I have had the honour of being invited to read at the Folk Week Fringe in Broadstairs.
The wonderful and enigmatic poet Nick Goodall, the Bard of Broadstairs himself, kindly asked me to perform on 13th August. I am so looking forward to it.
Thrilled to return to Broadstairs again, I haven’t been since 1996. And now I’m returning to perform at the marvellous Chapel Bar and Bookshop, in Albion Street, Broadstairs. Proud to be part of such an impressive bill of performers.
It’s a great line-up of poets so please come if you can.
Look up more details about the wonderful Nick Goodall. A very clever poet. He will be in residency nightly from Friday 9th August through to the 16th.
No don’t adjust your sets! It’s me, Sharron @rhymes_n_roses turning the tables on the lovely Heather Moulson because it’s time for her to take the spotlight!
Dougie switch the torch off! You’ll blind her!
You’re looking beautiful in that black velvet trouser suit my dear! Sorry about Dougie’s hair – Dougie Down!!
Don’t worry – Dougie and I are pals since our rehearsals in the garden last year – not much chance of that this Summer! Dobby says hello – she’s drying off at home.
Well, please pop that beautiful handbag down before the handle breaks, take a pew and we’ll get started.
When did poetry become a part of your life?
It became important to me at 11 when I was desperate to win a school prize. I wrote this piece about a modern house. I remember a line about central heating – a real luxury then.
Ooh central heating – best invention ever…
I know! Anyway, I won the prize – a book which I still have today – and then retired from being a poet and turned my back on it all.
What a tragedy …
Fast forward many years later, when my friend Anne Warrington wanted to set up a regular poetry meeting in 2017, I got inspired to start writing again.
Thank goodness for Anne, she’s a treasure to us all
I know, Anne’s wonderful isn’t she?!.
I discarded writing about a house this time, and concentrated on nostalgic pieces. Then I couldn’t stop, the poet in me was unleashed! It must have been fighting to get back out all along!
It’s hard to hold back once you’ve started isn’t it? And what a plethora of poems you’ve produced!
Tell the audience how the Booming Lovelies got together
Early March 2020 at the Cranleigh Arts Centre when we all naively thought that 2020 was going to be a good year! I’d already met Trisha Broomfield before but that was the first time I met you, Sharron. You made a good first impression. I recall us sitting together at a table.
Yes, we shared a packet of salt n vinegar – you were very restrained
Yes, for once! Despite the Booming Lovelies not really happening until 2022, at the Willoughby Arms, I think it was always there just waiting to be unravelled. With our love for a certain era and nostalgia and the older woman’s angle, how could it not come to light?
Definitely – we found our niche – Baby Boomers Rule OK!
Are you working on anything at the moment?
I’ve started several projects and they’ve just gone by the wayside. I would like to publish another pamphlet, as my last one Bunty, I miss you was published in 2019. I can’t believe how long ago that is now.
I LOVE your Bunty pamphlet – definitely a collector’s piece!
Ah thank you. Inspired by your’s and Trisha Broomfield’s new book, I would ideally like to write pieces with illustrations.
Your cartoons are A M A Z I N G – that’s such a good idea!
Remembering the blackouts and power rations as a teenager, I would like to concentrate on these.
Tell me about it! Obviously, I was a bit younger but I remember lighting candles at night.
Erm…I just wondered if…..
Yes of course you can pop out for a ciggie – please don’t let Dougie have one, he’s been banned from vaping
Welcome Back – I was wondering, what’s your favourite personal piece?
I really love Penfriend that I read during our Booming Lovelies act. It’s so true and makes me yearn for Ingeborg again. (Wherever she is!).
Think the other piece is Bloody Liar because I remember my school friend, Julie did that all the time!! And yet, I still fell for her lies! Why?!
They both always raise a laugh don’t they? (although my friend Julie was a bit upset about that one)
What’s the best gig you’ve ever done?
Definitely with the Booming Lovelies at Cranleigh Arts Centre in April. They were a great crowd and with us all the way. I also adored that dressing room.
Yes, our first Green Room – with a mini bar! Very rock n roll!
Wasn’t it great?!
From a solo view, I think it was at The Poetry Café in 2018 at Hampton Hill and Dorking is Talking in 2019. Isabel Morris set up poetry gigs in a Mediterranean restaurant with a great turnout, and the audience fell about. Exhausting but exhilarating. It’s a shame that died out. COVID ruined so many things.
And what about your Worst gig?!
That’s hard to answer because I’ve bombed numerous times and they merge into one!
I suppose it was at the Torriano House in December 2022, I was so thrilled to be invited there and no-one turned up! Luckily, I took along my 3 pals, and the lovely Barney Ashton-Bullock came and cleaned up on the open mic.
Where would we poets be without our friends?
Yes, indeed. My pals were a bit nonplussed, to say the least.
It was also lovely to read with the enigmatic Wendy Young, and I had the pleasure of meeting Pauline Sewards, a lovely intelligent poet, so it was a double-edged sword really.
I won’t ever forget that bleakness though and that there were eight of us in total on that dark Sunday night! Luckily, I’d brought some wine and crisps!
Well at least you were all treated to great poetry – and you got home early!
Speaking of which, I’m afraid I have to go now Sharron, I’m feature poet at the Surrey Poet Laureate’s Lounge tonight. Thank you and Dougie so much for having me.
Wow! Congratulations! You really are in demand Heather – and rightly so!
She’s off in that new blue car of hers – going places is our Heather. Now she’s gone I’ll open a bag of cheese and onion and write this up. She makes it look so easy!
Recently, I did an email poetry course with the wonderful Sue Burge on the Seven Deadly Sins.
It’s funny how these biblical things still draw us in and intrigue us. I like the ‘good’ ones of course, like lust and envy. The only one I really fell at the fence with was Pride. A difficult and intangible thing to express.
However, I attempted a half ghazal for Envy. Do read on;
Envy
What does she have that I haven’t?
Please don’t answer that
Is it a thing called talent?
Please don’t answer that
I suspect she’s wearing a wonder-bra
Please don’t answer that
Is this a sign that she’ll go far?
Please don’t answer that
Will that girl go right to the top?
Please don’t answer that
While I stay put in the cake shop?
Please don’t answer that
HM 2024
Thanks for reading, PL’s. I can’t help feeling there are worse fates than being stuck in a cake shop!! Maybe I’m the object of envy here!
Adore these pictures taken last night at Paper Tiger Poetry. Thanks to Antonio for getting these shots. A great night.
Thanks for tuning in to this occasional series, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..
Yes, it’s coming up again. The Sealey Challenge – where one reads a poetry pamphlet everyday for the whole of August.
I’ve always wanted to write a piece about this enigmatic task but words have failed me.
However, the lovely talented Sharron Green has come up with a belter! Adore this poem, sums it up entirely. Do read on…
Sincerely Challenged
The Sealey Challenge has been one, it’s harder than it looks. To read and post through August, that’s quite a lot of books!
I’ve mostly kept to ones I have as there are now a few and reading them has long been on my list of things to do.
There is a huge variety in poetry I find – the style, the form and subject – impress upon the mind.
Plus seeing them flow together, the way they grace the page, gives tips and inspiration
for when I reach that stage. I’m grateful to the poets who have channeled words through pen,
and to the Sealey Challenge for the month to savour them.
rhymes_n_roses 2024
Wasn’t that just wonderful?! Sharron captured that daunting yet enticing prospect so well.
Thank you so much, Sharron. Excellent piece. We’ll keep you updated with the Sealey Challenge, PL’s. And perhaps you’d like to take on this task yourselves! It’s surprising how many poetry books one has.
This is a picture of us with our lovely pal Trisha Broomfield, having lunch at Huffkins after a superb poetry workshop at Kingston Library. Every Tuesday morning at 11 am, do go if you can. Taken by the wonderful Adam Gary.
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
Now that we are actually in summertime (I think?), I’ve found this lovely seasonal piece by Sharron Green.
So descriptive and personal, I couldn’t resist illustrating her poem and sharing it with you.
I would love to write a piece like this, but all I have at the moment is a summer triolet that I will have to blow the cobwebs off.
This is a much classier poem, I know you’ll enjoy it. Do read on…
Touching Base
Sit me in a flower bed. Let the perfume fill my head. Chase away the angst and dread. Leave me feeling calm.
Plonk me on a tired bench. Freeing it will be a wrench. Feel my frowny face unclench. Breathe in nature’s balm.
Park me by a tinkling stream. Let the ripples wash me clean. Save the scene for my next dream. Gardens work their charm.
rhymes_n_roses 2024
Fabulous piece, wasn’t it. So visual and vibrant.
Thank you so much, Sharron and more please. Do look at Sharron’s wonderful website for more delightful pieces http://rhymesnroses.com or follow her on Instagram on @rhymes_n_roses Sharron also has a fabulous new collection Willing Words. Treat yourselves!
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry adventures real soon….
Welcome back to the talk show studio. Our wonderful guest tonight is the enigmatic and talented Jacqueline Schaalje
(Audience cheer ecstatically as Jacqueline descends the lighted stairs)
Welcome to the show, Jacqueline.
Please take a seat on the chaise lounge and fill us in on your background
Thanks for having me, Heather! I’ve always dreamt of being featured on your entertaining and well-managed poetry blog.
As you may or may not have noticed when you met me last year, Heather, I’m happy to be part of any background.
Although I’ve noticed that some of my friends decline sitting near a rubbish bin or the kitchen in a restaurant, because of the smell. I’ve now also taken over this eccentric peeve, too.
Other backgrounds are still fine. I like country and city. My favourite background at home is the bookcase.
Oh, that would turn my stomach too. And a bookcase is a classy background with great potential.
When did poetry become part of your life?
I know, I know, terrible cliché, but poetry has always been a part of my life. My mother preferred funny poetry or poetry that was unsentimental.
Both my parents were eager readers, and they and people in their circle were interested in language.
I like all kinds of poetry and prose. I really don’t understand what people have against sentimentality or why you should avoid it. I’m an outwardly cold person, so yes, give me sentimentality anytime!
Fascinating, Jacqueline. And I couldn’t agree more. Who were your biggest influences?
My biggest early influences were Sinterklaas rhymes (I grew up in the Netherlands) and hymns (since my father played the church organ and my uncle was a vicar).
Attending church was a cultural clash for me since I’m an atheist, but the patterns and rhythms have become ingrained.
I majored in English at uni. Of all the poets I studied during that time, I was most interested in Keats and Yeats because of their sound. I admired Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson because of their creative ideas.
I like the democratization process so that many more poetic voices are being heard today. I read poetry in other languages too. For example, my ex-partner introduced me to Hebrew poetry.
Those rhymes sound fascinating, and yes, there are hymns I still know every word of today. A big influence on us. I would love to hear some Hebrew poetry.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
I never feel that I’m working on something. Poetry is a cross between hobby and therapy for me. I practice my hobby every day and fall deeper in love.
It’s probably not a good idea to fall in love with your own poems, but you can’t write a good one if you don’t.
I started two new poems today; that may sound like a lot but most of my poems don’t go anywhere. I revise them many times.
I agree, Jacqueline, but we can’t help ourselves!
What’s the best poetry gig you’ve ever done? And the Worst?!
I’ve done only nice poetry gigs. The best one was the one in Teddington with you, Heather. I remember the timekeeper telling me I should stop after what felt like one minute.
To be honest, although I like the community of poets, giving a reading isn’t my cup of tea. I’d rather read a book or write, or go to a good play.
I’ll never forget our night at Teddingtonand your wonderful pieces.
You’ve been a fascinating guest, Jacqueline
(audience cheer wholeheartedly).
How long are you here for? Let’s go back to Stratford upon Avon again
(our esteemed guest looks awkward)
Ah, you’re going with Dobby and her pals, aren’t you?
It’s the highlight of my trip, Heather. Perhaps one day you’ll be invited…..
It’s okay, you live with the rejection after a while. Feet up in front of the telly again for me tonight. I hope Crossroads is on!
Thanks so much for being a wonderful guest
(standing ovation while the lovely Jacqueline alights the stairs)
Wasn’t Jacqueline an interesting and fascinating guest, PL’s?! Very vibrant and talented.
Thanks for visiting the talk show, Poetry Lovers. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
Recently, at the Laureates’ Lounge in Staines in a delightful open mic poetry reading, organised by Adam Gary, there was a poet who read in English and Welsh.
It sounded superb, and tempted me to get out the Welsh forms I had learnt about and written.
We start with a Hay(na) Ku – please don’t make me pronounce it! – a very simple poetic form of a 3 line poem, one word in the first line, two in the second and three in the third. One can also do a reverse piece.
Hay(na) Ku
Please
Don’t say
Best left unsaid
Please
Don’t tell
Best kept secret
Please
Don’t write
Best avoid slander
Please
Don’t record
Best have silence
Please
Don’t listen
Best to ignore
Please
Don’t go
Best to stay
HM 2022
Then we move onto a Cyrch a Chwta (that seems better known) – an 8 line stanza, with 7 syllables per line. Line 7 crosses rhymes with line 8 on either syllable 3, 4 or 5.
Cyrch a Chwta
Your performance was so dire
So like a funeral pyre
It did not set me on fire
And don’t call me a liar
I knew you were crap prior
When I heard all this via
CRITICS WHO SAY YOU STINK!
Which I think is on the flyer
HM 2022
Weren’t they great, PL’s?! I’d like to see some of yours too…. Incidentally, I have the honour of being invited to be feature poet at the Staines Laureates Lounge on the 9th July. Come along if you can….
Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
I thought I’d feature some of Roald Dahl’s children’s poetry today. Funny, cheeky and intriguing.
Previously I’ve only been familiar with his short stories, in fact, Kiss Kiss was the first adult paperback I ever bought in Enfield Town. I still remember the slim glossy elegance of that Penguin Book.
Although most of Dahl’s stories have been televised on Tales of the Unexpected, beautifully done with a great cast, they didn’t have the power of keeping one awake at night like the actual text.
So, Dahl’s poetry is a new discovery for me. Some were very long but these were just the right measure of delight. Do read on
Hot And Cold
A woman who my mother knows Came in and took off all her clothes.
Said I, not being very old, ‘By golly gosh, you must be cold! ‘
As I was going to St Ives I met a man with seven wives Said he, ‘I think it’s much more fun Than getting stuck with only one.’
Hey Diddle Diddle
Hey diddle diddle We’re all on the fiddle And never get up until noon. We only take cash Which we carefully stash And we work by the light of the moon.
Weren’t they fun, PL’s? Delightful pieces, I liked the Hot and Cold poem best. I’ll almost forgive this writer for giving me nightmares, I said almost……
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
Today we return to the Skeltonic section, skeltonic love in fact. A very poignant poem written in this form by talented poet, Trisha Broomfield. A sad situation told in a clever point of view. I know you’ll love it.
Skeltonic Love
You say you love me dearly but our coupling is yearly a relationship so nearly,
another night another bed you rest your weary head look where your fame has led.
You’re up there on the stage a different town, a different page only your body you engage
while your mind remains aloof as if I need some proof you’ll soon be on the hoof
your talent is undoubted and from the rooftops shouted every rule there is you’ve flouted.
desperate to win a school prize. I wrote this piece about a modern house. I remember a line about central heating – a real luxury then. 
Heather Moulson 