Exciting news ! The Booming Lovelies are returning to the Guildford Institute next Friday 11th September at 3.30 pm.
Trisha, Sharron and I are very excited about reappearing at this lovely and welcoming venue and had a great rehearsal in their library. We were also thrilled to be featured in the classy R&A magazine.
Finishing off with lunch at the lovely Cote restaurant opposite the castle. I had fish stew – num!
For tickets, please go to the link below, and we hope to see you there.
I have to share with you the great night of poetry we had on Friday at the Parade’s End Bookshop in Ham.
Rachel Thomas, the wonderful bookshop owner hosted a night of poetry. This is me before it all started. With the marvellous Sharron Green, the vibrant Sam Ball and siren Del Bowen. Wine at the ready, we were full of apprehension.
I invited this marvellous group of poets to read and I was so happy they all accepted. From your left, there’s Dr Niazi, yours truly, Sharron Green, Sophie Palombo at the front – an open micer who I’d really like to see more of – behind is Dennis Tomlinson, who really broke the ice, and the lovely Liz Newbery in front of him.
Behind is boy genius Phil Porter standing next to lovely Ian Lee-Dolphin followed by maverick Sam Ball. Stylish Dilly Orme stands out in her pink, and glamorous gals Sarah Boyd and Del Bowen. What a gang!
Everyone read great poetry for five minutes, then after a very brief break, I featured with material from my new book Slummy Mummy.
This is my favourite image. Thank you, Heidi for taking this. And I’m so happy I sat next to Sharron!
Packed full to capacity, we finished just after 8 pm. Drained but happy. We really hope to do it again.
Thanks for reading about my evening, PLs. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon.
It’s inevitable in this current heatwave that memories of the summer of 1976 would come up.
Hands up who remembers it?! I thought so – everybody! And we were all so much younger, so we had the misery of youth to boot!! How did we survive this miserable era?!
Well, easily – because like every summer, it was suddenly behind us. I hope I’ve summed it up in this piece here – do read on;
Bloody Summer
Where had summer gone?
They asked after the relentless
heatwave of ‘76
It had melted into badly paid
summer jobs and other heartaches
Swallowed up by lost loves
and the Italian boys on the street
Half lagers in the Castle pub
while sneering at punks
All that remained was red peeling
skin on tired shoulders
And a nagging hosepipe pan
It calmly merged into an indolent
August
And crept away as fast as it came
HM 2018
Don’t we all agree with this, PL’s?! That this brutal summer will fade soon. I should make the most of the season but I’m too hot and miserable.
Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers and taking the Heat off me. We’ll be back with more poetry adventures real soon…
I had a marvellous poetry day on Saturday at the Surrey Poet Laureate’s weekend.
Situated in a beautiful building in Egham, the schedule was full on.
After the Mayor’s opening speech, and hosted by the marvellous Sam Ball, there was a poetry panel of Dakota Warren, Sharron Green and creator Adam Gary.
A very insightful session and later Dakota gave a reading and talked about her latest book, Be Happy I Am Mad.
Then there was an interview with my personal favourite poet Bradley Taylor. Swoon!
Bradley also took a masterclass in the afternoon that was very insightful. Here is Sharron Green and Bradley together
There was so much on offer; Katie Griffiths took a class, the lovely Joe Campling ran the Open Mic section, Melanie Hyo-In Han took us on a publishing journey, and later Luigi Coppola was interviewed. The headliner was Len Pennie who I was very sorry to miss.
Thanks for a great day. Do look out for this great event next year, PL’s.
Now this is a tricky form to take on. A mirror image piece and my version is a bit “dodgy” to say the least!
However, who can resist a challenge, and rules are there to be broken! I love the palindrome form and there have been some very clever ones written. I hope to get there one day!
As you can see, Dobby gets in on the action! Do read on….
Palindrome
Your black cat moves me and
your broomstick is menacing
The doves from your top hat look at
Me with beady eyes
Hiding behind your black cloak
You think you can cast any spell
But I am not wizened with your power
Abracadabra
Your power does not wizen me
With any spell you think you can cast
Your black cloak hiding behind
I look at the doves with beady
eyes from your top hat
Menacing your broomstick
And I move your black cat
Heather Moulson 2024
Now, I know there’s a palindrome in all of you, PL’s. So send them on a postcard please…
Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers. Got a very busy weekend ahead but I’ll be back next week…
Not being able to stomach its big sister, the Sestina (six stanzas!), I find the Tritina friendlier. Only half the workload in three stanzas, it’s much more fun.
And it goes like this ;
1, 2, 3 – first stanza (of three lines)
3, 1, 2 – second stanza
2, 3, 1 – third stanza
Then the final line has words 1, 2 and 3.
Look, here’s one I prepared earlier.
My Mother’s Hairdresser 1966
My mother’s hairdresser’s face was flushed
Hair lacquer, ammonia and the full up ashtray
Had turned her very young features so pink
The huge brutal rollers in greying hair were pink
The sheer tightness making women’s faces flushed
Their lipsticked fag ends burnt in the ashtray
Tight-lipped women always sat near to the ashtray
And their disillusioned features would turn pink
Under the hairdryers, rollered housewives flushed
The flushed hairdresser would stand over the ashtray with her pink hands.
HM 2026
I only have lovely memories of going to the hairdressers with my Mum (I got a Bunty comic!) and not the grim picture I have painted here. However, it seemed fitting for this Tritina.
Now, send your Tritina’s on a postcard to Dobby at the usual address.
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back real soon…
Heather Moulson 