tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46349072844871843072024-03-13T04:04:44.420+00:00Writing short fiction, stories and poemsfor writers and readersMoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-77723086874866157432020-04-24T20:54:00.002+01:002020-04-24T20:54:56.624+01:00Day 24 Dreamies <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDPONw_hgHyUwqzEiqngbxqen_n0p1QZwApQ3adSWa-FMx-8hoqRimKew4Fpim632zuj4bDRJPgCFdBcvwYz_ZD-dOShhjIajGUjGWxOD0GyQY0syMXFyQhS8__PcwIutAo4UlGwdDns/s1600/Surrealist+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="916" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDPONw_hgHyUwqzEiqngbxqen_n0p1QZwApQ3adSWa-FMx-8hoqRimKew4Fpim632zuj4bDRJPgCFdBcvwYz_ZD-dOShhjIajGUjGWxOD0GyQY0syMXFyQhS8__PcwIutAo4UlGwdDns/s320/Surrealist+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">This 'poem' is what happens when you do a Zoom workshop on cut out poetry. First you try out the up to date version of the Paint software. Then you eventually - by the end of the workshop - learn how to put your words into paint. Following that you transfer them into a Word document. <a href="https://foundfiction.org/get-involved/" target="_blank">Here </a>is where I learnt it. And these are the resulting words so far. If you understand these words then you're one step ahead of me. They were cut out of a selection of Facebook posts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am giving these away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">again this week<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">who has panic bought all<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">families<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would like to keep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">nature still legal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or swap simple<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">dreamies or lockdown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">much appreciated</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-6246479043344532912020-04-23T20:28:00.000+01:002020-04-23T20:28:12.982+01:00Day 23 Shakespeare's birthday<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislzuNW4S1cmYdTPD7alKznfx6z52roIm0skqhJLpvGMeFPDD1ICDacQmu5fyShl-YVFn6Cqv1S_7fcgZC2wUsycrQtG4xuCo4w1Faoe1BgYa-8DGUcGjnXasdT23g9Hl8M_z6RqAhX9w/s1600/AnotherPlace1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislzuNW4S1cmYdTPD7alKznfx6z52roIm0skqhJLpvGMeFPDD1ICDacQmu5fyShl-YVFn6Cqv1S_7fcgZC2wUsycrQtG4xuCo4w1Faoe1BgYa-8DGUcGjnXasdT23g9Hl8M_z6RqAhX9w/s320/AnotherPlace1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">So here we are at Day 23, Shakespeare's birthday, and I've drafted a (sort of) sonnet. The prompt was a letter of the alphabet but I've been greedy and encompassed various forms of writing.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ethereal
writing<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It
doesn’t matter if it’s not written in stone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with
ink, pencil, biro or on your phone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those
hieroglyphs and cuneiform held weight<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">carefully
carved, hammered, lines all straight<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with
meaning whether weighing up the deal<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or
telling us how they invented the wheel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chinese
characters didn’t mess with an alphabet<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">images
on scrolls misty mountains beset<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with
flowing gowns and lofty thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">conveying
to the hoi-polloi what they ought<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to
do as sons and daughters. Will ghost lines<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of
Times New Roman leave behind<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">messages
for the artificially intelligent<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or
will it be as if they’ve never been sent?</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-38826260443477183212020-04-22T20:35:00.002+01:002020-04-22T20:35:44.500+01:00Day 20 Cat in a sack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGl4eQcReg_oeZJ-cI8hsf7byYYU11dXjxeivX47QNqbWkuzbLhbBwmhH1mDKR7rIiCTSdm8x7FH1C6KWCI-3jw8wNwHLxlNMcUZ9Lk6HCL0NyDXqj7CtvdKKW-Vz3SGb_35_HcRGTCA/s1600/cat-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGl4eQcReg_oeZJ-cI8hsf7byYYU11dXjxeivX47QNqbWkuzbLhbBwmhH1mDKR7rIiCTSdm8x7FH1C6KWCI-3jw8wNwHLxlNMcUZ9Lk6HCL0NyDXqj7CtvdKKW-Vz3SGb_35_HcRGTCA/s320/cat-unsplash.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@zane4004?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Zane Lee</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/free-cat?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking my prompt today from a German expression. Now I've worked on prompts like this before and it hasn't been very productive but I keep trying...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's the first part of a draft poem:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They told me</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">German idiom: Di Katze im Sack kaufen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">English equivalent: <i>buying a pig in a poke</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you get older you can ride a bike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As time goes by things will get better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you wait for your birthday you can have it</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or save your pennies if you want that doll.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wearing sensible shoes means you won't fall over</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the ones beneath you who aren't worth it anyway</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and people who get caught by the police </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">end up in prison. You should never sleep...</span></div>
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<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-39885560123848264022020-04-21T20:19:00.000+01:002020-04-21T20:19:19.603+01:00Day 21 Anywhere<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX0 SCXW41404017" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeTXBKpSb3NVc-1T151_n73yUI1qlQebFApKVJoPIWV5kUbjuQEWGDCAEQK_sC4Rq3IJNczrjgfpg41JgSJ86ZzxiGmnfYS22jW6cKOHJHdclsfoy_VC666hT9ABLKvFl9nh0p61pNvI/s1600/DSCF4008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeTXBKpSb3NVc-1T151_n73yUI1qlQebFApKVJoPIWV5kUbjuQEWGDCAEQK_sC4Rq3IJNczrjgfpg41JgSJ86ZzxiGmnfYS22jW6cKOHJHdclsfoy_VC666hT9ABLKvFl9nh0p61pNvI/s320/DSCF4008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;">The last few days, during this Corona </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;">pandemic, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">have at last begun to make me feel the pressure of timelessness, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;">and this might be seen in this poem. The prompt </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;">was seeing my reflection in a clock </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;">face.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-variant-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW41404017 BCX0" paraeid="{494f7d05-b607-4775-b490-e34fe59ea2a3}{151}" paraid="1183013314" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It'll be interesting to see in the future just how many poems, and other writing, the Covid-19 outbreak has engendered worldwide. It can be difficult getting sidetracked into other subjects.</span></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I caught myself like a ghost in the clock face</span></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hands took hold of my time and stopped</span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW41404017 BCX0" paraeid="{494f7d05-b607-4775-b490-e34fe59ea2a3}{151}" paraid="1183013314" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">in the germ of a green ocean.</span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW41404017 BCX0" paraeid="{494f7d05-b607-4775-b490-e34fe59ea2a3}{151}" paraid="1183013314" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW41404017 BCX0" paraeid="{494f7d05-b607-4775-b490-e34fe59ea2a3}{151}" paraid="1183013314" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was like seeing my twin but as foreigner</span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW41404017 BCX0" paraeid="{494f7d05-b607-4775-b490-e34fe59ea2a3}{151}" paraid="1183013314" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW41404017 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">and not at all myself...</span></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-44144308708823819102020-04-19T11:58:00.004+01:002020-04-19T11:58:59.601+01:00Day 19 Wild garlic at the cinema<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbM3WmhIvOVGxL1iDhCzDo-iPxuF93bl-gLDbYBn4P4_gyo1DwuR9mQC_pQ-zrN1khZbKrCwjwoW_nQi0QN7QPFjaLJrnYIClL2-nCjatfevUpQ3aeAdHt_FWnvvzMwKdecODPjv15aw/s1600/DSCF4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbM3WmhIvOVGxL1iDhCzDo-iPxuF93bl-gLDbYBn4P4_gyo1DwuR9mQC_pQ-zrN1khZbKrCwjwoW_nQi0QN7QPFjaLJrnYIClL2-nCjatfevUpQ3aeAdHt_FWnvvzMwKdecODPjv15aw/s320/DSCF4061.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prompt today was a 'walking archive' </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which nicely suited a walk I have already </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">done from home today. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be continued, and worked on.</span></div>
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<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wild garlic at the cinema<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You have barely made it into this season<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">yet have a movie to watch with actions galore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">brief encounters with two reservoir dogs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bonnie and Clyde holding thoroughly clean hands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dr Zhivago hunting for sugar at Tesco<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">little Lexie running around Close encounters...</span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-55544789189193233592020-04-15T15:25:00.003+01:002020-04-15T15:25:52.965+01:00Day 10 Washing<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D7UrkaSKnG4ytmQfuHLiHuDQ3Ta3sOVC4-HKr922sn8qhWNNx-mwNcL8quf8DvN87KsCGd36jV9W-NER2T7DXxoPJyGWvoLH5XPNhW5OSXtXHi_vtGExp5wpMpM62C8DTriFjeQ-JrM/s1600/darkbluepillowcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D7UrkaSKnG4ytmQfuHLiHuDQ3Ta3sOVC4-HKr922sn8qhWNNx-mwNcL8quf8DvN87KsCGd36jV9W-NER2T7DXxoPJyGWvoLH5XPNhW5OSXtXHi_vtGExp5wpMpM62C8DTriFjeQ-JrM/s320/darkbluepillowcase.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">This started life, from the prompt today, as a hay(na)ku, a three line poem where line one has one word, line two has 2 words, line three has 3. Then I just carried on. Very conscious it's set in Covid-19 times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Time
stretches<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">blue
pillowcase<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">yellow
towel blowing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">in
mild breezes heavy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">branch
acting as washing line<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">pole
carefully crafted by woodsmen last<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">spring
only looking back one year already nostalgia.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-23961371629849858422020-04-15T15:12:00.003+01:002020-04-15T15:15:36.558+01:00Day 15 Ingratitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNldVfBZWRRBmdwrTV3SNMjg0z6I9QTEzkDAzrQj_9dZnQrNp9XSfCZ-pU5HG9qVaIMEjY1XEtEzqXvoOFkIn8iSbmXedhd004fO0Egqgisu5AtAFWXC5lLI9m4HtLtiVkTy16DIkLIFI/s1600/pexels-photo-326082.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNldVfBZWRRBmdwrTV3SNMjg0z6I9QTEzkDAzrQj_9dZnQrNp9XSfCZ-pU5HG9qVaIMEjY1XEtEzqXvoOFkIn8iSbmXedhd004fO0Egqgisu5AtAFWXC5lLI9m4HtLtiVkTy16DIkLIFI/s320/pexels-photo-326082.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Day 20 of NaPoWriMo<br />
Channelling a piece of music, in my case a song which you can find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGa3zFRqDn4" target="_blank">here</a> sung by the inimitable Johnny Cash. From the point of view of a 'vulnerable' person who must isolate at home - apart from a daily walk - and rely on others to buy their food. At the same time this person is relatively privileged in global terms. I think you'll realise which product is currently in short supply.<br />
Here's a chorus and the first verse:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ingratitude in the time of Covid-19</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are my shopper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">my only shopper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You'd make me happy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">if flour appeared</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I never know dear</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">if you are listening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Please fetch me some bread flour today</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other day dear</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted bread flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I dreamed I held it in my arms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I awoke dear</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was mistaken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">it was a chocolate bar instead...</span><br />
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-51223270150592871072020-04-14T19:50:00.000+01:002020-04-15T15:16:41.947+01:00Day 14 cleaning up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxn-0G3Qy1gd1nb6wk5xUZ9Gez5eNeEiXBWt_ksIuTQuIUSVkIfyXa-WesAlNRFXnG-3BGtHgb0SI5KnxhJ3-jeFmzbctwDMLSwgpyZckgprWKJExXkzQdTfzkxV9_2rT1Usw1awK518M/s1600/water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxn-0G3Qy1gd1nb6wk5xUZ9Gez5eNeEiXBWt_ksIuTQuIUSVkIfyXa-WesAlNRFXnG-3BGtHgb0SI5KnxhJ3-jeFmzbctwDMLSwgpyZckgprWKJExXkzQdTfzkxV9_2rT1Usw1awK518M/s320/water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">First draft for Day 14</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cleaning
up<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Such
a lot of noise across the road<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">water
gunning her block paving <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">splashes
of dark grey muck swept<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from
side to side into the gutter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">self-splattering
her flowered crop <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pants
and shirt. She won’t stop until<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the
blessed bricks are as clean<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as
a freshly imagined house<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that
will bear no memories<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of
how they did this together<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">laughing
at the dirt on their clothes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and
him only dead this past month.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-12863679202678212582020-04-13T16:02:00.001+01:002020-04-13T16:02:17.454+01:00Day 13 Bot pairs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahw8Jq4VzFYvjdNVKSt0Sky-eNHxTYMkgCASUFi3yPqQhxtiH_Cyo194eACt3ACz8HopJ-1hUZOChd785OpKR2mxgkAssEpR-k6ZFHpCFrKFEatWWzFhm2NA274Iceld8BFefb_w63Oc/s1600/%2528Clay%2529+front+window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahw8Jq4VzFYvjdNVKSt0Sky-eNHxTYMkgCASUFi3yPqQhxtiH_Cyo194eACt3ACz8HopJ-1hUZOChd785OpKR2mxgkAssEpR-k6ZFHpCFrKFEatWWzFhm2NA274Iceld8BFefb_w63Oc/s320/%2528Clay%2529+front+window.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Trawling various prompts today I used a Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/pentametron" target="_blank">bot</a>, having recently discovered these little AI tropes. These particular ones are all iambic pentameter which I've tried to stick to, but I don't usually find them easy to put in a poem. Next I dipped into a book, <a href="https://www.ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/the-craft.html" target="_blank">The Craft</a> to find a prompt from <a href="https://twitter.com/harrymantweets?lang=en" target="_blank">Harry Man</a> (the same that I was paired with at a <a href="https://poetrybusiness.co.uk/whats-on/workshops/" target="_blank">Poetry Business workshop</a> at my first attendance there?). The idea is to find two things/sentences/adverts that would not normally be paired.<br />
<br />
Here are the two pairs I chose:<br />
<i>addicted austin stole the loot and ran</i><br />
and<br />
<i>One must imagine Kafka happy too.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So you can see how I altered the first one in the extract below. the second one forms the last line of the poem.<br />
<br />
In addition I used the <a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/" target="_blank">napowrimo</a> prompt of something being stolen.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The baby didn't come till later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addicted Alan stole the loot and jumped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">garden fences of us windowed neighbours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the pocket of his jacket the heart...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background: white; color: #14171a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span></span>MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-31889913106897713032020-04-12T17:48:00.001+01:002020-04-12T17:48:31.425+01:00Day 12 Fighting talk<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvsAr-vUsOwIP3m0zFMXnKL5QPNkPPtIXqhy3oCqNvKk5BoFM-tv-7VVEl4K8S1E7gF4nnKMeRAjuL3YhIn1deaJyVDjjzPM2aViV0k62ts2tMG9DitCgAphT8WxLBE54oZKEfyP4Ca4/s1600/red-kite-video_a-z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1184" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvsAr-vUsOwIP3m0zFMXnKL5QPNkPPtIXqhy3oCqNvKk5BoFM-tv-7VVEl4K8S1E7gF4nnKMeRAjuL3YhIn1deaJyVDjjzPM2aViV0k62ts2tMG9DitCgAphT8WxLBE54oZKEfyP4Ca4/s400/red-kite-video_a-z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/red-kite/">https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/<br />wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/red-kite/</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fighting talk</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A black
fringed crow besieges nine red kites,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">silent
over rushing train and grumbling bus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
though the crow is looking to defeat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">the dominion
of nine red kites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Should
we admire its fighting streak...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today's prompt is a <a href="https://poets.org/glossary/triolet" target="_blank">triolet</a> and I have rescued an old one here omitting its last three lines. Hoping for eventual publication...</span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-42647030736042249042020-04-10T20:24:00.000+01:002020-04-10T20:24:25.680+01:00Day 10 Time stretches<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX0 SCXW134832905" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIOMySAWRyRbUR5F3ArUXoJqy2ACrxqECMJWvJGT7LKhKlVLxIMESPuh6iNQTHcpUrOWROxk2LGxcKzN_ebYloIkEiPFlUEDAbbPL61MGa_0XSXGns7CXdZku_TWEVcSau1TYUIHbHA0/s1600/darkbluepillowcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIOMySAWRyRbUR5F3ArUXoJqy2ACrxqECMJWvJGT7LKhKlVLxIMESPuh6iNQTHcpUrOWROxk2LGxcKzN_ebYloIkEiPFlUEDAbbPL61MGa_0XSXGns7CXdZku_TWEVcSau1TYUIHbHA0/s400/darkbluepillowcase.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Dark</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{183}" paraid="1187368176" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">blue pillowcase</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{189}" paraid="1936932943" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">yellow towel blowing</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{195}" paraid="563950180" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">in mild breezes heavy</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{201}" paraid="173800087" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">branch acting as washing line</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{207}" paraid="733878538" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">pole carefully crafted by woodsmen last</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"></span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW134832905 BCX0" paraeid="{2de5bd31-0bb2-4f1f-bcca-6813a3336dee}{213}" paraid="1490799405" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-size: 12px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB">spring only looking back one year already nostalgia.</span><span class="EOP SCXW134832905 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">A <i>hay(na)ku </i>consists of a three-line stanza, where the first line has one word, the second line has two words, and the third line has three words.</span><span style="font-size: 15.4px;"> As you can see I have elongated the original idea and continued up to eight words. Rules? Ha! But no claims to a polished poem, a draft waiting to be revised.</span></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-43175035512443642502020-04-08T17:00:00.001+01:002020-04-08T17:02:50.070+01:00Day 8 Stupidly<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H9QRsERpyPlBGW8HHitKa_kuByuzrs3bNyXYt5e0h5MTkq8n5kZoAnmd_mnnr7h1HVdj7oedwlZUgkl0-tcsAfGSuKLbjFdS6PykTD2oVPXRwxmsNkBypI053mK1NRn2ND-VnGj4Nf4/s1600/panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="1600" height="52" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H9QRsERpyPlBGW8HHitKa_kuByuzrs3bNyXYt5e0h5MTkq8n5kZoAnmd_mnnr7h1HVdj7oedwlZUgkl0-tcsAfGSuKLbjFdS6PykTD2oVPXRwxmsNkBypI053mK1NRn2ND-VnGj4Nf4/s400/panorama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
am so stupidly happy<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from
<a href="https://twitter.com/SylviaPlathBot" target="_blank">@SylviaPlathbot </a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><b>We are so stupidly happy</b></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">...We
are so amazed at seeing a blue sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">daffodils
mocking our multiple red hearts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
are peering like starved prisoners at one bright hawthorn leaf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
jailing our own precipices to keep from falling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
look through a telescope at children dying to go to school<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
parents temper their own workloads...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Actually yesterday's prompt from the <a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/" target="_blank">NaPoWriMo</a> website but the Poetry Police don't scare me nowadays...</span></div>
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<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-89062340545998737562020-04-07T12:53:00.000+01:002020-04-07T12:53:00.301+01:00Day 7 Bugs and chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><img alt="Happy National Chocolate Day (Latest post)" height="213" src="https://nationalextras.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/pexels-photo-132694.jpeg" width="320" /></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Food
of the gods</span></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">theobroma
cacao <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In
the easterly direction you were traded,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">slaves
to our addiction; grow full-bellied<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">from
a trunk. An all-season pod<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">felled by a long-poled
knife at a stroke...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Breakfast (C-19) chats on Twitter again, and a video from Emily Nelson at <a href="https://twitter.com/emilydoodles/status/1247487043342454786" target="_blank">Leeds Museums and Galleries</a> about cocoa production. Which led me to explore more <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/books/pollination-in-plants/challenges-in-cocoa-pollination-the-case-of-c-te-d-ivoire" target="_blank">here</a> and t<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_bean" target="_blank">here</a> to start writing a poem that is very much based on science facts.</span>MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-31753190397383945402020-04-06T11:55:00.002+01:002020-04-06T11:55:58.420+01:00Day 6 after Andrew Marvell<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5B8XxK3SP1rwvupmP_v2XjqQmRR4jwLUsBpQooMIry5LK0v1AN2Bp1aZOEvmRwSdA19ZFa8LMeqLfcc3qjfpkWDFz-MDeikOX3injJxqsv7e1he0TyS9c6FITjkqwXINNzeAWeYVJfVM/s1600/Onion+harvest+August+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="625" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5B8XxK3SP1rwvupmP_v2XjqQmRR4jwLUsBpQooMIry5LK0v1AN2Bp1aZOEvmRwSdA19ZFa8LMeqLfcc3qjfpkWDFz-MDeikOX3injJxqsv7e1he0TyS9c6FITjkqwXINNzeAWeYVJfVM/s320/Onion+harvest+August+2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sonnet seem to be my default form. Today's first draft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I had sage enough and thyme<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">the dandelion would be no crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I scoured the sky, laid waste to meat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">a red kite with silent curving wings displayed,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">who lorded over a broad estate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">then foxglove, bittercress, wild<span style="color: red;"> </span>saxifrage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">would root and tumble, privileged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I could only let the onions grow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and not be always wielding hoe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">or spine-deriding, bending low.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s memories going back in time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">of blowing clocks, of daisy chains<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and mum with fork in summertime<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">rooting out those lawless dandelions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-30134692589180932662020-04-05T16:10:00.001+01:002020-04-05T16:10:25.840+01:00Day 5 "Almost, at times, the fool"...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZAWaDS7aEAqsGd75V9-QRNQZ6eFwNSmrEAnNZk2tQa4G1_WA34irhWPbbnhwmMswnVAnLjfQ5TX7F2IIjCez7X6ezEfjXR78v1E3kJx8bWNK4_ChfRL22rmQnguLZkGJMTq1NQZxK3U/s1600/pexels-photo-rainbow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZAWaDS7aEAqsGd75V9-QRNQZ6eFwNSmrEAnNZk2tQa4G1_WA34irhWPbbnhwmMswnVAnLjfQ5TX7F2IIjCez7X6ezEfjXR78v1E3kJx8bWNK4_ChfRL22rmQnguLZkGJMTq1NQZxK3U/s320/pexels-photo-rainbow.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
... from <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock" target="_blank">Prufrock</a>, referred to today in today's <a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/" target="_blank">prompt</a>.<br />
<br />
This turned out to be less productive than I had expected. When I'm in a room with other poets working from the same prompts and talking about it, then it's better. Stuck in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic there's no choice. Zoom-ing is an alternative but certainly not the same. So here are some of the phrases I came up with. Judge for yourself whether they make a poem:<br />
<br />
Strawberries are such gossips<br />
Carol Ann couldn't possibly write my shopping list<br />
that's when bridges collapse<br />
when clowns perform the students pass their exams<br />
nine red kites will ruffle the sky<br />
and rabbits disappear into the warren under Turing's guidance.MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-77245755284052087682020-04-04T15:11:00.001+01:002020-04-04T15:11:53.004+01:00Days 2 and 3 after digi-problems<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyGKbXmglupBPUkYiX_pqS5eFsyZnxtTDjjswz-k_aUK-gWPM-2riEGum3xMD2xo2bTLum1hcfSjDxn1uk2RLIKjjNXKOeztvTadDZyspLvtTsZQeMqavo5AISog0WtIon-ADU_lPea8/s1600/Starfish+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJUr_QUFSnzwNRMh3fQ7c6TFwmjfLs8NhRh1H4yutsCb3GaYSymJrEtAayI3rb_P7ypLRypDwTOzEcBm1f0E2UatzjSoinyNF22zw6HTXyqwLGDILGj35rUiP38HIMpR5NfzTnr-m51s/s1600/starfish+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1523" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJUr_QUFSnzwNRMh3fQ7c6TFwmjfLs8NhRh1H4yutsCb3GaYSymJrEtAayI3rb_P7ypLRypDwTOzEcBm1f0E2UatzjSoinyNF22zw6HTXyqwLGDILGj35rUiP38HIMpR5NfzTnr-m51s/s200/starfish+drawing.jpg" width="190" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="1600" height="52" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyGKbXmglupBPUkYiX_pqS5eFsyZnxtTDjjswz-k_aUK-gWPM-2riEGum3xMD2xo2bTLum1hcfSjDxn1uk2RLIKjjNXKOeztvTadDZyspLvtTsZQeMqavo5AISog0WtIon-ADU_lPea8/s320/Starfish+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
Starfish figured yesterday after this fascinating and informative video from Emily at <a href="https://twitter.com/emilydoodles/status/1246028866273128448" target="_blank">Leeds Museums and Galleries</a><br />
<br />
I didn't post yesterday due to problems actually getting on to this blog :(<br />
<br />
Today's draft offering on the theme of <i>Dream</i>:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Are we really still,
here?</span></b></div>
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Inside the plane, silent like church<o:p></o:p></div>
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before the sermon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the yellow light someone<o:p></o:p></div>
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speaks without ...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This really does need more work! </div>
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<br /></div>
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As does my drawing of the starfish - but not by me. I can safely say that I do not have a career in art.</div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-43769416302412321222020-04-01T12:38:00.000+01:002020-04-01T12:38:36.096+01:002020 Day 1 National Poetry Writing Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gqdoPqkqQ-77aYQH6nALG_Ct5Lu1RvkFIMUiX4R5PkVjFhJSVMMdRwMESpA_26Q2imu1vdZYyvbv4uc8g9ZYFQq9KxNs-YOqfTtTEwNE8dseVHYv662bx6SPT03Y55vkTBk3hJpl_3g/s1600/20180623_151014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gqdoPqkqQ-77aYQH6nALG_Ct5Lu1RvkFIMUiX4R5PkVjFhJSVMMdRwMESpA_26Q2imu1vdZYyvbv4uc8g9ZYFQq9KxNs-YOqfTtTEwNE8dseVHYv662bx6SPT03Y55vkTBk3hJpl_3g/s400/20180623_151014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Dear readers - are you still there?<br />
It's been two years since we met here and I have been very busy writing, just changed my loyalties to Facebook, and Twitter @moiragauthor<br />
Perhaps it's these times of global Covid-19 that has driven/provoked me back to my own blog. I wish you all well, stay safe social distancing, washing hands like demons.<br />
<br />
So here is a sample of the writing I've done this morning. This is not an April fool.<br />
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from <i>An invitation to the red kite</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">...I
will portion however many crows for you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">you
can return then unhindered <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">painting
rusty red<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> white patches <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>bent wings against breathless clouds...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I took my prompt from Jo Bell's <a href="https://ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/52writeapoemaweekstartnowkeepgoing.html" target="_blank">A year of poetry-writing prompts</a> (Nine Arches Press)</span></div>
<br />MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-87553264111055060072018-06-15T14:41:00.003+01:002018-06-15T14:41:19.712+01:00Junk days<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVG1y21gSFT6OJY4Rui6vG-3HsFGOFGhD3WDqTMKfNJBQao_juErPvwmkalL4qiCPt8ygZwf8M4nKr0Vf4omDGMuLSmZ78DzFtoeaMMGExAiwRrYnjkci7gpb-YJ_-995W8Lg4CuUc6A/s1600/Junk+1961_2framed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1001" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVG1y21gSFT6OJY4Rui6vG-3HsFGOFGhD3WDqTMKfNJBQao_juErPvwmkalL4qiCPt8ygZwf8M4nKr0Vf4omDGMuLSmZ78DzFtoeaMMGExAiwRrYnjkci7gpb-YJ_-995W8Lg4CuUc6A/s320/Junk+1961_2framed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junk at Castle Peak,<br />Hong Kong c. 1961</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I knew my first publication had been at secondary school. One of my schools - there were four between the ages of 11 and 18 - was the British Army run school, St. George's, in colonial Hong Kong, 1961-64, in my early teens. Thanks to social media, and John Sings, who had a copy of the relevant <i>Georgian Chronicles</i>, I now have my own copies of the two pieces that were accepted into the school magazine.<br />
<br />
Below is the first one, written when I was 14 or 15. My imagination obviously went back to the days I had spent in UK winters, though I have no recollection at all of writing it. I suspect it was written in response to press reports of the 1962-3 harsh UK winter ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoRnYF64twFdrBbPOUxGL5ZYc5LWjrG3V5lrS3x2nZ6NEB1GnJRJl_20ubJQC_3SGPmF-xfFyr8gKSCXqrZMxP9aFmR_gwzn5tQROlLKzw50jRnTqVvcZGPvg3japlpgkXPXXOzFeSfM/s1600/A+cold+spell_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="960" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoRnYF64twFdrBbPOUxGL5ZYc5LWjrG3V5lrS3x2nZ6NEB1GnJRJl_20ubJQC_3SGPmF-xfFyr8gKSCXqrZMxP9aFmR_gwzn5tQROlLKzw50jRnTqVvcZGPvg3japlpgkXPXXOzFeSfM/s320/A+cold+spell_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON-m1P4qerRNBcQxSJbB3eRpPFuw0RPZsnCrrQuzggtR0jRG8PPMNZaiwuI2KCcTanLvHof2kK7HNEm910ujxJRhRXRb5T_giKCj7POFTyCj-ccpT5ox86bGWOOOMcPx2vIvKOn3hcGE/s1600/A+cold+spell_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="734" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON-m1P4qerRNBcQxSJbB3eRpPFuw0RPZsnCrrQuzggtR0jRG8PPMNZaiwuI2KCcTanLvHof2kK7HNEm910ujxJRhRXRb5T_giKCj7POFTyCj-ccpT5ox86bGWOOOMcPx2vIvKOn3hcGE/s320/A+cold+spell_2.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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... and reads almost like a traditional fairy tale. Enjoy!MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-45675912445509893062017-10-20T17:23:00.001+01:002017-10-20T17:23:47.760+01:00railway maps and alcohol<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2PbPVIY8-9Gp2X9fQpA1Eio_Nxd1X6e47WyNh2xsYHlXpTi1RKiZNU6jo2hyphenhyphenZuH0KqXLArhwJavEzhMVJGOmCv9cikDvJSKZPDqHIUapNUGN1mvziYOWsyfpBCzPlWnreqAgYi6RU9g/s1600/railway+maps+of+love+BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2PbPVIY8-9Gp2X9fQpA1Eio_Nxd1X6e47WyNh2xsYHlXpTi1RKiZNU6jo2hyphenhyphenZuH0KqXLArhwJavEzhMVJGOmCv9cikDvJSKZPDqHIUapNUGN1mvziYOWsyfpBCzPlWnreqAgYi6RU9g/s320/railway+maps+of+love+BLOG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sentimentality is one I always try to avoid so trusting that I've done that in this poem published by <a href="https://algebraofowls.com/2017/10/20/the-journey-by-moira-garland/" target="_blank">Algebra of Owls</a> today. Originally saw the light of day in a version I shared on the <a href="https://poetryschool.com/campus/" target="_blank">Poetry School Campus</a> forum for NaPoWriMo 2017 - a lively and supportive space to share your own poetry, and comment on others brave enough to share.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0H5vK7ZgSn9cSZU2QnpRbaat8TG4bscN3_ele8B4dLhkniXBKfk18RsPrqV8Cb8wAEJ35kJSv3dT4WawiiQZkDlV69ql3Ht9rAxC-jzTPShUCGEb9nO1gSy3PxrkeXz8JmwTH2RbkIQ/s1600/OftR_Cover_copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0H5vK7ZgSn9cSZU2QnpRbaat8TG4bscN3_ele8B4dLhkniXBKfk18RsPrqV8Cb8wAEJ35kJSv3dT4WawiiQZkDlV69ql3Ht9rAxC-jzTPShUCGEb9nO1gSy3PxrkeXz8JmwTH2RbkIQ/s320/OftR_Cover_copy.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
Languishing in my digital attic are a lot of poetic cartons. Conscious that no one else will rummage around I've recently started to sort them, throw lines (even chunks!) out and rescue others. Once I've exposed them to daylight some have kindly been taken up and published. <br />
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Smith/Doorstop, the publication arm of the Poetry Business are launching <b><i><a href="http://www.poetrybusiness.co.uk/shop/960/one-for-the-road" target="_blank">One for the Road </a></i></b>anthology in various places and is available in selected Waterstones. A very varied selection of poems on the pubs theme. Delighted to report my <i>The Cardigan Arms</i> is amongst them.<br />
MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-31013967250539909862017-04-29T21:12:00.002+01:002017-04-29T21:12:18.560+01:00LOVE LETTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtgM1AvXrveD-QFxQlb3g64dCfSzK_qnpRdyuKfx9DFCtJCBXXey50z2SZao4F5T7bSEpc7pNsVG0ktSwyEjWRnBJz7tyXCjElDtwnE4k8Z_JzfHP_HU43utlT8eVqBbDA5SkN-5R2ZI/s1600/Day+29+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtgM1AvXrveD-QFxQlb3g64dCfSzK_qnpRdyuKfx9DFCtJCBXXey50z2SZao4F5T7bSEpc7pNsVG0ktSwyEjWRnBJz7tyXCjElDtwnE4k8Z_JzfHP_HU43utlT8eVqBbDA5SkN-5R2ZI/s320/Day+29+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A couple of days when I didn't </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">manage to post for NaPoWriMo </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">but today's prompt was very </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">interesting: to take a line out of </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">each of the 28 days' poems and </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">re-make into a new poem. This, apparently, is a <span style="color: #990000;"><b>cento</b></span>. A really </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">good way to review what has been </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">done, but quite a task to re-create, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">involving printing out all the poems </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">into one document, then pencilling </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">numbers on to lines, and lastly considering </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the order. Phew! </span><div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here's the first stanza of the end result:</span><div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>LOVE LETTER</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please
do tell me what you think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
am looking for the whys and wherefores<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">how
our bodies were not our own<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">smiling
eyes and all,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">like
the others who are that way disposed,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it
is a lie that the angels are going to surrender...</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-85290213013334741122017-04-25T15:02:00.002+01:002017-04-25T15:02:51.227+01:00Dead set<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">If you haven't realised from reading this, the Poetry School prompt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">was to use the same word at the end of every line. I dived straight </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">into this and hacked away at it ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>DEAD</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Where
I live it’s not considered polite to talk about the dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">in
a way that disparages them or mention that they weren’t dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">good
at being neighbourly. When the battery is dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">on
your phone you do talk about it, that awful dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">silence
means you lose any communication, rather like the dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">of
night when you seem to be the only one awake, you are in the dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">centre
of a vacuum and there’s nothing you are dead<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">sure about except...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Later on in the poem I mention a collection I've recently been re-reading, shown in the photo above, published by Cinnamon Press. I like all the poems in <i>Talking with the Dead</i> (one review <a href="http://annecaldwell.net/?p=162" target="_blank">here</a>) but my two favourites have to be <i>Ghandi visits Cafe Nero, Boar Lane, Leeds</i> - one I wish I could have written - and <i>Angel</i>, an ekphrastic poem on the very noticeable and fantastic metal sculpture <a href="http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Leisure%20and%20Culture/attractions/Angel/Background/Background2.aspx" target="_blank">'The Angel of the North'</a>, by Antony Gormley, in the North East of England. I love his work, including the Angel, but also '<a href="http://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/another-place-by-antony-gormley-p160981" target="_blank">Another Place</a>' at Crosby Beach near Liverpool. I have not yet managed to actually visit this but, inspired by it, I have written a poem, <i>Digging and Diving</i>, which won a competition back in December 2015. Details <a href="http://wordswords-moirag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/?m=0" target="_blank">here</a> on my blog.</span></span>MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-58189831796551661412017-04-24T19:24:00.000+01:002017-04-24T19:24:22.915+01:00Photographs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxush7d86F22_4BgU4VzkaFZLhNjtKDKRDHZiLVYzcz24lvlvvMOWw40ansen0lvfdj-FqCvm-gP80-5LB4WZWLqHSNtiCsNSwMOmSZGbYQpXZBKZ2020LaZS4165DOR-ZBdhMG8n4eE/s1600/wat_tyler_t_Bristol+Radical+History.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxush7d86F22_4BgU4VzkaFZLhNjtKDKRDHZiLVYzcz24lvlvvMOWw40ansen0lvfdj-FqCvm-gP80-5LB4WZWLqHSNtiCsNSwMOmSZGbYQpXZBKZ2020LaZS4165DOR-ZBdhMG8n4eE/s200/wat_tyler_t_Bristol+Radical+History.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Richard II watches Wat Tyler's death and <br />addresses the peasants in the background: <br />taken from the Gruuthuse manuscript <br />of Froissart's Chroniques (c. 1475). <br />Wat Tyler was the leader of <br />the English Peasants revolt, 1381.<br />http://www.brh.org.uk/heads2008/rad_his.htm</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A surprise ending is today's prompt </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">from the Poetry School. This doesn't </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">really conform to a surprise, more that </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">it draws up the threads of what has </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">gone before, on the last line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I suppose it might be called a sonnet </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">as it has 14 lines. The first five are shown below.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Photographs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Then
we learnt about processing photos, and <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">leaving
fear behind, from the women at Grunwick.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">How
our bodies were not our own<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">before
the 1967 Act. What was black<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">and white from twenty-seven years ...</span></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-91562582988873326672017-04-23T18:27:00.001+01:002017-04-23T18:27:13.510+01:00Garden sounds<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">I couldn't faithfully follow the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Poetry School prompt today, </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">to go </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">for a walk and compose </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">something </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">in your head. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">I wasn't up to going </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">beyond the garden and my short </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">term memory wouldn't allow </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">much </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">in my head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">So this is the start of the garden poem:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">Of
course the great and blue tits<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">teacher</em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">bicycle wheel</em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>beyond,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">seeking a squeeze in the trees.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Jesse, Jesse, come here,</em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">the dog<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">walker
gets desperate below<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">the railway footbridge under ...</span></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-64037446904621346072017-04-22T15:58:00.000+01:002017-04-22T15:58:15.711+01:00This coyness lady were no crime<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1BdGNeaHwzG1EOTG7VclzRuqjUml4XqhMFYGTW09_05eL_hk20tR3Bv4Co8w6SiLugrNmhIpCYpQx4m-zZ3_DPZJ8rKAPVM9oDl3tFgk8nk8aq4xl_IOSx61lYHgp3KRLaAWhJf3svs/s1600/Day+22+aubretia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1BdGNeaHwzG1EOTG7VclzRuqjUml4XqhMFYGTW09_05eL_hk20tR3Bv4Co8w6SiLugrNmhIpCYpQx4m-zZ3_DPZJ8rKAPVM9oDl3tFgk8nk8aq4xl_IOSx61lYHgp3KRLaAWhJf3svs/s320/Day+22+aubretia.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aubretia from<br />the garden</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Day 22 and the Poetry School</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">prompt: take a line from a poem</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">by another poet. Used each of the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">words to end each of your lines.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">So I set myself a tricky task here</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">but couldn't resist a line from</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marvell's To His Coy Mistress,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">which I studied at school,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">really liked the words and rhythm,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">and never forgot.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Here is the start:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The
edges of the neat grass in this<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">geologic
garden checked the coyness</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">of aubretia the mustard of ladies ...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4634907284487184307.post-91986939386276892482017-04-21T19:58:00.001+01:002017-04-21T19:58:58.608+01:00Pigeons, nuthatches and drunkards<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeyyPmqC5k0QBpa6SPeaDcNvdMqwrSxY6vzInGllTFz6XmlySBFCsf1suM8KKHqsqMBbqfRwgoWouyJdse_Rh8IMAwd0-bZGLgktOgsuyAc2ecA0IIyd9fjVdND6eOFPzqyoGxcFHlwk/s1600/wood+pigeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeyyPmqC5k0QBpa6SPeaDcNvdMqwrSxY6vzInGllTFz6XmlySBFCsf1suM8KKHqsqMBbqfRwgoWouyJdse_Rh8IMAwd0-bZGLgktOgsuyAc2ecA0IIyd9fjVdND6eOFPzqyoGxcFHlwk/s320/wood+pigeon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood pigeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With apologies to anyone expecting<br />
me to post a poem today. I have written a pantun, which was explained <a href="http://www.napowrimo.net/2013/04/page/2/" target="_blank">here</a> on April 15th 2013. Later I may decide to submit it somewhere so I'm keeping it out of public sight for the moment. It's about pigeons, and nuthatches, and drunkards, amongst other things.MoiraGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047068351039988652noreply@blogger.com0