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Post-weekend Poetry

** POETRY FOR THIS SLOT IS NOW BOOKING INTO JUNE 2013
And I have a new online poetry writing group: http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
and linked Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934 **

Guidelines: Email me

your poem (60 lines max)
<250 words on the inspiration behind it
<250-word third-person biography
links to your website, blog etc.
All text (other than poem if appropriate) with no indentation, and single-spaced please and all together in one document please.
and a photo of yourself and / or book(s) – as separate attachments please.
Please remember that any of your work that I publish on this blog is deemed as published so don’t send me anything that you want to send to a competition (because they usually only want unpublished) as do some paying markets (see Submissions – Poetry for some of those).
Please allow a minimum of two weeks for a reply before chasing me!

I’ve been acutely aware that there’s a distinct lack of poetry on my blog. This is partly because I don’t write much (I’m a fiction fan but also I’ve never really been taught the craft of poetry) and, let’s face it, there are more prose writers out there than poets… or certainly in the proportions who contact me.

A while back poet Philip Ellis asked me via Twitter if I’d take poems and I said, “sure, why not” (or something like that) but sadly there wasn’t an eighth day in the week starting with ‘P’ but this morning (11th December) Neel left a comment on my Flash Fiction Friday page saying he was looking forward to reading fortnightly poetry. So, it’s now time to even up the scales a little, and go one better than fortnightly. This page, therefore, will be dedicated to weekly poetry and contain the links from the slots that will make up ‘Post-weekend Poetry’, post-weekend being Monday evenings (c.7pm UK time).

So, I am now throwing down the gauntlet to you poets out there who would like a platform for your poetry. As with everything else creative on this blog, you retain the copyright and I will not use it anywhere else without your permission. You, on the other hand, can have posted it anywhere and everywhere before or after it goes live here, I’m not precious about exclusivity… in fact I like the thought of more than just my visitors (ave.200+ daily) seeing your writing.

Posted

001: Dactylic Pentameter by poet Phillip Ellis – 12th December 2011. Phillip guest blogged for me late November and we chatted back in July (interview no.55). And he’s mentioned this page on his blog.
002: The Chill Turned Warm by poet Bonnie Gail Carter – 19th December. Bonnie’s book of poetry, from which this poem is brought, is listed on this blog’s ‘Books – other people’s‘ page.
003: For She is Younger by novelist and poet John J Hohn – 2nd January 2012. You can also read John’s guest blog 1, guest blog 2 and interview.
004: The Lady on the Train by poet and short story author Ruth Holroyd – 9th January
005: Empty by supernatural mystery/horror author and scriptwriter and interviewee Julia Kavan – 16th January
006: The Androyd by science-fiction novelist and poet Vincent Miskell – 30th January
007: Twit Twoo by poet and short story author Ruth Holroyd – 6th February
008: unlucky poem Funny World by Linda Eve Diamond – 13th February
009: Poet Phillip Ellis returned with When Time is an Ocean: an Experiment – 20th February
010: Another Mermaid Story by literary author and poet Rose Mary Boehm – 27th February
011: Soldier’s Cry by children’s author and poet Dicy McCullough – 5th March
012: Tragic Needs by poet and article writer Grace Eagle Reed – 12th March
013: Like a Shard of Glass by poet and short story author Ruth Holroyd – 19th March
014: Phillip Ellis returned, reviewing Chris Hamilton-Emery’s ’101 Ways to Make Poems Sell’ – 26th March
015: Linda Eve Diamond returned with her humorous poem The Cobbod Cold – 2nd April
016: True love by poet Sandy Hartman – 9th April
017: When the Great Strength Fails by poet Louis J Casson – 16th April
018: Waiting Game by poet and scriptwriter Jackie Atkins – 23rd April
019: Two sonnets by historical author and poet Elizabeth Vallone – 30th April
020: The Flame by artist, poet and children’s author Lesley Fletcher – 7th May
021: On Being a Writer by YA, science-fiction, horror author and poet Kenna McKinnon – 14th May
022: Linda Eve Diamond returned with her poem Geometry 101 – 21st May
023: Phillip Ellis returned to review Sage Cohen’s book Writing the Life Poetic – 28th May
024: Poem from Other World by poet, essayist, short story author and novelist Garden Urthark – 4th June
025: From Work Tables They Raise Pine Voices by poet and short story author Salvatore Buttaci – 11th June
026: Earth Bound by poet Sandy Hartman – 18th June
027: Love Lure by poet, short story author, scriptwriter and lyricist Ken Temple – 25th June
028: Droplet by poet, prose and article writer Kimberly Gray – 2nd July
029: About the Dove by multi-genre author Micki Peluso – 9th July
030: Linda Eve Diamond returned with her poem Snowed In – 16th July
031: Lies by Alison Strange-Green – 23rd July
032: With the Olympics in full flow, we had a page of 4-line Olympics-related poems for this slot – the idea started by Keith Blowes contribution, subsequently received from Dr Arjit Bag, Sharon E Cathcart and Barbara Barth– 30th July
033: Testify by V.E. Lee – 6th August
034: Black Dog Three by poet, non-fiction author, novelist and interviewee Maggie Ball – 13th August
035: Hospital Bed by poet, novelist, short story author, and organiser of the International Welsh Poetry Competition Dave Lewis – 20th August
036: Poet Sandy Hartman returned with Pride of ownership – 27th August
037: Linda Eve Diamond returned with her poem The Problem with Interrupting – 3rd September
038: At the Time of Death by Dr Arijit Bag – 10th September
039: First Contact by poet Louis J Casson – 17th September
040: Cheezburger by poet, short story author, scriptwriter and lyricist Ken Temple – 24th September
041: Ice Maiden by fiction author and poet Susan Shevlane – 1st October
042: A Fragile Pirate by Flash Fiction Friday contributor Sheila Pierson – 8th October
043: Keyboard by non-fiction author, autobiographer and interviewee Abbie Lipschutz – 15th October
044: And in His Pockets by non-fiction author and interviewee Marlene Caroselli – 22nd October
045: As NaNoWriMo starts on Thursday 1st November, Linda Eve Diamond returned with her poem The Novel – 29th October
046: Yasmin Selena Butt with her fireworks-related poem Six seconds – 5th November
047: Insincere by novelist, short story author, poet, illustrator and interviewee Sophie E Tallis – 12th November
048: A rainy afternoon in London by literary author, poet and interviewee Rose Mary Boehm – 19th November
049: Seasons by poet, short story author, scriptwriter and lyricist Ken Temple – 26th November
050: Memories of a trip by multi-genre author and interviewee Siggy Buckley – 3rd December
051: Poet Sandy Hartman returned with Wisteria – 10th December
052: The Life of a Writer by children’s / YA author and poet Tracy Kauffman – 17th December
053: Snow Drift by poet and short story author Ruth Holroyd – 24th December
054: On Summer by freelance critic, poet and scholar Phillip A Ellis – 31st December
055: 3rd Generation Education by multi-genre author and interviewee Victoria King-Voreadi – 7th January 2013
056: Cats Passing on the Trail by poet Louis J Casson – 14th January
057: If you will be, I shall die by Dr Arijit Bag – 21st January
058: Diago’s Wrath by poet, short story author, scriptwriter and lyricist Ken Temple – 28th January
059: Earth’s Grace by romance, paranormal, Gothic and comedy author, and poet Linda Hays Gibbs – 4th February
060: Daemon or Bird by Charles Francis – 11th February
061: Poet Phillip Ellis returned with Recollected in Tranquility – 18th February
As I was getting a backlog of poems, I ran them as Pre-weekend and Post-weekend Poetry for a while…
062: The Wonder of Snow by poet and short story author Ruth Holroyd – Friday 25th February
063: Novelist, short story author, poet, illustrator and interviewee Sophie E Tallis returned with The Silver Chalice – Monday 25th February
064: The Crack in the Wall by poet, lyricist, novelist and interviewee Nigel Paul – Friday 1st March
065: The Last Stand by memoirist and poet Jill Schaefer – Monday 4th March
066: Swing Away, My Innocence by poet and short story author William Bortz – Friday 8th March
067: Fifteen by multi-genre author Nigel Hey – Monday 11th March
068: Recipes for our Children’s Brains at College by romance, paranormal, Gothic and comedy author, and poet Linda Hays Gibbs – Monday 18th March
069: Heart Bounce by Mary Robertson – Monday 25th March
070: Freelance critic, poet and scholar Phillip A Ellis returned with An April’s Fool Day Rhyme – Monday 1st April
071: Blue Eyes by poet Mark Hertzberger – Monday 8th April
072: Poet Sandy Hartman returned with Drought – Monday 15th April
073: Novelist, short story author, poet, illustrator and interviewee Sophie E Tallis returned with Breath – Monday 22nd April
074: Syria’s Massacre by romance, paranormal, Gothic and comedy author, and poet Linda Hays Gibbs – Friday 29th April
075: Today’s Slippers Become Tomorrow’s Army Boots by Ute Carson – Monday 6th May
076: Memoirist Jill Schaefer returns with another poem, Game, Set and Match – Monday 13th May
077: Charles Francis returns with Looned – Monday 20th May

Scheduled

078: Louis J Casson returns with ‘Lost Rooms’: lost worlds part #1 – Monday 27th May
079: ‘Product of Boredom?’ by poet and author Marc D Brown – Monday 3rd June
080: Sandy Hartman returns with ‘Epiphany’ – Monday 10th June
081: Linda Hays Gibbs returns with ‘Splinters in My Head’ – Monday 17th June
082: you could have your poem listed here – Monday 24th June
083: you could have your Independence Day poem listed here – Monday 1st July
084: you could have your poem listed here – Monday 8th July
085: Louis J Casson returns with ‘Lingering Through My Latter Days’: lost worlds part #2 – Monday 15th July
086: you could have your poem listed here – Monday 22nd July
085: you could have your poem listed here – Monday 15th July
.…and so on
t.b.a.: Poet Phillip Ellis will return with another poetry review.

If you write poetry, the Northampton Literature Group’s Poetry Circle runs a yearly competition, deadline mid-May (although it’s taking a break in 2013). More poetry (and other genres) competition details in the Competitions Calendar.

The following are interesting articles and websites on poetry:

10 essential poets every student should encounter in school
Slam Poets Geared Up To Do Battle
www.poempigeon.com which “is free and all about spreading poetry”.
NaPoWriMo.net re. National Poetry Month
ABC Reads re. National Poetry Month
Phillip Ellis’ review of Southerly 71:3: A Nest of Bunyips (what a great title!)
Stronger Without The Pressure
http://soundcloud.com/the-footing is an anthology of specially-commission poems that you can listen to online.
http://www.onlinecolleges.net has a list of 100 great website for poetry lovers. Needless to say mine isn’t one of them… maybe one year.
You can read some of Nick Orsini’s poetry at http://www.adorkablelife.com.
Other poetry-related websites include Eyewear, Half-Moon Poetry, Ink Sweat & Tears and Peony Moon. Interviewee poet Kellie Elmore recommends www.allpoetry.com. If you write poetry you could be listed here, just email me.

There are also poetry-related items on this blog’s Links, and Submission info. pages.

And my favourite poet / poems? I love humour, so Shel Silverstein, Wendy Cope and Pam Ayres.

It’s Dark in Here by Shel Silverstein

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it’s rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion’s cage
I’m afraid I got too near.
And I’m writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it’s rather dark in here.

Snowball by Shel Silverstein
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I’d keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first– – it wet the bed.