W/C Sunday 27th Jan

Had a very enjoyable couple of hours at the Sunday Matinee at Firstsite Colchester on the 27th which saw a wide variety of talent on display. I was first up and did the same set as the recent Open Mike as studying and a loss of I.T. for a few days mitigated against putting a new set together. However on the plus side not everyone had heard it before! The "Circles" project is progressing well and there will be some new material to share soon. This will be a quick in and out sort of post as I really ought to have my head buried in a book right now. However, I can't resist sharing an Emily Dickinson poem in the Gothic style number "410" from the year 1862.....

The first Day's Night had come -
And grateful that a thing
So terrible - had been endured -
I told my soul to sing -

She said her strings were snapt -
Her Bow - to atoms blown -
And so to mend her - gave me work
Until another morn

And then - A day as huge
As yesterdays in pairs,
Unrolled its horror in my face -
Until it blocked my eyes -

My Brain - begun to laugh
I mumbled - like a fool
And tho' tis years ago - that Day -
My brain keeps giggling - still.

And somthing's odd - within -
That person that I was -
And this One - do not feel the same -
Could it be Madness - this?

---------------------------------

I love the enigmatic quality of Emily's work, a great influence on me

Well that's the mini update over, hope to see you at a Poetry meet soon.

W/C 13th January 2013

Welcome to the first post of 2013 and it's been a busy week. Firstly there was the January meeting of Colchester Poetry on Tuesday the 8th and very enjoyable it was too. The themes of 'Berbatov' and 'Scavenger' brought forth some interesting work from all concerned. My own submission on the 'scavenger' theme will follow shortly.

Last night, 12th January, saw Colchester Poetry's first open mike of the year including poetry performances from Jonathan King, Jason McLean, Belinda Colaianni-Federl, SteveOvel, Steve Lawton and the 'Wingless Heron' ensemble of Tess Gardner, Phil Mill and Joe Elliot-Purtell, plus music from Alex Yandle, and performances from Modal Roberts and Mouth amongst others. Colchester has wealth of acts out there, so if you weren't there that's a flavour of what you missed, don't miss the next one! Follow via my Facebook friends for links to Colchester Poetry and the various performers and acts concerned to know more about them.

I've added a new page 'Minutiae' with extracts from the first collection of poems dating from early 2010. The collection is subtitled "the poetry of the first half of  a life" and tackles many thorny issues close to my heart. As ever I hope you like the poems.....

Now its time for the scavenging submission from Tuesday.....

Hyena

I pick the bones of my elysian fields

As clock hands work their way around

A sad face marking passing hours

Spent scavenging your memory

From pictures that besotted me

I pull ragged little bits of love

All night through my longing plays

Like an insular game of lone charades

A dark sarcophagus held your heart

I tried to crack its outer shell

And win your shining x-ray smile

With futile hopes that lie exposed

You left in such indecent haste

Now burning questions sting my lips

As I lick this poisoned chalice clean

Savouring its strange metallic taste

At the end of the path that leads nowhere

All the answers to the riddle writhe 

Within me, myself and I, like a splendid carrion

Served nightly in a thin membrane of dreams

Mark Harris has asserted his right under

Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

To be identified as the author of this work.