Give us a twirl!

PROPER GIRL
Other girls look such a mess
in their summer cotton dress
but Lily's such a proper girl
when she does a little twirl
220314/3

The longest night ever...

THE LONGEST NIGHT EVER

Written for the Haiku prompt at PurpleTreeHouse.

Here's my Haikuish:

HORSE

On the longest night

After the Horse Chestnut fall

The Winter Solstice

211214 

Ice and nice cold air.

WINTER BECKONS

The buildings are all hazy

lazy pavements leaping skywards

backwards forwards 

forewarning as winter beckons 

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Come to my place

I’VE GOT THE ANSWER

(FOR YOU)

What you gonna do

next time the air turns blue

If one things wrong

then everything’s wrong

You can’t make it right

by singing a song

You've gotta get out

out and about

Before it blows up

in your face

Come to my place

I’ve got the answer for you

I ain't got no doubt

That he’ll scream and shout

When he finds out

that you’re gone

But it won’t be for long

He’s just singing that song

So don’t go dance to his tune

He can’t make it right

By singing a song

As you’ll find out all too soon

So come to my place

I’ve got the answer for you

101114

National Poetry Day 2014

Here's something I wrote in 1991, 
I previously posted it on this bloggage 
in 2008 under the title Shining Shoes.

WATERLOO

Shining shoes at Waterloo, his medals at his side.

Jon was born in Salford in Eighteen ninety-five.

His Daddy came from Ireland a digger of the ditch -

The Ship Canal to Manchester -
that kept that city rich.

His Mammy was a mill lass in Ancoats Lancashire

She worked long days for little pay - 
nothing much to cheer.

Jon's Grandpa was a Bargee - 
on The Bridgewater

carting coals from Worsley to dirty Manchester.

By Nineteen ten, Jon’s schooling done –

an apprenticeship that was no fun …

from early morn to after dark

at an engineer's in Trafford Park.

At eighteen he went to France
to fight the German might.

Jon lost all his pals there but he came back alright!

He's got one leg to stand on
but man can't live on pride

shining shoes for farthings his medals at his side.

AS 1991

Glossary:

Waterloo is a railway station in London.

A Bargee lived and worked on the canal barges.

The Bridgewater is the oldest proper canal in England.

Ancoats is an area of Manchester where many cotton mills stand.

Trafford Park had many factories.

Farthings are old money, four farthings = one penny.

The Medals are from the first world war 1914-1918.

Here's the link to my 2008 post

Proper nonsense...

LOGICAL DITTOES

Letters of condolence are in the post

Oust et est sans le twain shall meet

Gentlemen please it’s oh so important

Inglenook fireplace and all of that jazz

Clouting the ball way into the distance

Azerbaijani and pigeons in pies

Lying about his guilt and still cheating

Dirty past midnight something

Important to remember your manners

The distance is vast between east and west

Toolkits for something midnight past dirty

Oust houses these days are mainly in Kent

Eating disorders and off with their heads out

Spanners and wrenches and all of your tools

160914/1

DIALECTOLOGIST

(REVEALED)

Dirty past midnight something

Inglenook fireplace and all of that jazz

Azerbaijani and pigeons in pies

Lying about his guilt and still cheating  

Eating disorders and off with their heads out

Clouting the ball way into the distance

The distance is vast between east and west

Oust et est sans le twain shall meet

Letters of condolence are in the post

Oust houses these days are mainly in Kent

Gentlemen please it’s oh so important

Important to remember your manners

Spanners and wrenches and all of your tools

Toolkits for something midnight past dirty

160914

It's all a game...

WAHL

It’s all a game

and I’m the ball

you wait you watch

to see me fall

You tease me tempt

me up the wall

I play along

each time you call

Then when you bat

and start to bawl

It’s from above

with love I fawl

It’s all a game

you make the wahl

you raise the bar

and can the cawl

310814

Birthday Poem

HE WALKS

He walks mile after 

pedometer mile

(never mind the rain).

Steps, strides, stops.

Shells, seaside shops.

He walks to work, 

it used to be the worst

thing that he hates, 

apart from rain.

Splish, splash, splosh.

Soaking soppy skin.
The train can wait.

The further he walks

the more he likes the rain.

250814

Birthday baby

THE PARTY

Birthday girly

cake and twirly

whirly in the park

Everybody at

the party

close to Lily’s heart

160814

Wordle...

Here's the words at Sunday Whirl
(I've not posted to it)

sound bliss point jumbled flamboyant
disclose sun irrational tire signal appetite and last

Here's mine:

UNSCRAMBLED

Jumbled sun

Disclose appetite

Flamboyant

Last signal

Irrational bliss

Sound tire point

030814

  

Was a clown...

ROUND AND ROUND

He must have thought that we said circus

Because he took us round and round

Oldham, we told him Piccadilly

But that bus driver was a clown

He gave us the cold Sholver

When we tried to shout him down

It cost us an extra hours pay

To get back to Manchester yesterday

280714

Bish bosh...

THE NATIONAL NOSH

Chicken is the national nosh,

Bish bosh, Bilal, Halal, bish bosh,

Tandoori, Southern Fried,

Sunday Roast for all the tribe,

Stir Fried, Pan Fried, Deep Fried,

Steamed, Breaded, Battered,

Served in cream, Chicken Tikka,

Coq au vin, Nuggets, Kiev,

Maryland, Yakitori, Curry too,

Buffalo Wings, Barbecue,

Chicken Schnitzel, A la king,

Bish bosh, Kosher, Eli, bish bosh,

Chicken is the national nosh.

270614

Singing in the rain...

GETTING WET

They’ve not got designated drivers

on the local buses yet

It could take all night to get home

if he stops to place a bet

It’s raining in the bus shelter

an me hairdo’s getting wet

And everyone is staring

at me plastic suffragette

Her makeup’s running down her placard

‘Vote for wimmin don’t forget’

She’s got a hooded sweatshirt

an it’s soaking blooming wet

I used to drive a Range Rover

an play the clarinet

But now the Chelsea tractors

are splashing me the gets

It’s raining in the bus shelter

an me hairdo’s getting wet

Sometimes I wish I’d never met her

in the flaming launderette

She’s not really me girlfriend

she just helps me walk me pets

She’s got a hooded sweatshirt

an it’s soaking blooming wet

090614

Lots of front...

THE CURRY MILE

This cuisine and that

from Moroccan to Bangla

and all in-between spelt

out in modern art signage

Mess Up My Back Alley Innit

Wheel writing on the wall

mucking up in three

hundred and seventy eight

shades of eye max reality

Outside shisha bar cold curry chips

 peas smoking hookah pipes run

down terraced town rock on bohemia

Babylon fruit hanging veg baskets

lots of front no sea

The mullah is as the hatter was

the rain reigns constantly

310514

NaPoWriMo 2014 Conclusion

NaPoWriMo 2014

3WW

Acrid, Dramatic, Quarantine.

Poetic FlashFiction in 51 Syllables

  

MAY RAIN

The thunder and the lightning frightening as a quarantine ward. The acrid stench only dampened by a dramatic downpour of May rain. April showers are a thing of the past; I've been saying that for years.

010514

2014 CONCLUSION
Hope you enjoyed NaPoWriMo this year. This was my sixth year and probably the hardest for me. Writing thirty poems in thirty days is always a challenge and this bout was no exception. I suppose the best you can hope for is five or six decent pieces in the month, but this time I feel only maybe two or three of mine will ever be seen beyond these pages. But of course it’s the taking part that counts, and if you didn't do it this year, maybe you could give it a try next April.

My Conclusion from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 DayThirty

Day Thirty

NaPoWriMo 2014

WONDERFUL TIMES

After the highs come a rake of lows

Slow down and let those pills start to flow

To flow or not to fly that is the Western

Stern like Victorian laughter after

Wonderful times for all and sundry

Sun dry the washing it won't take too long

Longing to meet you let’s make it a date

Dates or figs we'll have wonderful times

Twenty fourteen is no mean year dot com

Come on in the water’s wet hold my towel

Two Wellington boots and a penny chew

Choose me first for fun in twenty fourteen

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My Day Thirty from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Nine

Day Twenty-Nine

NaPoWriMo 2014

HIS OR HEARSE

I should have told you before the fall

I didn't know you would react like that

Just because it’s set out like a little song

Doesn't mean that you can sing it to yourself

I wouldn’t dare to dream that I could do that

Not in a million years or three maybe more

So why do you think that you’re the special one

What is it that sets you apart makes you different

Everybody stumbles and falls and there’s no escape

We were born that way hard wired to failure

But there is an antidote if you really want to take it

It’s a bitter pill and hard to swallow but it’s the only way

You see there is only one way one road that leads you home

The other roads are cul-de-sacs dead ends that end in death

The time you spent going round in circles is already wasted

So which avenue which road will you take His or hearse

290414

My Day Twenty-Nine from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Eight

Day Twenty-Eight

NaPoWriMo 2014

INVISIBLE

Sitting in a glass cage standing

guards are waiting on the landing

to shoot an escapee on sight

No such thing misunderstanding

Waiting for the food to come

They've got to have some

No one knows how long they've been there

Squatting in that dark dark dome

They don’t have the gall to complain

No one cares about their pain

Invisible to all and sundry

But not to one another again

Repeat

280414

My Day Twenty-Eight from 2013

NaPoWriM0 2014 Day Twenty-Seven

Day Twenty-Seven

NaPoWriMo 2014

The Sunday Whirl

Wordle 158

Leave, Cheat, Chew, Branch, Channel, Beastly, Few, 

Cancer, Release, Speak, Become, Beading.

OLD OAK

Don’t ever leave me please don’t let me go

You know I didn't mean to cheat on you

Across the channel things were oh so slow

Don’t chew me up and spit me out my blue

I took a chance reached for the candle branch

I could become anything if I could fly

Release me from the hold you have carte blanche

Don’t speak to me of debts and courts to try

After all you beat the beastly cancer

And I’m right here with you back by your side

If only I really knew the answer

I do know that there is no place to hide

Under the coffin lid’s old oak beading

The chosen few need no help with reading

270414

My Day Twenty-Seven from 2013 

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Six

Day Twenty-Six

NaPoWriMo 2014

WHY WON’T SHE

Why won’t she talk to me these days no more

Oregon is a long way from Ukraine

UK rain comes and goes comes much more though

Rough as the proverbial bear she waits

It’s Saturday morning time for shopping

Ping pong was never this much fun before

Oregon isn't all that far away

Say something please I’m not out to get you

You’re hurting me so much talk to me please

Easy over girl or sunny side up

Cup of coffee or tea or just some milk

Silk scarves and leather handbags from the shops

She hops along the street but still won’t talk

Walks the other way when she sees me why

260414

 My Day Twenty-Six from 2013

NaPoWwiMo 2014 Day Twenty-Five

Day Twenty-Five

NaPoWriMo 2014 

DIDDLE DUMPLINK

I found her this morning

And lost her this afternoon

Wondering why what went wrong

Wonderful as the sun and the moon

She looked like the real Diddle Dumplink

Even sounded pretty much like her too

Her English was better although I think 

She had to speak rather than teach it too

How could I be so careless what?

To lose such a beautiful bloom

Like bees around a honey pot

Somebody had to get stung soon

Not for the first time in this life

Have I felt the surgeons’ knife

250414

My Day Twenty-Five from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Four

Day Twenty-Four
NaPoWriMo 2014

OVERHEARD
(IN THE BUS STATION)
Please do not smoke talk in the bus station

It is against the law to smoke talk

Smoking talking is a criminal offence

And offenders will be prosecuted

Please do not smoke think in the bus station

It is against the law to smoke think

Smoking thinking is a criminal offence

And offenders will be annihilated 

240414

My Day Twenty-Four from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Three

Day Twenty-Three
NaPoWriMo 2014

Happy St. Georges Day!

Poetic Flash Fiction in 51 Syllables

3WW
Adept, Edible, Viscous

THE DINNER PARTY
Dawn wanted to buy some edible art for her next dinner party. But when she asked her adept pet robot to go shopping, he refused. 'Dave, make him go!' she begged her husband, who was making a viscous mess.
230414

My Day Twenty-Three from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-Two

Day Twenty-Two

NaPoWriMo 2014

Earth Day

FOREVER

You are my song my sword and my pen

Whenever I call you are there for me

For me again and again forever

Forever and ever amen again

In the wilderness you hold my hand

And your words uplift me when I am dry

Try me I will be with you forever

Forever and ever amen again

Gaining paradise by grace through faith

Faithfully you will return so soon

Sooner or later I’ll be there too

Too many people think the earth is all

Call things from the rooftops if you must

Trust in something someone greater than you

220414

My Day Twenty-Two from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty-One

Day Twenty-One

NaPoWriMo 2014

Poetic Flash Fiction in 51 syllables

A POSTCARD

When Dawn got a postcard from her ex boyfriend; she tried to hide it quick.

‘If Dave finds out about this,’ she told her pet robot, ‘I’ll be done for’.
Too late, Dave was out in the Batmobile loading his Kalashnikov’.

210414

My Day Twenty-One from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twenty

Day Twenty

NaPoWriMo 2014

The Sunday Whirl
wordle 157 ~ a baker’s dozen

bones, twice, stolen, water, rocking, open, mess,
aches, bridge, sink, sway, limb, sharp

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Under the bridge I’d love to meet you again

But what a rotten mess I must confess

Though aches and pains cannot make me complain

You kissed me once you kissed me twice oh yes

Make no bones about it you will be mine

But when you read this letter don’t reply

Rocking back and forth in my arms next time

Under the bridge where jilted lovers cry

What is love if not stolen anyway?

And now’s the time for our love to be bold

The lies you told me once caused me to sway

Limb from limb sink or swim the water’s cold

My open arms are waiting for your love

Please don’t be sharp with me my turtle dove

200414

My Day Twenty from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Nineteen

Day Nineteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

And now for today’s (optional) prompt. This is a bit silly, but it’s Saturday. I recently got a large illustrated guide to sea shells. There are some pretty wild names for sea shells. Today I challenge you to take a look at the list of actual sea shell names below, and to use one or more of them to write a poem. Your poem doesn't have to be about sea shells at all — just inspired by one or more of the names. Peruvian Hat, Snout Otter Clam, Strawberry Top, Incised Moon, Sparse Dove, False Cup-and-Saucer, Leather Donax, Shuttlecock Volva, Striped Engina, Tricolor Niso, Triangular Nutmeg, Shoulderblade Sea Cat, Woody Canoebubble, Ghastly Miter, Heavy Bonnet, Tuberculate Emarginula, Lazarus Jewel Box, Unequal Bittersweet, Atlantic Turkey Wing. Happy writing!

Here's mine:

TRICOLOR-NISO

Tupelo to Toronto

Torso tattoo

Telephone trio

Tornado too

Torpedo tombolo

Tempo thoro

Tuxedo to tango

Tarantino

Tokyo tomato

Trago telco
Turbo techno

Toledo tondo

Tricolour-niso

Tobacco thereto

Tremolo Tonto

Trigo typo

Two taco Tao

Terrazzo

Too taro tho

190414

My day Nineteen from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Eighteen

Day Eighteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

Good Friday

Jesus died for us

Camels through eyes of needles

By the grace of God

180414

My Day Eighteen from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Seventeen

Day Seventeen

NaPoWriMo 2014

Haiku Poetry Day

St. George’s Day (Patron saint of England)

BORNE AGAIN

Daffodil’s last breath

Siberian Easter wind

Borne again next spring

170414

My Day Seventeen from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Sixteen

Day Sixteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

3WW CCCLXIV

Animate, Impassioned, pervert

EVEN BRADFORD

Even Bradford looks nice if the sun is shining
But don’t take the bus to the Trafford Centre

To look at the marble floors
And the fossils that they've got there 

Some people say what they need to say

To pervert the course of justice

Perjury was never like that before 
Everywhere looks nice when the sun is shining
Even indoors except for cinemas 

Although it’s cold in the bunker 
They say that something comes before a fall

I think it was pride I hope that doesn't change

The impassioned plea I made to the judge and jury 
I bought some Brooklyn hot and spicy wings
From the nice lady at the street food stall 
To complement the fossils in the marble floor

Not wanting to animate the situation 
Never buy a house when the sun is shining

160414

My Day Sixteen from 2013 

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

LILY LILY

Dungarees are blue Lily Lily

Ice cream is green

You look so cute Lily Lily

Much like a queen

150414

My Day Fifteen from 2013 

NaPowriMo 2014 Day Fourteen

Day Fourteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

Today’s prompt (optional, as always) is a little something I’m calling “Twenty Questions.” The idea is to write a poem in which every sentence, except for the last one, is in the form of a question. That’s it! It can be as long or short as you like. The questions can be deep and philosophical (‘what is the meaning of life?’) or routine and practical (‘are you going to eat that?’). Or both!

Happy writing!

Here’s mine:

THE METAL GURU

Why do you come home so late at night

Have you got a bunker mentality

Do you believe I'm the metal guru

Are you obsessed with conspiracy theories

When will you tell me the things that you do

Will you come home for Christmas or Easter

Have you got money to pay for my fare
Do you want dinner at my place or yours

Are you a believer or out to deceive

When will you trust in the gods like I do

Will you arrive on the boat or the flight

Have you got answers to all of my questions

Do you want me to bring anything round

Are you in love with the daffs and the daisies

When will you tell me that our love is true

Will you stay over for more than one day

Have you got weapons if we have to fight

Do you want whiskey or beer or wine

Are you the one that is driving me crazy

When will the curry be ready to eat

You know that I love you enjoy this tonight

140414

My Day Fourteen from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen

NaPoWriMo 2014

The Sunday Whirl – Wordle 155

 Swear Limbo Turns Briefly Chant Wrists Deeply

Moonlit Tumble Gaudy Papers Porcelain

DEEPLY INSANE

Whatever happened to the porcelain doll?

She won’t be in limbo for long

Somewhere under the Milky Way

She turns briefly and starts to chant

Up out into the cold moonlit night

Her foraged papers would suffice

Madly truly deeply insane

She’ll take a tumble soon I swear

He says rolling up a sleeve

To reveal his gaudy watch

130414

My Day Thirteen from 2013

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Twelve

Day Twelve

NaPoWriMo 2014

PANCAKE FACE

Piranha baby

With her pancake face

The bib gang baby

In bandana lace

She drives me crazy

With her yellow skirt

Dotty as Daisy

In her hooded shirt

Pancakes for breakfast

Lunch dinner and tea

She’s growing so fast

My little Lily

120414

My Day Twelve from 2013 

NaPoWriMo 2014 Day Eleven

Day Eleven
NaPoWriMo 2014

PAINTED YELLOW

It was like she was walking in the park

Not walking floating just hovering there

In her favourite place smelling the flowers

What colour are daises she asked again

White I told her before she remembered

Yes I can smell the dandelions too

She said and something else painted yellow

That’ll be the daffodils I told her

Wonderful she said looking for mushrooms

Her bottom lip twitching oh so slightly

An air of expectancy on her face

I think I've found a marigold she said

I walked towards the haunted house with her

When I woke up and turned round she was gone

110414

My Day Eleven from 2013 
Please click the back links on each post back to 2009 you won't be disappointed.