Very grateful to have this featured in latest issue of The Bezine. Thankyou guest editor Richard.

Source: Nail Bar

The Sideways

Poetry as sideways comment. All about misdirection. Describe one thing mean another. Just as speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction comment on the here and now by being descriptions of an elsewhere, so poetry does the same.

Even so called “poetry without bells and whistles” takes you elsewhere. It is not just about a person drinking in a bar, sleeping with folk. It may describe a place you’ve often been to but give you a different slant on that place.
The “different slant” is the important bit. Having a different point of view means the writer takes you to another place.

For me all writing is speculative. It never describes what it seems to, and always comments on your life in the present.

“No More” featured in Excavating Poetry. Thankyou, Michael

Source: No More 

“A Carrier Bag” featured in marvellous Inbetween Hangovers. Thankyou Tasha.

https://inbetweenhangovers.wordpress.com/2017/08/09/a-carrier-bag-by-paul-brookes/ via @wordpressdotcom

Very pleased to have Ekphrastic poem  “Baby Pencil Pusher” published in Visual Verse.

http://visualverse.org/submissions/baby-pencil-pusher/

Excellent prompts

Source: do not make war, a poem . . . and your Wednesday Writing Prompt

Four poems featured in The Poet By Day. Many thanks, Jamie

Source: “Blessed Are the Sacred Folk” and other poetic r esponses to the last Wednesday Writing Prompt

on mornings when the world is a bleached skeleton on a pale horse and hope is the sound of the wind through its rib cage when I’m feeling like less than dust on the moon or grease in the fire I remind myself that I was only ever really here at all because I’ve loved […]

via Pale Horse (For My Children) by Matthew Borczon — Your One Phone Call