Fragments of David (IV) (and other news and guest post)

Fragments of David (IV)

Blowing bubbles under water

it was said he fixed his mum’s pipes

that was leeking all over the street

in about ten minutes

when he was only twelve.

Digging clues to his future

as he causally sorted out the problem

with the minimum of fuss

leaving both of his parents

spellbound for hours afterwards.

(There is now also a new Podcast on Spoken Label featuring a chat with Indie Publisher 'Fly on the Wall' (ran by Belle Kenyon - more below with the guest post. This session can be found here (Bandcamp) here (Youtube), here (Anchor), here (Itunes), here (Streaker), here (Castbox), here (GooglePodcasts), here (Overcast), here (Castro), here (Radiopublic) and here (Spotify)

We are on this festival today also (I'm on at 7pm and Amanda 7.10pm (Video Footage to follow)

***

(Also included below - a guest post from good friend to Spoken Label Belle Kenyon (from Fly on the Wall Press) regarding a really interesting sounding book) 

‘Birds Who Eat French Fries’ by Michael Maul

Michael Maul’s second collection is packed with humour and charismatic reflections on the puzzling nature of human existence, juxtaposed with the ingenuity of the animal kingdom!  Unafraid to tackle large topics such as hate speech and abusive relationships, Maul takes the reader on a journey which has all the complexities and wonders of modern life.

About the author

Michael Maul resides in Bradenton, Florida, living near Sarasota Bay. His poems have previously appeared in numerous literary publications and anthologies in the U.S. as well as in Ireland, Scotland, and Australia.

He is also a past winner of the Mercantile Library Prize for Fiction, for a short story set in Siesta Key, and his work was selected for inclusion in Intro 4, an anthology of new voices published by The University of Virginia Press.

Maul is a graduate of the Ohio University creative writing program, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He later held faculty and administrative positions at Ohio University (Athens, Ohio,) The Columbus College of Art and Design (Columbus, Ohio,) and Saint Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews:

“I received and am enjoying Birds Who Eat French Fries. Impressive!”

-          Ed Lathy, PhD. Former Dean, Liberal Arts, Columbus College of Art and Design

“I was blown away! I love almost every poem in this book. There are highs and lows, humor and pathos and poems that left me thinking for days. Honestly, this may be my favorite book of poetry ever. I hope to see more from this poet. A lot more. I know that taste in poetry is an individual thing, but I don’t think you will be disappointed if you give this a read.”
  
    Tim Gibson on 'Dancing Naked In Front of Dogs' 

-         

     BIRDS WHO EAT FRENCH FRIES

They just don’t care anymore,

bellies distended,

living like bums performing for tossed scraps

and Tater Tots

in fast food parking lots.

They were made for better things:

to float on waves,

to search for schools offshore,

or perch above the Earth,

to scan for signs of prey they enjoyed in former days.

But junk food birds have since learned

to open crumpled bags

and, with beak and claw,

to dine on human throwaways.

Pizza crusts or Taco Bell,

Mickey D’s, or KFC skin and bones

locked inside Styrofoam,

these are the tastes of sophisticated birds who,

after evolving from dinosaurs,

just took another leap ahead

by becoming us instead.