I heard this loud and clear The poem reminded me of The Lonely One by Dave Mason, one of my favourite songs

I enjoyed Is Anything Guaranteed too Izzy

How strongly I agree with these sentiments. I'm both internet and mobile phone-free I'm glad to say

I haven't heard of that - might look it up later


I barely use my mobile phone really. Thanks for the feedback

mr. mustard!!!! You naughty boy. You made me very emotional with your excellent Guy The Gorilla poem. I too used to eagerly anticipate seeing Guy when I was a small boy. I was always captivated by how "human" he was. I loved your poem very much. It made me think and even, if I'm honest, made me feel slightly guilty. It is easy to ignore the darker side of anything when we seek pleasure, but your poem is sobering and did exactly what it was meant to - made me think. Thank you.

Izzy, your poems were very accurate. Your technology poem was spot on. I have this abhorrent dislike to anyone who spends more time on their mobile and/or social media than they do with their loved ones. Here's a poem I wrote about the subject a few months ago:

ODE TO THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Facebook and twitter, what a wonderful way
To while away sixteen hours of each single day.
The world may be vast, but we've become small,
As internet, mobiles, social network becomes all
That we have, our conversation is dead
As we chat to pretend friends and stangers instead.
They know of your love life,
They know of your wealth,
They know about your wife,
They know about your health.
They know about your dislikes
They know about your pleasures.
They know about your rights
They know about your treasures.
They know what is wrong,
They know what is true.
They think they know everything,
But they don't know..................you.

Thanks Wizzy I tried to convey the childhood wonder of zoos and how I feel about caged animals now. Please call me Musty by the way

It's great that we have Izzy and Wizzy posting poems

Another great write Wizzy and so true! The weirdest thing for me is how couples in pubs and restaurants sit together, silently using their mobiles

Strange, very strange

Ancient Avebury

Centuries of rain and snow
Battered you,
Yet you survived them.

Thousands of years of turmoil
Passed, but you remained,
Firm and immoveable.

Built by long-vanished people
Who worshipped
Something unknown to us.
Then, in modern times
Puritans tried to destroy you,
Blinded by dogma.

They smashed your stones
And buried others,
Blaming the Devil.

Later, merchants came
To plunder you for profit;
Look, parts of you are encased in cottage walls.

Two great avenues, one vast circle,
Over six hundred megaliths stood
Near Silbury Hill.

Now there are less than eighty:
Monument to Man's ignorance.

When I visit you
I feel humbled, lost in awe.

Giant blocks of mystic sandstone
Like wounded forgotten men

But still proud

Still watching the skies


©

Topical Ode

Royal babies!
Future kings or queens? Maybe,
but of what land?
Perhaps not Scotland, we shall see ...
That's all from me I think,
it still may be Salmond Pink.
Frankly!

The Ballad of Izzy and Wizzy! Uhm. Methinks a poem is coming on.

I did something very naughty last week. Myself and my partner were going out but she was busy typing away on her keypad of her phone, dawdling behind me. I took her phone off her, went back to the front door and posted it through the letterbox. I told her "Either it stays home or I stay home!" The phone stayed home! She sulked for an hour but soon forgave me after I bought her lunch. I did notice, and point out to her, how everyone was in the pub either on their laptop or on the phone. I wondered whether they actually noticed anything else existed in the world.

Good one!

If Scotland vote to leave us,
Would anybody care?
Would the Scots move to England?
Would the English move up there?
Is the Union not that valuable
As they do not want to keep (it)!
But if the Scottish vote to leave us
Would the English lose some sleep?

Inner Turmoil

Inner turmoil can be felt in many different ways,
he who should not be named, waits to strike,
as we measure every attempt, judge our actions so,
fight the fight of self preservation.

Thoughts echoe in my mind,
how to express them?
my tongue becomes tied oh so tightly,
confused meanings,
hot tempered, I back track,
why do you look at me like that?
don't deny it, its there, plain to see -
perhaps its best to stay quiet.

When to speak? how to explain,
that which haunts within.

Don't let the fear take over,
gently accept and let go,
only by agreeing to self forgiveness,
doubting your own conclusions,
lessening your routine thoughts of of strict discipline,
can one really free themselves.

Think clearly, breathe a sigh of freedom,
do not let him win,
for your future awaits and kindness can make it so,
so much easier and happier,
if you just agree,
agree to letting yourself off the hook.

In each of us the key is held,
the choice lies within,
see interactions as chances for humiliation,
showing ourselves up - risky business indeed,
or opportunities, chances to connect, to improve,
to network, lose the cloak of loneliness,
if but briefly.

In life there are no guarantees,
to err is human,
yet how quick are we to condemn perceived flaws,
mistakes, mishaps, badly worded arguments -
do the other party view it so,
or are we to carry such condemnations on our back forevermore?
after all, its ourselves we have to live with.

My body may feel tired and weak at times,
frustration is powerful indeed,
its easy to want to hide away forevermore
but what kind of a life would that ultimately be?
So back to forgiveness I go,
acknowledge and move on,
its the only way to go.

Thanks. I've been away from the site for a few days, not been feeling very good. Its ironic for me to complain about over-use of the internet and/or phones, considering I spend so much time on it myself (thought I may as well say, before anyone else commented the same thing(!)). Since ive been at home recovering from a cold/bug, its a little scary how much time ive spent on and off checking my social network accounts but it gets so boring lying in bed otherwise :-/ there's something of a hypnotic element to screen staring with gadgets.

I like your poem a pertinent sentiment.

If your Wizzy and im Izzy, where's 'Lets get busy' then? (Sooty reference)

I already posted a poem relating to my views on the independence referendum but I guess I may as well re-post it. It goes -

Vote No

All the shouting and back biting,
political machinations
are nothing but a put off,
concerns not fully addressed,
please can we get back to the basics -
there’s so much at stake.
In my country I am proud,
and wish for only the best,
the future I hope is bright
but uncertainties worry me so -
focus on that which we hold dear,
please do not take things for granted,
for guarantees and promises may not hold true.
The answers we crave may be elusive;
and so it is, that I wish to implore on all Scots eligible,
don’t risk our countries future,
vote no confidently, for our own sakes.

Nuisance calls and spam mail rant


He is an utter menace and a curse on happy life
An entity that’s hated for just adding to our strife.
Who is it rings when we are in the shower?
What arse’ would ring at this unsocial hour?
Who creates all the rubbish in our letter slot?
Total crap we open although we’d rather not
Who is that sucking parasite, such a sad bad man?
An effing blot on life is who, the unsolicited ad man.

(from Frank)

Preface: In Greyfriars graveyard of "Bobby" fame an infamous "great" poet was put in an unmarked grave later plaqued deservedly according to his Wikipedia page. I pondered what if he, a loyal subject who wrote to Q. Vic. knew what might happen soon in his bit of the UK. and he could (in his unique doggerel style) write about it ...
well anyway here's my "inspired" version, maybe to be followed by part 2 later.

Lines On An Impending Great Disaster
Or NOT! hopefully IMO who get no vote of course: Frank with apology to the doubty wordsmith and Scot WTM.

Oh hear ye my ain folk of Scotland, aye land,
of my here gravebound ground wherein I lie
forsooth as I did die in truth, thy loyal savant
William Topaz McGonagall, poet late of these
island’s most northernmost shires am interred
I, midst Greyfriars earth, place of my very birth;
six mordant feet doon in merry Edinburgh toon,
sad fate of we mortal folk which cruelly expires.
In shade of kirk mine buried bones must ere lurk,
yet been just stirred by word, my spirit’s ear has
erstwhile heard, from dear departed John Brown,
great Queen Victoria’s man of such good renown,
until the servant much missed by the head which
bore the crown, passed his way to an eternal rest.
His peace a new perturbation has much disturbed
a notion that is sae absurd, and ruination of a nation.

In response to the latest round of Badger Culling:

HUMAN CULLING

"Let's kill badger's they spread disease",
It's something humans can do with ease.
"Let's kill deer" people triumphantly say
As men with guns shoot more each day.
"Let's kill this, let's kill that" its a convenient excuse to use.
All animals are a nuisance, we heard it on the news!
There's too many of something, there's a mass of something more.
But don't worry we'll kill them, we've done it all before!
But one factor we never mention, no matter what we do,
There's a real animal nuisance, people like me and you.
If humans would stop breeding there'd be far more empty space.
Instead we over run the world - we're in every single place.
So is it animals that need culling? Or should mankind be controlled?
If animals start to cull us all, we'll consider ourselves told!

Numb

My mind feels numb
time wasting away -
what to do, what to say?
Feeling frustrated, self pitying,
there's a lot inside, hidden away
and sometimes its hard to see through the mist -
sometimes I think
and come up blank.
Its easy to feel irritated, condone self as a time waster
being what comes to mind -
look from within,
what do I see?
a lack of direction,
disappointment,
waiting, for something to awaken me,
waiting, to realise what I need to do,
to see clearly, the way forward.

I agree Frank - but apparently the Post office would go under without junk mail revenue

A necessary evil?

They bug me so much - I'm not in a relationship and I don't think I could be with a mobile phone-user. Admittedly, that does narrow the field down a bit

Nice one Wizzy I wouldn't lose sleep but I'd be very sad

Indeed Izzy A thought-provoking poem as ever.

The famous McGonagall - he's a bit like Kilroy isn't he? Nice to see him mentioned here Frank

Excellent Wizzy - I thoroughly agree with your sentiments! The badger cull is cruel and unnecessary


Another corker Izzy. There's always a way forward, despite the barriers in the mind.

I sincerely hope the Scots do Izzy. David Cameron was reckless to even risk a vote on such a vital issue.

Book update: I've now finished proof-reading 165 poems. That leaves about 50 to do. Although I've written over a thousand, the majority just aren't good enough to make the cut. I'm my harshest critic

I'm off to the seaside tomorrow, but I'll be back on Wednesday - hopefully with some material to post

A poem a day
Keeps stagnation at bay.

Keep smiling people

Thanks. I was quite proud of that one - much longer than most of my recent efforts.


Its not necessarily just barriers but almost the opposite, the lack of clarity or something?. That was an awkward one, that piece - one of those times I was sat about and felt I wanted to express things but wasn't sure quite what or how exactly. I didn't finish it properly either, I reckon but oh well...I was getting pout-y because someone wasn't around(!) sheesh.


No kidding. There's a lot on the line.


I know the feeling. Have fun