Poetry Pizzazz with Alan J Wright
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I regularly launch my writing day with at least one haiku. I write them in a dedicated small notebook with a sturdy leather cover. This morning ritual grounds my thoughts and lubricates my writing mind. It has become part of my process. Because it is winter in the southern hemisphere, a gathering of wintery haiku is at the forefront of my thinking. I have taken the time to gather a few of them…
Returning to prose poetry this week and nostalgically returning to memories of my time in New York . I am recounting one of the many adjustments that were part of living in another country, another culture. Fast Paced City The first time I visited New York, I realised those stories I had heard about a fast-paced city were accurate. When I stepped out onto the streets it was like viewing a movie…
Winter has settled in to place in the southern hemisphere. Damp and cold days predominate.Winter doesn;t have a large circle of friends, but it does draw lots of attention. If pluviophile is a new words to you, then I hope you are curious enough to check it out. It's a word just perfect for winter. As the rain fell down into the street, it baptised me in the process and a winter poem rose from the…
Across the six years I was living and working in New York I was most fortunate to harvest a rich vein of stories. So many stories... My friend, Linda once shared a story about growing up in the city and enduring the somewhat oppressive summer nights. That story became the focus of a poem I included in the 2016 anthology, 'I Bet There's No Broccoli On The Moon.' Writers and poets are…
Stornello Poems A stornello is a traditional form of Italian folk poetry as well as improvisational song. The stornello originated in the rural regions of Tuscany before spreading across central and southern Italy to Lazio and beyond. In taverns and public squares, stornellanti (singers) would engage in long, improvised musical battles. One singer would throw out a verse, and the opponent had to…
This poem emerged from a brief observation while on a supermarket raid last week. A notebook entry percolated into a poem and this is the result. Poets are observers. Much of our inspiration comes from the noting of brief encounters and magic moments. We see something and feel a compelling urge to react with words. So here is my poem about my special sighting of a cruciverbalist... Crossworder A…
I frequently talk about the spark of an idea that can grow into a flame. -A flame that lights the way forward. I am buoyed by such moments... A brief conversation with a six year old regarding how much she likes blue jelly had me instantly reflecting upon my own childhood and suddenly my mind was filled with custard, not literally of course, but thoughts of how custard was a dominant dessert…
Recently I was watching an episode of 'Antiques Roadshow' (the UK version) when the words 'occasional table' were mentioned. I immediately thought of tables small in size including coffee, side, and end tables, designed for social gatherings in the home, occasionally employed and variously used to present light refreshment, drinks, snacks, or possibly the playing card games and the like. Much to…
It is said to be out there as a poet, you need to be out there. So I took this literally and earlier in the week ventured out for a coffee. As I at my outdoor table attentively observing the passing parade, a poem gently formed around me. I made a few notes rehearsed some words and sipped my cappuccino. The poem landed as an everyday observational narrative, consciously devoid of any profound turn…
Check out two of my scary poems that have just boarded the Scary-ness Poetry Express. It's an online resource for children's poetry. *The Long Tongued Slurpenspray *The Monsters Are A Mess Follow the link if you feel brave enough to go there... Scary-ness Poetry Express #poet #scary #poetryexpress
