writing 101: poetry (december 2015)

about Christmas…

Image | | andy townend 
about christmas
        russian shell(s)
        ukraine hell(s)
about christmas 
        freezing cold
        forgotten old
about christmas
        homeless (not) hopeless
        clueless politician, regardless
about christmas
        behind closed doors
lie (closed) minds
about christmas
        how much, is enough
               for you
                   for them
                       for us
let's talk... about christmas

exposed

spotted

spirit (me away)

not just for christmas

not the pandemic 

do you feel lucky?

palmed off

face off

caged dreams

lack of intimacy

you looking at me?

where are all the little people?

no, on reflection

closed (for christmas)

*images made with Fujifilm X100F with fixed 23mm f/2 lens*

farewell

Image | | andy townend

Farewell has a sweet sound of reluctance. Good-by is short and final, a word with teeth sharp to bite through the string that ties past to the future.
― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

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This is my final post in the WordPress Writing 101: Poetry course hosted by WordPress editor Ben Huberman.  You can see each of the poems I penned for the course here and, if you have the stomach for more, you can also read my poems from Writing 201: Poetry. I recommend these courses to you without reservation. Ben and his colleagues, and those who participate, create a stimulating environment in which to learn and share. Find out more at the WordPress Blogging U page.

Thank you to all those on the course who dropped by to read my attempts at poetry, and do feel free to join Poetry 101 Rehab each Monday.

Finally, today’s prompt comes from my friend, Lucile de Godoy who is Brazilian/Dutch and lives in Amsterdam, from where she shares her views through words and photos. You can find Lucile on her blog, Bridging Lacunas, and in the Photo Rehab blogging community, as well as on Twitter @luciledegodoy, Instagram, and Flickr.

Have a great weekend!

How can I say it better then Steinbeck?

Especially when living in Molenbeek?

When I say farewell.

I mean well.

So, Goodbye.

Not,

‘bye.

wordpress writing 101 | poetry | farewell | prompt by lucile de godoy

 

graffiti

Image | | andy townend

cause we need a little controversy
’cause it feels so empty

 – lyrics from without me, eminem

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This is my response to the prompt for Day Eight of the WordPress Writing 101 Poetry course. And, as the prompt is, err, amazingly, my very own prompt, I’m interrupting your enjoyment (momentarily) so that I can thank Ben Huberman for inviting me to contribute today, even though there are so many better qualified poets out there. By which I mean, those of you who can actually, you know, write, uh, poetry. You know who you are.

More to the point, thank you to all who have taken the trouble to find your way to my post!

< gratuitous plug >
The photo, by the way, was shot by me in the dark interior of the BIGZ building in Belgrade. If you’d like to find out more, or failing that, see what I saw, feel free to visit belgradestreets and check out bigz graffiti or  all that jazz or even broken, and then book a flight to Belgrade, and then, why not pop into a bookstore and take a look at my book! 😉
< / gratuitous plug >

And hey, if you need more Poetry when this is all over, why not make a note to join Poetry 101 Rehab every Monday?

< graffiti >

in your face
it’s my freakin’ space
my only
place

 < / graffiti >

so out of order
blood splattered border
couldn’t be (more) bored(er)

< graffiti >

i don’t freakin’
care
how you fare or (even)
if you
care

< / graffiti >

it’s my
way
to
get

 < / even >

writing 101 | poetry | eight | seconds | prompt by me (in’em) 😉

 

missing person (notice) 

Image | | andy townend

and when we reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact
― haruki murakami, kafka on the shore

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monsieur B. de’Velo

last seen, in a moment of passion
missing in action
most likely, inaction
no longer, in fashion

monsieur B. de’Velo

if you have seen him, or
are otherwise
cognisant of, his
(dis)position

reply, on a postcard
your cheque’s in
the post
your reward, in
heaven

just like

monsieur B. de’Velo

writing 101 poetry | seven | beloved | prompt by Vijaya Sundaram

poetry 101 rehab: fallacy

Image | | andy townend

“the most idiotically useless phrase in a beginner’s French textbook”

 – Life Magazine, 1958

Poetry 101 Rehab was initially created for those who missed the creative writing challenge of the Writing 201 Poetry course run by the Daily Post.

 

How does it work?

Feel free to answer the prompt, twist it or ignore it; write a poem of your own or share a poem by another author. Write about your inspiration, your creative process or other poetry related thoughts, but this is in no way obligatory. Nothing is obligatory in this challenge. The idea is to get together, talk poetry and enjoy.

How can you take part?

Anyone can take part, anytime you want. Publish your poetry post and add a link to it by clicking on the Poetry 101 Rehab badge below or share your link in a comment. Use the tag Poetry 101 Rehab, so we can find each other in the Reader.

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I will be your host, and I’m here to reply to your comments, read your poetry, like and comment. While this post is the starting point for this week’s challenge, do visit fellow poets in the link-up and chat to them on their blogs!

The prompt for this week is FALLACY.

it’s self evident to me
(and my little
pet flea)
that
the world is flat

as flat as the mat
on which
sat (Schrodinger’s)
cat

as flat as la plume
de ma tante
on which
(i imagine), she
(repeatedly)
sat

as flat as the gnat
swatted dead
with just
one swipe
of my hat

some say it is round
but what
do they know
they’ll all come
around
soon enough
to my
way of thinking

or i’ll eat my hat

so that’s
that

This week’s prompt is also my rambling, and (unusually) whimsical, response to the prompt for Day 6 of the WordPress Writing 101 Poetry .

What will your take on the keyword FALLACY be?

Write about it in a poetry post and share your link in the comments section of this post and / or by clicking on the Poetry 101 Badge above.

writing 101 poetry | six  | fallacy | prompt by jason preu

freedom

Image | | andy townend

fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes
you are free

― jim morrison

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freedom

in whose name?

freedom

to maim and shame?

freedom

in whose name?

freedom

to put to the flame?

freedom

in whose name?

freedom

it’s a crying shame

to know what we do in ‘their’

name

.

writing 101 | poetry | five | freedom | prompt by  impossiblebebong