forever?
Like you forgot you had children or a wife.
What if these lost memories teased you,
Flitting back briefly into your brain.
Only to vanish again just as quick,
While at your failing memory you complain.
What if your family and friends tried to help,
Doing their best to get through to you.
Powerless though to help you remember,
Looking on, hiding tears at what you forget to do.
Think on this next time you can’t remember,
Something trivial you were going to do.
Your memories will return, then when they do,
Remember those who can’t remember you.

Applications for the new Walsall Poetry Collection are closing soon

UPDATE – Applications are now closed, however the Walsall Poetry Society are always working on new projects, please give us an email to find out more.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

It’s been over a month since the Walsall Poetry Society put out a call for poets from Walsall and beyond to contribute to a poetry collection and they are now announcing that if you haven’t already contributed but wish to then time is running out.

If you’re a poet with a Walsall or local connection and want to submit some poems for the book then you have until the end of February to get in touch. If you’ve already contributed then thank you, details will be coming soon on when the book will be available.

Full details of how to contribute can be found by clicking here.

Don’t despair if you have nothing ready Walsall Poetry Society are planning more books, write to them – the email address is in the above link – to be added to their mailing list or like the Facebook page to keep up to date with any new projects, open mics, performance opportunities and more.

 

Escape

Cautiously I weave through the city’s streets
Hoping to spot a gap in its defences
An escape route to dodge the urban chaos.
But I’m not quick enough, I’m seen.

The city cleverly outmaneuvers me.
Chain link fences rapidly spring up,
High Vis jacketed guards are deployed,
Eagerly readying diversion signs.

I consult my electronic map
Tapping a route from A to bus.
I peer down gloomy back streets,
Desperate to circumvent chain link.

The city easily foils me again.
It throws up chewed up concrete,
Piling it across my escape route
Forcing me again to adapt quickly.

Alternate routes are no-go zones.
As slow hulking diggers and drills
Blockade bus and cycle lanes,
Oblivious to the honking tailback.

Tightly hugging the shadows
I place my faith in my electronic map.
Its reassuring beeps and buzzes
Shepherds me through hell to my goal.

I see my target, the last bus
Just as it starts to depart.
I desperately fling out my arm
Hoping the driver is on my side.

I finally escape the chaos,
Driving into the sunset
A Hollywood happy ending.
Until I wake tomorrow.

 

Dedicated to anyone who has their commute disrupted by road works.

The Secret Life of Pistachios

To sit down and attempt to write a poem about pistachios
Is really a lot harder than you might suppose.
As they’re not that exciting, they just sit still and grow,
Only moving if the wind around them blows.
Because exciting things don’t happen to pistachios you know.

No, never has a super villain with oily black moustachios,
Fiendishly hijacked the world’s supply of pistachios.
Remaining unchallenged until a nut loving hero arose,
Who defeated the dastardly villain with some superb judo.
Because these things don’t happen to pistachios you know.

At no point did macadamia lovers invent a crazy gizmo,
That would vaporise instantly every single pistachio.
Enabling their snack rival to be completely deposed,
So the world would have to eat only the nuts they chose.
Because nothing bizarre happens to pistachios you know.

The news has never broadcast that all pistachios,
Were accidentally to deadly radiation exposed.
Causing nut lovers to glow then fall like dominoes
Leaving their dead bodies in the streets to decompose.
Because pistachios aren’t the stuff of sci-fi you know.

So I’m left with nothing interesting to write about pistachios,
Except to make up a lot of right nonsense I suppose.
While waiting for something cool about them to show,
Then an epic poem about these mighty nuts I can compose.
Because one day something exciting will happen to pistachios.

Fair Acre Press and the Maligned Species project

Independent publishers Fair Acre Press recently closed their Maligned Species poetry project and I imagine as you read that sentence you are starting to wonder why am I writing about it.

Firstly I wanted to bring Fair Acre to your attention because they are an interesting publishing house often having intriguing ideas and competitions, so if you are a writer or poet they are certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Secondly I am proud to say one of my poems entitled “50 Shades of Grey Squirrels” will be published by them when that part of the Maligned Species project hits ebook stands. Even better news is that for every ebook sold Fair Acre will donate money to an ecological good cause so if you buy their books not only do you get a great read but you’re helping charity as well. What’s stopping you, the Spider ebook is available here.

National Libraries Day – the day after

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be involved in the local celebration of National Libraries Day, as myself and other members of the Walsall Poetry Society took part in Cannock Litfest. This was a great event where local poets, historians, authors and illustrators gathered to meet the public and each other to talk about their work.

I had a table where I could display the second edition of my current poetry book and chat to interested folks as they came to browse.

To say the day was busy would be an understatement as I juggled selling books, holding an impromptu poetry workshop on Frozen and meeting the other attendees. I really enjoyed the day and just want to say thanks to Cannock Library for inviting myself and other Walsall Poetry Society members.

And we made the paper, click here.

Kam 4 Tony B 4 Eva

Kam 4 Tony B 4 eva
Sprayed on an underpass wall.
Love so boldly declared,
With a vandal’s scrawl.

Kam 4 Tony B 4 eva,
Does either of them know.
Of this spray painted statement,
That has put their love on show.

Kam 4 Tony B 4 eva,
Will people cry?
If they separate
Before the paint is dry.

 

Based on an actual piece of graffiti I used to see until the council recently painted over it.

The Theatre Cloud’s Loneliness project seeks poets

I’m always on the look out for interesting poetry competitions and the free one from Theatre Cloud entitled Loneliness is just too interesting not to share.

Here’s the blurb from the site.

“In this creative project, we want you to write a POEM or a short duologue ABOUT LONELINESS. You might be inspired to write about a character in Steinbeck’s novel. You may want to reflect on your own life or experience you’ve had, you may find inspiration from a friend or something you’ve seen on the news. 

We want you to write something honest but playful  and from the heart.

Although the theme is LONELINESS, we’re encouraging you to think about the many themes that relate to this in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men: friendship, isolation, innocence, freedom, justice, violence, prejudice, age, race, masculinity,  femininity and vulnerability, economic hardship and the struggle to survive.”

Read more here

It’s very easy to submit a poem and there are some great ones already uploaded,

Here’s mine.

If you do submit a poem or have already done so please leave a link in the comments, and if you are entering good luck.