12 days after Christmas

On the first day after Christmas

my true love and I had a 

terrible, terrible argument and

she threw a variety of pots and

pans at me, so I strangled the

Partridge and burnt down the

pear tree that my true,

My true love gave to me.

Things didn’t get any better by

the end of the second day, when

she started throwing plates

at me like Boomerangs,

and so, in a vicious frenzy 

I took out an axe and stabbed the

two turtledoves that my true,

my true love gave to me.

On the 3rd and 4th days

my true love graduated

to throwing grendades

so I poisoned the three French Hens

and borrowed next-door’s cat

to say hello to the four calling birds

that my true,

my true love gave to me.

Things, believe it or not got worse

over the next few days

so I pawned off the five golden rings

and stamped on the eggs

of the six geese a laying

before shooting the seven swans swimming

that my true,

My true love gave to me.

By the time we reached the 8th day

our household had become

a battlefield with trenches

dug between the TV and Sofa

and I won’t mention

what I did to the eight maids a milking

that my true,

my true love gave to me.

I bunded up the nine ladies dancing

ten lords a leaping and

eleven pipers piping

in a large package

and posted them back

returning the special delivery 

that my true,

My true love gave to me.

The neighbours

only called the Police

on the 13th day

when the twelve drummers drumming

were found massacred on the frontlawn –

their drumsticks neatly arranged

on the grass, spelling out..

Well, it certainly wasn’t Happy Christmas. 

(NB. This is an work of fiction and does not reflect

the love I have for my other half) 

 

Dear all;

As to be expected things have quietened down somewhat with the rush of Christmas time. All I have really done since I last wrote was go to a few writing workshops which has produced drafts of a few new poems (Some of which may well end up getting blogged around places and a few I’m going to send to magazines).

Poetrywise, after a spell this year when things were a fair bit quieter writing wise has really began with a vengenance after my illness. My next book ‘The End of Summer’ is a reflection of this as to me now I am leaving my 30’s I am leaving the Summer of my life and heading into the beginning of Autumn.

 The Sequence in the book ‘The End of Summer’ is a reflection of this and reflects another change in my writing as much as my split book ‘A Means to an End’. That book which was wrote between February 2010 to July 2011 was mostly about my past and the way different places which have influenced my life. ‘The End of Summer’ is about what comes next and hopefully will be done for the end of next year (I have wrote around 16 poems for this – round about 19 or 20 pages).

As hinted before, there is going to be a Love Songs for Cathy III released towards February 2011 (top secret of course) and I will probably do a merged volume of the three possibly too later in the year.

Otherwise, I have started work on a few possible joint projects which I won’t reveal more about in case they don’t work out etc but I must admit I like working on projects with other people.. I guess because I like the buzz of seeing the way it develops in ways that you wouldn’t have normally expected.

Normal service shall be started up again in the new year with gigs pencilled in for the new year (January and February already).

Have a great Christmas all

No Matter (Poem inside Cathy's Christmas Card

No matter how hard the snow
May fall this year
Or how much the lights
Sparkle in the heavens
I shall still love you.

No matter if all of your presents
Touch the ceiling
Or show a more intimate
Kind of emotion
I shall still love you.

I shall still love you
If the snow is yellow
Or we away in Space
Halfway to Venus and back.

I shall love you
Whether it is sunshine
Or sunset
Or somewhere halfway
Between a Cuckoo’s cry at dawn.

And I shall love you
At Christmas by the beach
Where we walk before
Heading to my sisters for tea
Or a letter to your heart
Delivered urgent 1st class
Hand to mouth
And heart to heart.

walk in tune (winter poem)

Buses trudge through the snow
like children on sledges
while dogs dig their heels
when their owners stumble.

Newspapers blow in the wind
like the pipes of peace
and train guards look frozen
when asking people to step back.

Bins freeze up like Igloos
while Black bags are heavy as stone
and Christmas tree lights change
to Airport warning beacons.

The breeze starts as your friend
but then in seconds becomes your enemy
while Robins hide in Rabbit warrens
as Winter finally walks in tune.

Latest News and Views - Week commencing 7th December 2011

Dear all;

Sorry for the quietness recently folks, but searching for a new job now my job at the Co-Operative has become a full time occuption in itself looking for a new one. 

However, since I last wrote – latest news in bits and pieces:

1) ‘The night cries like a lonely wolf’

The book planned to write with Le Vampire has been delayed somewhat now until 2012.. I hope this will be out Mid 2012 now.

2) ‘Words and Paintings’

My split book with Olga Gerke has now been completed and can be ordered through lulu.com on

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/words-and-paintings/18697247?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_38257885

The book is somewhat more pricey you may see than my usual books,

But this book contains 16 full colour paintings by Russian painter, Olga Gerke

Which are well worth seeing, believe me.

3) Brief Encounters (Performance Poems 2004 – 2009)

A Draft version of this collection has now been completed. However, this collection will know will be delayed until the middle of 2012 as I am currently out of work, I have time to write more performance based poetry (Have wrote several more

Possibles for this book already).

4) The End of Summer – Unclear whether N Press will publish this collection or whether I should go to another publisher with it but certainly at the moment, there is around 14 or 15 poems wrote for this.. Hopefully by the end of next Summer, I should have more of a idea what is going on with this.

5) Love Songs for Cathy III – this shall be done Mid February 2012. I say no more under fear of death.. lol

Other Projects:

6) A Means to an End – As noted elsewhere the first book came out last month at a book launch and has done fairly well. It is unclear at the moment whether there will be a second volume, but a number of new pieces are under development for the band. After our book launch at Chorlton Arts Festival on 15^th November 2011, we followed it with a follow up gig at Bolton Write Out Loud on 20^th November and

Light in the Dark on 22th November. Next gig will be for Light in the Dark

Again on 22th February 2012, allowing me time to rest more and write lots more material for the band.

7) Project with Amanda Silbernagel. Things are moving slowly along here as Amanda is busy with studies, but we have completed six pieces together which I am pleased with and I hope to get a 7^th piece completed before Christmas and maybe finish the album off in 2012. (Would like to do a tour with Amanda too but unclear yet how this would be possible).

8) I have also started work on a possible play with Rob Goodier and in discussions

with the young Irish writer, Kelean Coady over co-writing some stuff.

9) Writers of the third kind, my ongoing workshop with Amanda Speakman is

going great guns and the third workshop and last for this year will be next week

on 14^th December 2011 at the Sweet Green Traven in Bolton from 7pm to 9pm.

Hope to see some of you there.

More to follow of course shortly.