{"id":443,"date":"2016-10-11T15:25:04","date_gmt":"2016-10-11T15:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonelkon.com\/?p=443"},"modified":"2016-10-11T15:25:04","modified_gmt":"2016-10-11T15:25:04","slug":"poetry-inundation-trash-and-treasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/poetry-inundation-trash-and-treasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Poetry Inundation – Trash and Treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"

You Decide…..<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have disinterred around a hundred pages of my poems going back centuries…I have always been shy about my poetry. Occasionally to test it out, I have sent various poems to poetry websites and some have appeared in printed collections. I was even awarded first prize in a Forward Poetry competition (I can’t remember which poem snaffled this strange accolade). But now I find I have well over a hundred pages of the damn things. What to do? Some are truly dreadful – embarrassing even. I hate predictable rhymes. There are too many cliches to avoid them all..<\/em><\/p>\n

But there are poems I think deserve to be read. Capsules of emotion, or truth, or pictures.<\/em><\/p>\n

But which is which? YOU decide! I am going to post various extracts from my Collected Works every week, say 8 – 10 at a time – and all I want YOU to do is please feed back? E-mail preferred or comment here. Which trash? Which treasure?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1988 – 2000 – A Few Non -selected Poems<\/strong><\/p>\n

A & E Saturday 4.45pm<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

There are no emergencies here,<\/p>\n

Simply<\/p>\n

Anxieties<\/p>\n

Expressionless sobriety.<\/p>\n

A calm of blond children<\/p>\n

Exchanging banalities<\/p>\n

Parents patiently<\/p>\n

Exuding fatality<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An ache-exchange.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

America<\/strong><\/p>\n

on the day they refused to set targets for emissions Nov 00<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just<\/p>\n

How much air do you NEED?<\/p>\n

You greed-infested<\/p>\n

Speeeeeeeeeeeeed freaks?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just<\/p>\n

How much Bloooood<\/p>\n

Do you want us to Bleeeed?<\/p>\n

You earth-devouring feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeders?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

REPEAT IN DIFFERENT WORDS<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once again my old old friend<\/p>\n

Anger<\/em>, my clutch, my grab,<\/p>\n

My sting of fist and grasp of heart<\/p>\n

My tearing my own dear stomach apart,<\/p>\n

Each breath dark blue, caught<\/p>\n

At the top of the twisted diaphragm<\/p>\n

Of words which go:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Why do others –<\/p>\n

Too many others –<\/p>\n

Stab their fingers in my pie?’<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lifetime Bicycle Warrior Part 3<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m just goin\u2019 on my fragile way<\/p>\n

From Point A<\/p>\n

To Point B –<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s a sunny day<\/p>\n

Shines on me –<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just goin\u2019 my fragile way<\/p>\n

From A<\/p>\n

To B<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m just stopping here to say<\/p>\n

A word, and<\/p>\n

Then I\u2019m free….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From here to day-to-day<\/p>\n

And then, eternity….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trippin\u2019 my fragile way<\/p>\n

From A……<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To victory<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bristol Poly refectory, May 1989<\/strong><\/p>\n

I decided to become a teacher after years in Business when my first novel was published. At the age of 40, joining in student life!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Summer shadows in this room<\/p>\n

This body-bag of bustle<\/p>\n

Bubble Babble Muscle<\/p>\n

Bared to thighs unused, unhumble<\/p>\n

Thrust-out youth, preparing<\/p>\n

For trimming, shaping, filling,<\/p>\n

Sullying,<\/p>\n

Child-rearing,<\/p>\n

Making, settling, scurrying<\/p>\n

And then, busily dying<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

MARCH 15 1994<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(First episode of Atrial Fibrillation. Ambulance to hospital from the Doctor\u2019s surgery, accompanied by cuz. Who is a doctor, was staying with me on holiday from New York. My symptoms seemed minor to him. But when we went to see the GP, panic and ambulance. In the hospital they shocked me 3 times. The first, the heart stopped. The second, nothing. The third, it started again. C\u2019est la vie.)<\/em><\/p>\n

At the age of 45 I began to fall apart<\/p>\n

When a small wild bird got trapped in my heart<\/p>\n

And fighting to break free<\/p>\n

Was killed by three<\/p>\n

Shocks.<\/p>\n

O sweet bird of youth!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

BZZ BZZ<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

I yam a little buzzing fly<\/p>\n

With lotsa germs I wanna die<\/p>\n

And buzz buzz in your cosy ear<\/p>\n

And lay my little germies there<\/p>\n

Before you take a hate to me<\/p>\n

And so-what me into history!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brompton Cemetery<\/em><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The cruel dead<\/p>\n

Who, resting on our laurels<\/p>\n

Have no complaint<\/p>\n

Who<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Left us ignorant<\/p>\n

Blessed us with lies<\/p>\n

What a legacy<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The thoughtless dead<\/p>\n

Who, wanting to leave their scratch in the sand<\/p>\n

Left<\/p>\n

A cough in the night<\/p>\n

And lie in the land here,<\/p>\n

All about me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2018Always a place in our hearts\u2019<\/p>\n

Poor boy<\/p>\n

Another John Smith forgotten<\/p>\n

In acres of forget-me-nots<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This last summer day<\/p>\n

Surrounded by the rotten,<\/p>\n

Lies carved in marble<\/p>\n

A magpie<\/p>\n

Two Spaniards<\/p>\n

A dog<\/p>\n

A cyclist<\/p>\n

And the lying dead<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THERE IS SOME SORT OF CONFLICT GOING ON<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

The farcical forces of fat-arsed Fred<\/p>\n

Vs the forcical farces of the happy thigh-led<\/p>\n

Riders of rosebuds, the banged-in-the-head<\/p>\n

Heroes of pleasure who’ll rave ’till they’re dead –<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(O witness the silly<\/p>\n

And soulful and sad<\/p>\n

Stride straight up Piccadilly<\/p>\n

To the Dance of the Mad)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CUL DE SAC<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

I’m getting thoroughly sick of this<\/p>\n

One-way love affair<\/p>\n

When I run my verbiage through your hair<\/p>\n

And tickle your fancies with my smudgy pen –<\/p>\n

Say, when will you<\/em> give me<\/em><\/p>\n

Some love back,<\/p>\n

…Eh?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When<\/em>?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LIAR!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: How does it feel to love a liar?<\/p>\n

What wastes of mind does it inspire?<\/p>\n

Wastes of words<\/p>\n

Wastes of feelings<\/p>\n

Assaults on my vanity?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These compilations of uncertainties<\/p>\n

Exhausting banalities<\/p>\n

The tapping fingers<\/p>\n

The sliding eyes<\/p>\n

And the shifting-sand morality?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The was it wasn\u2019t it<\/p>\n

The where was it if it was<\/p>\n

And where not if not?<\/p>\n

Not<\/p>\n

Just that, how about WHY?<\/p>\n

Look me in the eye<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t WANT to spy on you<\/p>\n

My BRAIN fries!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A: Take it or leave it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the price\u2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LONELY AGAIN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Illegitimate thoughts<\/p>\n

(Disallowed by exigencies<\/p>\n

Disowned by necessities<\/p>\n

Buoyed by illusions<\/p>\n

Ignored by hopes<\/p>\n

Independent friends)<\/p>\n

(Some of them right and true)<\/p>\n

Bear me up<\/p>\n

Keep me from you<\/p>\n

All.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(Body-language showing fear.<\/p>\n

Inappropriate responses<\/p>\n

Whichever,<\/p>\n

I am alone<\/p>\n

Here<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE MALE CHORUS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Please explain now, if you can –<\/p>\n

Why life is shorter<\/em> for a man<\/p>\n

Is it because he will stick this<\/em><\/p>\n

Right up the nearest orifice!?<\/p>\n

(Though some do miss…)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And why his thigh-led useless slaughter<\/p>\n

Aint handed down unto his daughter?<\/p>\n

Could this be the explanation<\/p>\n

That all man kind is but one nation?<\/p>\n

That uses women for procreation?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With plenty excuses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And all that males do here espy<\/p>\n

Is fuck, die, fuck, die, fuck, die?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You Decide….. I have disinterred around a hundred pages of my poems going back centuries…I have always been shy about my poetry. Occasionally to test it out, I have sent various poems to poetry websites and some have appeared in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":445,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonelkon.com\/jnlk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}