I made a mini video in my kitchen for ‘The Cucumber Plot‘ – a poem I wrote a while back . Check it out if you have a mo.
Thanks everyone.
A x
Category Archives: Other stuff
#WorldHomelessDay
There is a ‘World’ or ‘National’ something ‘day’ pretty much every day isn’t there? Today happens to be World Homeless Day.
Whilst I have been pleased to see that my poem of the same subject matter was chosen to be Poem of the Week this week on WriteOutLoud.net I have also, today, come across the fantastic work of Cafe Art http://cafeart.org.uk/ for the first time which supports the talents of people affected by homelessness.
Spread the interest and like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter etc 🙂 xx
Shall I compare thee to…?
Music fans, readers of poetry, viewers of art – do you compare?
Making comparisons in every day life seems natural. People compare themselves to others all the time: judging their own performance at work or socially; judging their own views against someone else’s; judging their own appearance in comparison with someone else’s; judging their child’s progress at school against that of the neighbour, the list of comparable situations is endless.
Read about new or up and coming bands and you’ll find they are always compared to other artists in their genre. Is this fair?
Copy and articles in the media compare bands and music artists to each other. Captions in magazines introduce groups with the words “For fans of…”, or “Sounds like…”, and liken them to other artists. This gives the listener an idea, but the suggestion will always be embodied in the listener’s mind. Why should a band’s sound be twinned to someone else’s in order to be recognised?
There can be no denial that similarities can be identified. Take Australian rock band Airbourne, notoriously likened to AC/DC . Lots of the components are there including two brothers, copycat riffs and a lead singer who appears to model himself on a mix of Angus Young’s lead guitarist antics and Bon Scott’s loveable cheek, wit and raspy vocals. But take away those saleable characteristics, put on to entertain the crowd, and it’s the music that is different. They do have their own exciting sound, despite it being peppered with something familiar. Examples of other bands in multiple genres could be dragged up for pages and pages to come, but every one of them is different on some level, it’s just discovering how the sound affects the ear on a personal level and subsequently how it moves the listener. Surely that’s what it takes to be a true fan? I like Airbourne. I like AC/DC. I don’t like Airbourne because they have been likened to AC/DC.
Can poets be compared to each other? Look at the current poetry and spoken word scene, huge and ever growing in popularity. Many London poets have been witnessed ranting along in monotone modern London dialect, a little bit street, a little bit middle class, sharing messages about political concern, personal opinion, dilemmas, glitches in our social systems and either make light of them or or target the audience with soapbox fury. The familiar strain seems to be, who can shout the loudest? Then again, all their words are valid and their work is listened to and applauded, because they cannot be compared. Each one has something different to offer and listening hard, or reading close, will open minds and stimulate. The beauty in each one can be identified as something unique.
Can authors be compared to each other? Can painters or designers be compared? Probably, but please try to ignore the comparisons dictated by someone else, it’s lazy. In writing about bands for the last three or four years, I have been guilty of making a comparison or two myself. I will do my best not to in future.
There will always be something in a style that stands apart in each group or individual. That style will catch the eye if we want it to, regardless of any similarities marked alongside anyone else.
Long Live The Fans!
Anna xx
Write Out Loud
I have recently joined the online writing platform, Write Out Loud and wondered if any of you, my friends, were already using this most excellent avenue for displaying and sharing your writing?
If you have not heard of this before, I would love to recommend joining. It’s free and it takes no time at all to become a member, develop your profile and create your WoL blog space which can be read by all members, share comments etc, just like your own WordPress or other blog.
Write Out Loud describes itself as a national hub for participation in poetry, encouraging everyone who writes poetry to share their words with others in friendly, welcoming open-floor read-around, open-mic events and on-line on the site. They support individual poets, poetry organisations and groups across the country, via a monthly newsletter and the website.
They champion performance poetry by providing a way in which poets can talk and listen to each other. They explain that their approach has captured imaginations and enthusiasm of many people through both the website and events. The site gets over two million hits a month. So, definitely worth joining!
Let me know if you are already there or if you plan to become a member. I’d love to know.
Anna x
Mixtape – Jun 15
I’ve been meaning to do this for a while – Alternative Friday is founded and managed by a friend of mine, Big Jim, who rarely rests in his quest to broadcast and blog about new sounds and artists to listeners with a passion for new music – have a look around and have a little listen when you are in on a Friday night! In my case, that is pretty often! Anna x
The tracks in this latest mixtape vary from the noisy to the mellow, and include some cosmic gospel and good old indie. All of them, however, contain melodies that should grab you by the short and curlies. Enjoy…
Tall Ships – Will To Life
Short Skirts – Far Side of Mexico
Ross Trigwell – Fear is Blind
The Bloom – How It Starts
Vienna Ditto – Long Way Down
Josh Newell-Brown – Shine
Foggy City Orphan – Rocket
EofE – Wake up
Scarlett Parade – Hold On
Poor Things – No Way José
From the Lavvy with Love
“Lollipop. Perfume.”
Hand in hand
face to face
door rattles, shut.
Contours merge
in nightclub glow
greasy dim as candlelight.
Kisses wide
such wolfish need
ravenous for new territory.
Stinging taste
aching touch
fiery sweet and syrupy.
“Lollipop. Perfume.”
Frigid tiles scorch fevered skin
heat radiates
salty wet
bleach fuses musky scent
hand-dryer drowns
urgent breath.
Fingers braced
across gloss paint
blindly trace cacography.
Backed up hard
on wisdom’s words
penned in fibres
scratched in verse:
Exit light, enter shite
Every Hole’s A Goal
Just tonight,
then cold tomorrows.
Just tonight
these walls proclaim
you just lost the game
everything will be ok in the end
Oh, and
Roger’s dad is gay
© Anna Ghislena 2015
LIKE
“Like” is like “nice”,
A word that’s like, not a word,
Like it’s unimpressive.
It’s like saying, “That Ming vase is nice”
When it’s like, “delicate” or “exquisite” .
Yes, it’s nice, but, it’s not like the constructive connective
traditionally practised.
It’s like there’s this void,
the little bit that,
like needs,
like
filling.
Like is like, nice
but like, how many likes do you need?
Like quite a few I suppose.
What are we without a like?
Like unpopular? Like ugly?
Undeserving? Unaccounted and like, unheard?
And well, there’s like, insecurity to think about
without at least like, one like or two.
Like, if you like my page, that’s nice,
Like my photo, like my comment; like I’m cool..
I like it!
Like it’s impressive
Like it’s filling my needs,
Without it, it’s like you don’t like me.
Like my face, like my selfie, like my pout tho’,
Like…
View original post 87 more words
The Visit
For a couple of years now, on the anniversary of the passing of my Nanna, I have dreamed of a fleeting moment with her, either just a glimpse or a few exchanged words. The first time it happened I wrote this poem, but it has happened again this year and I wonder if it is the time of year and its events that is knowingly sitting there in my subconsciousness or if, perhaps, just maybe, she does pay a little visit?
Image by Darren Levine on Vimeo
You came in just before I woke,
I saw you straight away,
“Hello Nanna, it’s you”, I said
But you didn’t look my way.
“Hello Nanna, it’s me”, I said,
as gently as I could,
and reached my arms about you
to hold you where we stood.
A marshmallow cheek so soft against mine
And your hands warm and smooth
Despite all this time.
But too soon I was stirred
by a voice sharp and quick
and you must have heard
my consciousness kick.
With eyes wide open I shut you out.
©Anna Ghislena
Anna Ghislena 