For some years now, a few of you I have been going to
Write Out Loud, Stockport based at Stockport Art Gallery which meets on the
second Monday of each month and where a lovely report is crafted by John who
runs in.
For the January report, John alas was running late so I
took over…
Hi Guys and girls. John was running a bit late for Write Out
Loud Stockport January 2016, so out of the kindness off my heart (don’t say
anything – lol) I, Andy N said I would start off the write up for it, only for
John to arrive halfway through the first piece, and instead of passing the pad
over to him, I started off.
Considering how rubbish the weather was outside that night,
the theme on the end of the world kinda made sense and was dealt with
brilliantly by our dear Nigel who started with a Science Fiction which
amazingly carried no naughtiness whateversoever called Countdown begins which
covered all kinds of topics from Bunkers underground, space rockets and the
rebirth of mankind hopefully itself under crippling pressure. Excellent stuff.
Maggie’s first poem kinda followed on beautifully with the
floaty, almost fluffy in places ‘I wish I believed in the Pearly Gates’ which
is what could have gone happened if things had gone wrong in Nigel’s narrative.
In her poem, I myself particularly liked the reflective mood throughout the
piece which had a great use of reputation in the piece with ‘I wish….’
Dorinda followed after with a very short poem ‘I predict’
which caught me out a little because of it’s shortness and resulted in me
asking Dorinda to repeat it afterwards as my notes had only just started to get
going on the piece (teach me to be more quicker in future – lol) in which among
other predictitives she hoped she hope she would be the next poet laureate ( a
great choice in my mind) carried in a lovely dream. Great stuff, Dorinda
carried in her usual charm.
Our own, legend that is Dave C sadly had nothing to share
next time so it was over to John himself to read out a poem called ‘End of the
World’ which confused me a little on first readings but like any good poem,
it’s second reading showed a detailed mystery of eying up girls at checkout,
memories of Isle of Wight with chocolate and lots of other little details which
told a multi layered story that only John could balance out.
Dave K carried on which was untitled at that point but may
well end up been called either Lost or Lost / found but was a deeply thought
piece as only Dave could do (thinking back to the days years ago at Poetica
when I first met Dave) which appeared to be about Refugees at a train station
afraid to move forward or indeed backwards with their lives.
I offered myself ‘Heaton Park Tunnel Mystery’ doing the
usual shameless self plugging (lol) can be read on the blogs at
http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=53740
which without giving too away has come from a true story from a book my brother
got me for Christmas which will be used in research for another project that I
will reveal more off in due course.
Martin followed that up with a wonderful poem, possibly my
favourite of the night (apart from my own of course – lol) called Smoke Room
which can be read on WOL itself at
http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=53783
which deserves brownie points at least for the detail in this piece which must
have took ages to write about how pubs used to be pre smoking ban. Wonderful
stuff.
After the break, Nigel started off with a gallop on another
Science Fiction piece ‘This is the end of the world we all know’ which despite
being a wonderful piece of poetry about the American president facing a
terrible choice at the eve of war (I won’t reveal the twist at the end) had
several of us saying it felt like it was the beginning of a really special much
longer piece. Get writing, Mr Nigel (:
Maggie read two short really interesting piece next ‘nature
of the place’ and ‘nature of the walk’ in a total change of gears from the
Unpicked, unstitched project where she had to write about a place we all knew
off really well – in her case Abney Hall, which I won’t go in great detail as
it’s best coming from herself really, where apart from where Agatha Christie
stopped at was also the Social Services building for Stockport in the 1970s.
Dorinda’s second piece was another change of gears,
something that is always good about Stockport about a schoolboys silent protest
of not wanting to go to School which I think she said was something to do with
one of her grandchildren (correct me if I am wrong Dorinda please) but made me
think of my own little nephew Jack who I do remember playing doing more than a
little silent protest on his first day at School. Excellent.
Dave C read out next from memory as he usually does, a
amazing piece which talked about the anniversary of the 63rd year
since the Great Storms of our fair country (before my time of course) which was
a mixture of a poem called ‘White Princess’ which he learnt from memory at
school (amazing as it must have over 50 years ago) and one of his own poems
which flowed together so well, at least two of us (maybe more in reflection)
were not sure where the original poem finished and he carried on. Skillful
writing indeed, Mr C.
John read out carrying on a poem about a very different
storm next ‘World’s End’ which had a very subtle rhythm to it indeed (AB CB
etc) in a almost a ballad feel that covered simply about wiping away the
rubbish in a very different kind of End and had a real anger to it I personally
felt which really surprised me and impressed me.
Dave K’s second poem I think had a title of ‘Afterlife at
Travel Lodge’ which was a interesting metaphor for a state of mind of what the
afterlife could really be like if at a Travel lodge kind of place. Interesting
indeed..
Spinning towards the end, but not before John read out the
annual collage poem, my second poem, a much older piece indeed which was originally
wrote in 2009 which wrote about what would happen to Superheroes after they
grew old (thought about in a different way to the Dark Knight returns by Frank
Miller) and looked at the end of the world in a very different way I hope. The
piece actually is still on Write Out Loud, and be seen (another shameless plug
I know lol)
http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=4757
Martin brought the night to a moving conclusion with another
beautiful poem called ‘Us’ which discussed the mistakes that must fall building
trust in a relationship.
The theme for next month is something to do with David Bowie
who sadly passed away on that day.
See you all in February.
