Busy, busy, busy...no time for waffle (I know, I know... so unlike me...).
Firstly the review of Friday night's poetry/music event here in Montrose is over at the other blog (this one!).
Secondly the Poetry Bus magazine is still for sale (here) and I've got my copies (hurray!). So far I have particularly enjoyed the beautiful cover and the poems 'For God's Sake (and one for my baby)' by Liz Gallagher, 'To Destroy your letters' by Saint James Harris Wood and 'Chalks' by Colm Keegan (I haven't read anything like the whole thing yet though). Obviously I am biased (being in it...) but if every publication is influenced by its creator/publisher then this magazine is (thanks to Peadar) one of the most genuinely positive reads I've had in a long while. All poetry magazines have pretensions but pretension is a big wide word and here, for sure, all the pretensions are good (lots of fun finding out other Poetry Bus bloggers' real names too... assuming they are real names and not just more pseudonyms like, er, mine...).
And finally, the Poetry Bus (online) prompt for this week from Niamh B is:
Pick a newspaper, any newspaper. Find a little story - no more than 2 inches of print... i.e. a really short news item - nothing majorly important.
Make a poem inspired by it.
So last week I picked a story out of the local paper about a young guy of 24 doing community service for carrying a dangerous weapon.
And now... the poem (removed temporarily):
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p.s. Nice to see you, to see you nice.
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31 comments:
Oh and there's more...I've put some of my Poetry Bus mag thoughts over on Peter G's post too (here).
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Well, you really got inside the little toerag's head with that one! Succinct and no BS.
Glad Friday went well - never heard of the poets, but that's a reflection on me, not them. Great to see you bringing it to the masses.
Been reading your poem in the Bus mag Peter! What is a 10D please (sounds like a very odd bra size..)?
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All the poets from Friday night are Scottish and/or Scottish based, Peter, so I'm sure you know more Irish ones than me! And anyway you do know one of them (Morgan) but you maybe know him under another name.
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That poem says so much Rachel and is the best reason I know for young people behaving as they do. We all need to feel we are somebody.
Can't wait for my mag from Peadar to arrive - I think he deserves an accolade for his part in it all.
I can kind of emphasise with the persona in this poem. how pretentious am I. If I had a gun I'd carry it around, too. Thank god I live in Ireland and they're not easily obtainable.
I liked your line lengths, and the matter-of-fact way you have of description and narration. I like it:)
Yes, Weaver, quite so... and there are so many of us now!
I think most of us have an inner assassin, Jessica (hell, there's a couple of people I could happily put out of their misery right this week!)... so yes, thank heavens for the locked gun cabinet! Glad you like the poem, language etc. - some people really don't share your view so it's always good to get it from all sides.
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Your poem, Rachel, says it all without saying much.That's what poetry does well, and you do it really well here. Nice one!
And that's a terrific response to the the mag, I'm delighted! Thanklee!
Ps. 'Good game, good game!'
Perfect.
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Oh, and 10 D is (part of) the latest number plate here in Ireland. 10 for 2010 and D (in this case) for Dublin.
I remember that EVERYBODY wanted the millenium plate 00 it became really iconic all those years ago, the ultimate status symbol of the Celtic Tiger, and I got one !!
Trouble is I didn't get my 00 till 2007! Doh!
Thanks. I was totally in the dark there...thought it must be a model of BMW or something!
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I'm waiting for my copy of the PBM to land in my #304 mailbox in this apartment building in which I'm currently living. It will utterly be the highlight of my day when it arrives, I'm sure.
Re: "Stunning" As Peter G said, you definitely got into his head, Rachel. I liked that line "I am skinny and ugly". Was there a photo, or did you just expect him to be that way? Really good.
Kat
Thanks Kat - no, it's all from the imagination. Poor bloke - he's probably drop dead gorgeous and only carrying it out of self-defence because he's being stalked by admirers. You never know.
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I agree with the others - I was nodding my head, "oh THAT'S why they do stupid stuff like that!" :)
Well, it's one scenario... Cheers though.
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Love, love, love the way you followed "man" with "little". That is to me the mark of good poetry, those details that awaken feelings in the reader, whether spring out consciously or unconsciously from the writer's hand.
Have a very good week. That was a beast of a poem.
Greetings from London.
Glad I wrote one this week now. Wasn't sure I was going to what with everything else going on.
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That is a good poem.
Wow! This is really strong, Rachel. I love that ending - the last line like a shot.
All fab.
You said it yourself (with the title) "Stunning"!
Love the poem Rachel. Poetry can be so direct. From thought to page & page to thought(s). Like you said though, just one scenario... Is it because I'm gay, or because I'm a big soft liberal that I find myself feeling sorry for him? Don't answer that. I refer you to the title track from Scroobius Pip & Dan le Sac's first Album - Angles... Also brilliant. Axx
Thanks people. And Andy, I am, of course, a big soft liberal too (most of the time anyway) and I don't think there's anything in the poem that says you can't feel sorry for this guy. I find it interesting to see how different people react to it and where they place themselves in the story (as it were). It has much to do with our experience to date and our own place in the world and all that.
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Great poem Rachel, really strong and direct
Love it.
Your poem was sharp, minimun words for maximun effect.
A poem as compact and heavy as the object it's about. Masterly!
Brilliant responses. Thanks.
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That last line took my breath away!
'Nice to see you, to see you nice...'
How I cheered with enthusiasm as I realised that this poem was about Brucie Forsyth, who's a legend in the field of cabaret.
'Partly I just like the feel of it' should have given it away... It's his wig, isn't it. Marvellous!
Oh Stan - you got me! Everything I do in some way hopes to glorify the finest figures from 1970s light entertainment. We have no greater gods.
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Excellent - short and sharp, like a knife.
Here's Richard Thompson on the same theme -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciotQwhvOS4
Can't see that clip, Dick. It says it's been removed!
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