K. Morris's Blog, page 520

Advice from poet Wendy Cope on poetry writing

A Guardian article in which poet Wendy Cope offers some excellent advice on writing poetry, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/21/poetry.writing.wendycope.

Wendy stresses the importance of the poet being well read (in the sense of having read a wide variety of poetry, in different styles, by a diversity of poets). She also says that poets should practice writing all variaties of poetry in order to hone their craft. For example a poet who feels most comfortable using free verse, should...

ASH

I looked round today and
all I saw was ash,
The ash of my life, spent,
The flame gone out, dead dreams on the ground in rubble.

The scene was bleak, my eyes
Beheld no beauty,
All was ugly, spent now,
I stood there stripped, knowing I could not pick up ash.

Dreams disintegrated,
Hope gone for ever,
Nothing to re-ignite,
Barrenness was my empty companion today.

But suddenly I heard
A voice, saying “Sing,”
What song could I sing now,
Here in this strangest of strange lands, alien now?

The voic...

A Pretty Young Lady Named Ria

A pretty young lady named Ria
Said “all men’s delights are here”.
I looked really hard
And there in her yard
I discovered a barrel of beer!

Eighteen

“I began when I was young” she said.
“How old where you?”
(Will she tell him what is true?).
“Come to bed”
She says
Avoiding his gaze.

She removes her dress
And relieves his stress.
Its all a bit of a haze.
“Maybe sixteen when I started”.
Now, at eighteen,
She considers it obscene
That she began at such a tender age.
He can not hold her gaze

Starting Work On A New Poetry Collection

In June 2017, I published “My Old Clock I Wind And Other Poems”. My collection has received some great reviews and I am delighted that the book is available in electronic, paperback, braille and (most recently) audio format.

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I have many unpublished poems lurking in various places, mainly (but not exclusively) in the My Documents folder on my trusty old laptop! The time has come to remove the virtual cobwebs, perform requisite editing and, in due course publish a further collection.

The above...

Research at University of Wales: Poets living with a sky

A chance for poets to share what inspires them about that great tent the sky.

Business in Rhyme

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I got an opportunity to take part in research ‘Living with a sky’ in front of St Trinity, University of Wales, where essentially we explore how contemporary humans relate to sky. I thought it was a great idea to perform part of research among poets, as the sky, cosmos, moon..have always been a source of inspiration to artists and writers. With some of you...

There was a young lady named Joan

There was a young lady named Joan
Who felt tired with being alone.
She went out on the pull
But all the men being dull
She returned back home on her own

Trees Creak

Trees
Creak
In the breeze.
Make no mistake
Something will break
Whether it be
The tree
Or me

There was a young man named Ed

There was a young man named Ed
Who was found stone cold in bed.
When the undertaker finally came
He said “what a shame
As this man is far from dead!”.

“I must return to this rented land”

Below is a recording of me reading my poem “The Path Through The Woods”.

“The Path Through The Woods” was inspired by the many walks I have taken, in company with my guide dogs, through the woods which form part of The Lawns, parkland situated in the Upper Norwood area of south-east London http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/8113?preview=1.

“The Path Through The Woods” can be found in “Lost In The Labyrinth Of My Mind” which is available from Amazon and can be found here ht...