So, October is on it's way out, and it's time to show you the micropoetry I wrote this month.
It's kind of been an up-and-down month for me, depression-wise, so sorry if these are kind of a bummer... and there are only three of them.
Sorry.
10th October
How do they do it?
The charmed ones -
While we strive, struggle, scrimp, save,
The universe re-arranges itself,
To better suit them.
13th October
I'm so tired
Of feeling so tired
Not knowing what's required
of me. What should I do?
What do you want from me?
I'm so tired.
23rd October
Tired.
Running uphill just to stay in one place.
Tired of the struggle; of the fight; of the hate; of the dark.
Tired of being tired.
Like this post? Try these:
Dora Reads is the book blog of a Bookish Rebel, supporting the Diversity Movement, bringing you Queer views and mental health advocacy, slipping in a lot of non-bookish content, and spreading reading to the goddamn world! :) (All posts may contain Amazon links, which are affiliate, unless marked otherwise. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. USA ONLY - please do not make UK purchases with my links)
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Wednesday 26 October 2016
Wednesday 19 October 2016
Aberfan
On October 21st 1966, 50 years ago this Friday, the village of Aberfan was changed forever.
A coal spoil-tip fell on the school.
Over 1 million cubic feet of industrial waste fell on the village, killing 116 children, and 28 adults.
We remember, and I give my small tribute here:
A coal spoil-tip fell on the school.
Over 1 million cubic feet of industrial waste fell on the village, killing 116 children, and 28 adults.
We remember, and I give my small tribute here:
Aberfan
The heart was hollowed from the land
You left the guts to choke us.
A mountain fell on innocent heads.
You faced no prosecution.
Our children meant nothing to you.
Just a poor man's son, a poor man's daughter.
Our children were killed
By a black heart -
A company, an industry,
which cared more for profit than people.
You murdered them with your neglect.
When we screamed 'Murderers!'
you told us we didn't understand
Inferred we should defer to our betters.
Westminster ignored our anger and our pain.
You expected us to bow our heads,
Mumble 'yessir, nosir, threebagsfullsir,'
and creep away.
A father, speaking for a nation, speaking for a people, speaking for his child
Insisted on the truth.
Died of asphyxia and multiple injuries?
You buried our children alive.
You took the heart from the mountains,
Left the guts to rot on a hillside.
And buried our children alive.
And we remember.
Wales will always remember.
You murdered
the children
of Aberfan.
Wednesday 28 September 2016
The Writer Diaries - Micropoetry, September 2016
It's that time again dearest nerdlets! September is rapidly skimming out of view, and I have more micropoetry to share with you.
Sorry if several of these are kind of a downer - I learnt that someone I knew in school had died and... yeah.
I kind of worked through some stuff (the poems for 13th Sep will show you that,) so feel free to skip anything that's bringing you down!
9th September
13th September (I)
How am I supposed to feel?
They say you died;
A casual friend;
I hadn't heard your name in years.
How am I supposed to feel?
Tell me.
13th September (II)
Do I have a right to grieve?
5 years or more -
Must have been
Never close, even then
Just two birds of the same flock
One bird now dead
13th September (III)
A background fixture,
Left behind when I left the room.
Weren't you younger than me?
Or was it a few days older?
Young & pretty & dead
17th September
23rd September
2016
The year of mean.
Have my tears,
But cariad, I'm gonna sing
Over the heads of abject liars -
Reaching ears that may hear
me
2016
Like this post? Try these:
Sorry if several of these are kind of a downer - I learnt that someone I knew in school had died and... yeah.
I kind of worked through some stuff (the poems for 13th Sep will show you that,) so feel free to skip anything that's bringing you down!
9th September
Nothing deserves pity
More than those
who fear love & compassion
& turn instead to hate
Poor lost soul,
Find your way home soon
13th September (I)
How am I supposed to feel?
They say you died;
A casual friend;
I hadn't heard your name in years.
How am I supposed to feel?
Tell me.
13th September (II)
Do I have a right to grieve?
5 years or more -
Must have been
Never close, even then
Just two birds of the same flock
One bird now dead
13th September (III)
A background fixture,
Left behind when I left the room.
Weren't you younger than me?
Or was it a few days older?
Young & pretty & dead
17th September
No matter
How dark
It may be
There is light
There is good
You are loved
23rd September
2016
The year of mean.
Have my tears,
But cariad, I'm gonna sing
Over the heads of abject liars -
Reaching ears that may hear
me
2016
Like this post? Try these:
Wednesday 31 August 2016
Month In Review(s) - August 2016
August. Ahhhh, August.
(I can't resist a happy-dog-in-sunglasses pic!)
August was actually a pretty good month for me.
Despite how difficult my anxiety made it, I came out as sexually fluid; and that felt great ;)
Blog-wise, less impressive stats than last month. But they were still pretty damn good :)
Over 4k page-views this month, reaching over 25k page-views over-all!!!!!!!!!!! XD I mean - wow! 25k!!!!!! XD XD
(Actually I've now reached over 26k, but 25 is such a round and shiny number, lol!)
And I now have over 950 followers on Twitter.
Things've stagnated a little on BlogLovin' - but still trotting along with a handful of new followers this month :)
And shameless plug time!
The Bookish Diversity Link List 2016 is up and running.
Be sure to check it out, and let me know if you find anything I can add! (It's easier when people help me, lol.)
Kids
Adult
Graphic Novels
(I can't resist a happy-dog-in-sunglasses pic!)
August was actually a pretty good month for me.
Despite how difficult my anxiety made it, I came out as sexually fluid; and that felt great ;)
Blog-wise, less impressive stats than last month. But they were still pretty damn good :)
Over 4k page-views this month, reaching over 25k page-views over-all!!!!!!!!!!! XD I mean - wow! 25k!!!!!! XD XD
(Actually I've now reached over 26k, but 25 is such a round and shiny number, lol!)
And I now have over 950 followers on Twitter.
Things've stagnated a little on BlogLovin' - but still trotting along with a handful of new followers this month :)
And shameless plug time!
The Bookish Diversity Link List 2016 is up and running.
Be sure to check it out, and let me know if you find anything I can add! (It's easier when people help me, lol.)
Kids
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon - contemporary, magic realism
Young Adult
Switched by Amanda Hocking - fantasy, paranormal* (*ish)
Adult
Blood Season by Claire Meadows - poetry
Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life - non-fiction, essays
Graphic Novels
Limbo, Volume 1 - fantasy*, horror*, crime* (*ish)
Malice In Ovenland by Micheline Hess - kids, fantasy
Kilala Disney Princess, Vol 1 - young adult, fantasy, manga, fairy tale, media tie-in
Labels:
contemporary,
crime,
essays,
fairy tale,
fantasy,
fiction,
graphic novels,
horror,
kids,
magic realism,
manga,
media tie-in,
non-fiction,
paranormal,
poetry,
review,
wrap-up,
ya
Tuesday 30 August 2016
The Writer Diaries - Micropoetry, August 2016
Another month faffs off into the everloving history books, and I have more micropoetry for you :)
Hope you like!
(Also for some reason I seem to average four micropoems per month - random.)
16th August
We snipe at each other
Humans become trolls
Keyboards delete humanity for some,
But increase it for others -
Good web knights
22nd August
When I laughed
You thought that I agree.
No.
I didn't want to show
How badly your words
hurt me.
Like this post? Try These:
Hope you like!
(Also for some reason I seem to average four micropoems per month - random.)
9th August
My love, your hope.
Hearts tried to speak,
Yet never spoke.
16th August
We snipe at each other
Humans become trolls
Keyboards delete humanity for some,
But increase it for others -
Good web knights
20th August
Speed through a red light.
Go on. Go ahead.
But the flowers tied to that tree?
They're a warning,
Don't take them as a challenge.
22nd August
When I laughed
You thought that I agree.
No.
I didn't want to show
How badly your words
hurt me.
Like this post? Try These:
Tuesday 2 August 2016
Review! (Poetry Edition!) - Blood Season by Claire Meadows
Author:
Claire Meadows
Genre: Poetry
Genre: Poetry
I
received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher, Urbane Publications, via NetGalley.
NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair
and honest reviews.
You may know that I love poetry - and I've been getting back into it more lately.
That said, this collection seemed interesting. Something about it quirked my distracted-toddler-style interest, and I decided to give it a shot.
Premise:
A poetry collection from Claire Meadows talking passionately about life, love, death, and blood.
Best
bits:
Meadows can create imagery in her sleep. Her poems are stuffed with powerful, vivid, imagery - sometimes strikingly stark and raw.
Clearly, she also knows her writing techniques, inside and out.
There's an awareness present throughout this collection of the way in which words weave together to create those strong images she confronts us with time and again.
There's also meaning in buckets for those who like to pick apart metaphors with a fine tooth comb - there are impressive layers to this poetry.
The poet's passion shines through - there's definite feeling throughout.
There's also the slightly uncomfortable but beautifully powerful sub-text of domestic abuse/violence (I'm not sure whether it was intended or not, but this sub-text is most definitely there - whether a metaphor for something else or not.)
Yes, this is going to be problematic for some people - but the raw feeling involved is undoubtedly something to admire.
Not
so great bits:
The main problem here, to me, was the cohesion of the collection - or the lack thereof.
I was left really uncertain over whether the speaker (the 'voice' of the poem) was meant to be the same in several places.
Likewise, sometimes it felt like the addressee (the person being talked to) of the poem was the same over several separate poems, and then a detail here or there would throw a discordant note into the mix and confuse me.
This was a problem with the collection arrangement, I think, more than the individual poems. The flow was damaged by the sense of same-but-different in the placement of the poems.
A few poems I didn't like as much of others - but that's a matter of individual preference, and is going to occur in any collection of poems.
Here and there I felt that the images within the poem - though undoubtedly still very vivid - didn't quite gel together into something (and here's that word again) cohesive.
Also, several topics here - specifically the under-tones of abuse and violence - may be distressing to many.
This is a personal thing again - I didn't have a problem with it - but I could completely understand if some of this is too much for some people.
Verdict:
Look, book, me and you? We had some issues, true. But I think we could make this thing between us work.
What do you say? You up for another round? ;)
Liked
this post? Try these:
Wednesday 27 July 2016
The Writer Diaries - Micropoetry, July 2016
If you read this blog and/or my Twitter account a lot, you might know that I like to dabble aimlessly in micropoetry.
Micropoetry is basically poetry in the length of a tweet. Which is awesome, no?
So, without further ado, here's the micropoetry I wrote in July (which is hopefully a little more up-beat than a lot of my micropoetry has been in recent months!)
12th July
I'm fragile glass,
Can you take
Conflicting truths,
And believe
Both truths are real?
14th July
I know
It's never easy.
Just once
I wish
so hard.
18th July
You still don't get it
I'm not like you -
never was.
You're all made of sunshine,
but honey, I'm not.
I'm starlight,
I'm the stars.
21st July
Fingers dance across the keyboard
Pull the letters into the beat
Pirouette into a woven textile
Heart strings pulled along to the beat
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Saturday 23 July 2016
The Poetry of Biffy Clyro
'Angels fall to the floor
Like they would if I was Captain
'Silver children' she roared,
I'm not the son of God'
- Biffy Clyro, The Captain
'The Captain' is one of my favourite Biffy Clyro songs. One of my favourite songs over all, actually. And the perfect example of poetry in song lyrics.
It's a song of hurt and hope, all woven together. It's a song with something ancient in it's heart - something that beats drums and dances for a pagan God.
Biffy Clyro's lyrics are a beautiful mix of imagery. No-one will ever be able to tell me that their lines aren't poetry.
Their lyrics (sung beautifully in lovely Scottish tones) are some of the most meaningful I've ever come across.
And they're proof that poetry belongs to everyone - not just academics and arty-types. Poetry is not sovereign territory, and can be enjoyed by everyone.
'This river is particularly sinister
Close your eyes and take my hand'
Close your eyes and take my hand'
- Biffy Clyro, That Golden Rule
To me, the imagery in Biffy Clyro music - just that blend of the religious, the natural, the mystical, and the mundane - is just incredible.
Don't get me wrong, Biff' aren't a religious band. But they take religious imagery - angels, God, heaven, demons - and turn it into a beautiful complex weave of metaphors.
OK, so maybe I'm making them sound a lot more intellectual than I should be. They're a rock band, not a literature seminar.
But then, that's kind of the point. They've got genuine heart and a genuine rawness.
'Cause when my back is turned,
My bruises shine.
Our broken fairytale,
So hard to hide'
My bruises shine.
Our broken fairytale,
So hard to hide'
- Biffy Clyro, Many of Horror
'Many of Horror' is a beautiful, horrible, song. Brokenly stunning, it's just... wow.
It's about how love hurts - physically and mentally. And it's one of the few songs with the ability to make me cry - which is an achievement in itself ;)
If you don't know much about Biffy Clyro, then you should totally check them out. They're awesome.
And, just because it deserves to be heard in all it's glory, here's 'The Captain':
What about you guys? Do you think music can be poetry?
Like this post? Try this:
Monday 27 June 2016
The Writer Diaries - Micropoetry, June 2016
Here we are my dearest nerdlets! The little scraps of micropoetry that I've written this month, all wrapped up neat 'n' tidy in a blogpost!
(They're kind of sad poems... sorry about that! In my defence, more than one was written in reaction to various things going around me, and in the country in general, when I wrote them.)
8th June
(They're kind of sad poems... sorry about that! In my defence, more than one was written in reaction to various things going around me, and in the country in general, when I wrote them.)
Goodbye little bird,
I promise I loved you
I promise I cared.
Goodbye little bird -
You would've been spared
11th June
Empty shop, empty shop, empty shop.
Reduced bank hours,
Downgraded post office,
One train an hour.
Empty shop, empty shop, empty shop.
15th June
The sky is crying -
It throws down its tears,
So we can know,
That it cries too.
16th June
A bright light burned out today
As it left it lit the way -
Said love not hate is what I say,
Hatred will not win the day
#jocox
23rd June
You think you know me.
How I wish that were true.
You claim to know me.
But I know you.
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Wednesday 15 June 2016
What Is Poetry?
I like poetry. You may've noticed this. You may not have.
But a lot of people don't read poetry. They feel like they don't 'get it' or even know what 'it' is.
So, what is poetry?
The Simplistic Answer
Poetry is a form of literature. It usually has shorter sentences than prose (but not always, because is life ever that simple?) and is arranged in lines.
Sometimes it rhymes. Sometimes it doesn't rhyme. Sometimes it has a regular rhythm - and sometimes it doesn't.
Basically, poetry is relatively short lines, usually conveying emotion of some description. Apart from that, the definitions are vague at best.
The Hippie-Dippy Answer
Poetry - good poetry at least - is not something that you get. Good poetry gets you.
Poetry is simply lines arranged on a page, that, if the poet's done their job right, mean something to you.
Poetry can be written by anyone, and read by anyone. It's about whatever you want it to be about.
And never let anyone tell you anything different. If you can appreciate song lyrics, if you can appreciate prose, film, music, dialogue, anything, on any level, then you can appreciate poetry. Screw the shamers.
Like this post? Try these:
But a lot of people don't read poetry. They feel like they don't 'get it' or even know what 'it' is.
So, what is poetry?
The Simplistic Answer
Poetry is a form of literature. It usually has shorter sentences than prose (but not always, because is life ever that simple?) and is arranged in lines.
Sometimes it rhymes. Sometimes it doesn't rhyme. Sometimes it has a regular rhythm - and sometimes it doesn't.
Basically, poetry is relatively short lines, usually conveying emotion of some description. Apart from that, the definitions are vague at best.
The Hippie-Dippy Answer
Warning: Some of this may be a bit sarcastic. Not very, because I have respect for the peace n love vibes from hippies. And my upbringing was a weird mix of traditional, intellectual, and hippy bat-sh** craziness.
My parents are quite normal when you meet them... honest.
My parents are quite normal when you meet them... honest.
Poetry is the breath and essence of life transformed into words. It's freedom and love translated onto the page.
But it's not constricted to the page - poetry can be anything, anywhere.
It's something you feel in your eternal spirit, and something which washes over you in waves of light-energy. *Laughs at self.*
(Ready to start singing kumbaya yet?)
(I can kind of relate to this gif - although not to the drugs part.
But I've def. seen the inside of too many shops that sell incense. Incense and sandalwood. Everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
Most people's early shopping experiences aren't accompanied by New Age pan-pipe music, but whatever...)
The Pretentious Answer
Warning: This section is highly sarcastic. ;)
Poetry is an art form which the lower-classes (anyone who couldn't afford private school) are unable to comprehend because we have tiny minds.
Poetry can only be written by poncey middle-aged white men in dusty literary studies, because clearly they are the only people who could possibly understand it *eye roll.*
Poetry should only be read by people who adore the poncey middle-aged men, and will faun over them and never question anything they say, and believe they are the greatest artists who ever lived. *Bashes head against laptop.*
The Honest Answer
Poetry is simply lines arranged on a page, that, if the poet's done their job right, mean something to you.
Poetry can be written by anyone, and read by anyone. It's about whatever you want it to be about.
And never let anyone tell you anything different. If you can appreciate song lyrics, if you can appreciate prose, film, music, dialogue, anything, on any level, then you can appreciate poetry. Screw the shamers.
Like this post? Try these:
- The Writer Diaries: Micropoetry - May 2016
- Review (Poetry Edition!) - Today Means Amen by Sierra DeMulder
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