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Category Archives: poetry
Are you being influenced? #amediting
I recently opened a box that had been moving between lofts, and found myself a present, a book of poetry written down from 1993 to 1995, a flowery hardback book with fountain-pen entries, signed just in case. Now, at the … Continue reading
Posted in Musings, poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Creative writing, creative writing degree, Hugo Williams, influences, poetry, trains
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Lydia -for Lydia Lawrence #amwriting #strongwomen
Good golly miss Molly Did you marry a man with a miner’s lamp and No brolly? Didn’t you know that the marriage bed came sprinkled with Soot? Did he blind you With a title, then tempt you with a butty? … Continue reading
Posted in local history, poetry, secret history
Tagged DH Lawrence, Eastwood, Leonard Bast, Lydia Lawrence, Mining, Nottinghamshire, Victorians
6 Comments
The Taking #BringBackOurGirls #amediting #VAW
The Taking We knew the soldiers were coming Hid in our beds, no one to protect us Goods on the shelf waiting to be stolen Before, that day, we had lessons Cursed algebra, embraced Shakespeare Explored China, played … Continue reading
Posted in poetry, secret history, workshop pieces
Tagged bringbackourgirls, violence against women
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The theme of this International Women’s Day: Remember but Don’t Give Up!
I am pretty sure the unofficial theme of International Women’s Day 2016 is don’t give up. After all, we have got so far. Pity we have so much further to go. As this is a writing blog, I’m sharing a poem … Continue reading
Posted in Musings, poetry, secret history, WeWillRememberThem
Tagged gasworks, Lancashire, layards to catch meddlars, lipstick, poetry
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He loved one thing…
He loved one thing The smell of onion and garlic Cooking, leaking out Of her skin, branding her clothes. That promise of a meal, ready to turn With repetitive force. The comfort of nothingness Of whole countries debased with The … Continue reading
Posted in poetry, workshop pieces, writing
Tagged Anna Akhmatova, creative writing exercises, food, love poetry, poetry
6 Comments
This is my Refuge – a new poem #amwriting (sometimes)
I wrote this poem for a competition. I won’t say which one, but I was way off the mark. I was thinking about home, but perhaps I needed to write something more in the style of someone else, or talk … Continue reading
Love Song: not a sestina #amwriting #rhymingpoetry #new
I have been reading Elizabeth Bishop and playing with rhyming stanzas, but I think there is something missing here. I will have to look up a sestina again! Love Song I know you love me really You just … Continue reading
When Did You Stop Learning Baby? #amwriting #rhymingpoetry #poetry 1994 to 1996
I have been looking through my entire back catalogue and discovered I like at least 24 poems and found more I can’t even remember writing. It is, however, the rhyming ones I wrote early on, before the poetry classes, that … Continue reading
Fable: One from the archive… Can’t remember if this ever saw the light of day… #amwriting
Fable They’re dancing in Chaplain’s She’s only fifteen She’s naive and gorgeous He’s fit and he’s keen It’s clear she’s a virgin He just doesn’t care He gropes at her bottom She fondles his hair They’re dancing so … Continue reading
Posted in Derbyshire Ripley, poetry
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Looking around for something to perform at a performance poetry workshop… ‘Not Waving but Driving’ after Stevie Smith
Not Waving but Driving Everyone saw boyracer’s car But his stereo still pounded ‘There’s nothing like the open road I’m not showing off, just driving’ ‘What a tosser, he was always around the market And now he’s dead His … Continue reading
Posted in Derbyshire Ripley, juvenilia, Musings, poetry
4 Comments
beckydeans 