Dedicated publisher of fiction, poetry and memoir
This week's Poetry Challenge was to compose a limerick, with the aim of bringing a smile to the face of the reader, and distracting us all a little from the troubled times in which we find ourselves. I asked Poet Don of The Flippant, Comic, and Serious if he would be our judge, with the... Continue Reading →
Before I came back to my writing my own poetry (after an 18 year break!) I came into recovery from alcoholism. I was encouraged to seek help from a 'higher power' - whether this be God, a support group, the healing energy of the Universe, didn't matter. It had just ought to be something bigger... Continue Reading →
Last time I featured the rather sombre poetic form of the Elegy for the Experiments in Fiction Poetry Challenge. Though there is a time to mourn, there is also of course a time to laugh. Life is without balance if we don't find joy in it as well as sorrow. So for today's challenge, we... Continue Reading →
Today, I am proud to be hosting Don Matthews at EIF. Don is an Australian writer who's work is different to the 'norm'. He focuses on rhyme with content taken from humour, serious, nonsense, absurd etc. I recommend exploring his site 'Flippant, Comic, and Serious' for poetry with a difference: The Flippant, Comic, and Serious... Continue Reading →
I’ll wear my swishing, stunning skirt todaybecause todayI’m going to the land of ex-girlfriends: they wear their skin tan;their hair pinned to perfection;their nails manicured impeccably; I’m morelike a manmy appearance doesn’t own meI trythen I loose interest; miss a beatand they’ll be outthose ex-girlfriends from every corner of the street they'll comewanting my husband’s salaryand all the things I didn’t... Continue Reading →
Dear Readers, As I write today, I feel like a dinosaur. I feel a little silly, and certainly a little antiquated. The reason? I recently entered a poetry competition, which incidentally I didn't win: no sour grapes here, just giving you some context. What concerned me were the judge's comments regarding the capitalisation of the... Continue Reading →
Linguistics is a sexy subjectAnyone who would disagree Should listen to this:LabialDentalPalatalFricativeLabio-velar GIt’s the science of how we speakSo it must have a little to doWith the things that make us tick:It’s easy you seeIt’s all doneWith a flickOf the tongue.I’m British so I’m afraid That’s about as sexy as it’s going to get:Now I’m off to... Continue Reading →
This fortnight's challenge, to write an Elegy, produced some truly moving and heart-wrenching responses, as you might expect given the nature of the Elegy itself. My thanks and congratulations to those who entered; I was moved by your words and impressed by how powerfully you used your response to grief to create art which I... Continue Reading →
Yesterday on the bus my kids sang:‘All day long I’d biddy-biddy BUM!If I were a wealthy MAN.’On the way homeWe passed a man sleeping in a doorway:Better by far to be a rich bumThan a freezing poor Man. Written in response to dVerse: Quadrille #110: Shall we bum around a bit? For some reason, my kids... Continue Reading →
It’s easy to climb:Just don’t look down.It’s easy to leave:Just don’t everCast a glanceOver your shoulder.But easiest of all isTo stay:As easy as sliding down a greased poleInto not-so-quiet desperation. It’s easy to stay but it’s alsoThe hardest of all:Tortured hoursAnd the slow death of the soul. I am posting this, a little late, for dVerse... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Fiction 