Black Friday
Who considers this American import matches the idea of ‘Seasonal Goodwill’? Black Friday, the official day to be suitably depressed by buyers and sellers greed. Not to be confused with The Black Death, but similar in effect.
Category: Humour
A Young Ornithologist’s Primer
This poem was written after my wife Jean said that she would write a children’s book called ‘That Bastard Bird’ PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARROW BUTTON ABOVE TO HEAR THIS READ. See the big bird. The big bird’s name is Percy. Percy has big feet. Percy’s big feet …
Simple Joy (for Jacqui Jones interactive artwork at The Undercroft)
This poem is itself an interactive response. Jacqui liked the reference to ‘simple joy’ in my poem Migration Counterpoint and decided that concept would be the subject matter of the interactive installation she was to display in The Undercroft in Norwich, for the 2015 Norwich Fringe Festival. When she told …
The moment before
No explanation is needed for this Haiku, its all in the image. Wonder in a glass where do you enter delight the clean spoon hovers
Artists model
Today I have had a new experience, which is always welcome at my age. I sat as a life model for a group of artists. The last time I had my image sketched was by a ten minute street artist in Beijing in 1996 (see image below). I am …
Peregrine
Jean and I were watching a murmuration of Starlings gather, about 6000 birds in two groups, when a Peregrine Falcon attacked the group I was videoing, first from the right, then from the left. The effect on the Starlings was amazing, and here is a Tanka to celebrate that moment. …
Secretary Bird Tanka
Here is a thirty- one syllable Tanka straight from the Central Kalahari, inspired by that wonderful member of the Eagle family. The photos were taken with my birthday present from my wife. Some soar but I stride tirelessly in long black shorts quills behind my ears desiccation …
Mr and Mrs Badge
Have you ever been on a wonderful travel experience, where one or more of those taking part think that you are very fortunate to have them in the group? PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARROW BUTTON ABOVE TO HEAR THIS POEM How reassuring it must be believing your experience and …
Reading the Rune
A recent note from Geraldine Green reminded me to post another one of my poems that started in one of her dynamic workshops in January 2014, and was subsequently polished over a several months to result in this final version. PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARROW BUTTON ABOVE TO …
A Sweet Retrospective
In the 1930’s the Pan Floor Manager was the most powerful man in the Home Grown Sugar (beet) factories, and a seven year apprenticeship had to be undertaken to learn how to boil sugar. That power had long gone in the 1960’s and it took me about a month to …
Perception
The simple act of looking is one of the most complex processes that our body carries out. It is also a perfect illusion, because it convinces us that reality is universally identical. PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARROW BUTTON ABOVE TO HEAR THIS POEM How convinced we are that what …
Poetry Workshop at Shotley Peninsula
On January 10th 2014 I took part in a poetry workshop, led by Geraldine Green, who was in fine form and enthused the small group of good poets who were taking part. The poem below was one of the ‘spin offs’ from the day. PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARROW KEY …
The Scream
I recently missed, by error, an excellent lecture about the painter Edvard Munch’s work, with particular reference to his best known painting ‘The Scream’. Two days later I found a remarkable hagstone (i.e. a stone pierced by one or more holes). PLEASE PUSH THE ARROW BUTTON TO HEAR THIS POEM …
Tiffling acrorst
This poem is about weed control in farming, but set before the discovery of pesticides, and when the Suffolk dialect was commonplace.
Knees.
Michael Laskey led an interesting workshop ‘Writing the Self’ in October 2009. We were asked to write about parts of our bodies, and this was my contribution.
Reference F.O. Code EB2
I still have my second world war ration book.