Heather Moulson

Milestones

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today, we have an incredibly poignant piece from the talented poet, Trisha Broomfield. Very touching and personal that will strike a chord with all of us.

Sadly, most of us have been through these milestones, tears and laughter. And pain.

A very poignant piece, do read on;

Milestones a conversation with my body

OW! What was that?

You’ve lost a milk tooth.

I don’t want to lose a tooth

You won’t notice, you’ll grow more

then they’ll fall out because of all the chocolate you’ll eat

but it hurt

It’s called a milestone, dear

Oh great, are there any more of these?

silence from my body.

Ow a lot! How long is this going to last?

It’s called period pains, dear, not long, some years, they’ll go, get pregnant they’ll definitely go temporarily. But that’s another milestone.

Ow again, my heart aches, I can’t eat

I can’t sleep, I’m in love.

No, that’s infatuation dear, it’ll pass

But it hurts so much

it’s another milestone isn’t it?

Silence again.

Good grief my head! I feel sick, I suppose this is another,

Milestone, correct, it’s the first of many, if I were you, I’d stop at two

or maybe take the pledge

Oh body this hurts too much

I don’t like this milestone at all!

It’s grief, it will pass, everyone has to go, you can’t keep your parents until you die

imagine how old and decrepit they’d be if you lived to be a hundred

not that you will.

You know something I don’t?

Just get over it dear, before the next milestone.

Trisha Broomfield 2021

Wasn’t that such a beautiful and detailed piece?! Thank you so much, Trisha. I think we’ve all got misty-eyed over that lovely poem.

Thank you for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll have more poetry adventures soon. Same time, same channel.

Diminishing Verse Challenge

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today we return to our diminishing verse challenge. Genius poet, Sharron Green has come up with an absolute winner

Mrs Slagg fully approves, and there’s free pie for Sharron on her next visit to the Slagg’s Cafe. Wonderful piece, Sharron, thank you so much.

Do read on, PL’s;

I’m happy to pledge

Slagg’s Cafe’s a ledge

It sure has the edge

The menu is strapping

Pies with ev’ry trapping

Hear rhymers a rapping.

They’ve had to ban stripping

since old folks went tripping

after corset ripping.

So please take your place

The cloth isn’t lace

But Slagg’s Cafe is Ace.

Wasn’t that just wonderful! Lovely way to start the week. Thank you Sharron, please keep them coming.

Thanks for tuning in, PL’s, we’ll be back real soon.

Nursery Rhymes part II

Welcome Poetry Lovers

Dobby and I thought we’d continue our nursery rhyme theme with some more traditional pieces. Clever and wonderful poet, Trisha Broomfield, has come up with a hilarious rewrite of this classic.

Do read on

Ding Dong Dell

Pussy’s in the well

Who put her in

She clambered down

in search of gin.

Who pulled her out?

She climbed the rope

worse for wear

clutching a bottle of stout

Isn’t that a wonderful piece?

Funny, that one always unnerved me as a child, yet there’s far sinister nursery rhymes than that. Thank you so much, Trisha. Great piece.

Now you may notice a certain pattern here. How Dobby gets to take centre stage in all these rhymes, and the next piece is no exception.

This traditional piece really is an odd one indeed. As you will see, the dog is firmly replaced. Read on

Hey diddle diddle

the cat and the fiddle

the cow jumped over the moon

the little cat laughed to see such fun

and the dish ran away with the spoon

Wasn’t that fun?! Any interpretations of timeless pieces are most welcome. Thanks for tuning in, we’ll be back with more Slagg’s diminishing verses.

Old Mother Hubbard

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today, we’re going to explore that very traditional and well-known nursery rhyme Old Mother Hubbard

Like most of us, I knew the iconic first verse, but I did not bargain for how long the rest of it actually was. The structuring was also quite difficult. Not to mention some very morbid verses about undertakers and death, which got the elbow, natch!

You will see I have modernised this piece, and the lead role is a cat not a dog. Anyway, read on….

Old Mrs M went to the fridge

to get her cat some fish

when she got there the fridge was bare

and the cat had an empty dish

She went to Aldi

to get her sardines

when she got back

the cat was wearing her jeans

She went to Barretts

to get her some shoes

when she got back

the cat was reading the news

She went to Wetherspoons

to get her some beer

when she got back

the cat sat in a chair

She went to the butchers

to get her some tripe

when she got back

the cat was smoking a pipe

She went to Tesco

to get her some fruit

when she got back

the cat was playing the flute

I think we’d better stop at this point, PL’s. Dobby’s looking mutinous as it’s time for her tea. Also, I don’t want her starting a bitter actors strike.

Thanks for tuning in for our nursery rhyme session, any traditional pieces you can ‘do up’ yourself, please send them in.

Thank you for tuning in, more poetry action real soon…..

Diminishing Verse Challenge

Hello Poetry Lovers

We have a celebrity filled challenge today. First of all, we have a diminishing verse from the gorgeous and talented poet, Trisha Broomfield. Who goes head to head with Mrs Slagg and Dobby. What a lethal combination, and collaboration as the two of them composed their’s together. I didn’t think they could even be in the same room!

Anyway, Trisha, bless you for this. It’s wonderful. Read on….

The moon gives out a ghostly glow

The lights are dim, romantic, low

You stub you toe and mutter, ‘Ow’.

Excellent, Trisha. Well done, thank you. A great piece.

Now to the next explosive writer(s)

Okay, let’s have a clean slate

You’ve been tardy as of late

It must be that pie you ate

Weren’t they two whoppers?! Wonderful writing, the three of you. I think a draw is in order, and pies all round!

Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more exciting poetry real soon……

Mrs Slagg’s Mini Class

Mrs Slagg, while impressed at Dobby’s diminishing verse, reckons she could go one better.

In fact, she’s written a couple. Read on;

Spat

Me and Mr Slagg had a spat

Over the new girl called Pat

He thinks she’s where it’s at

Stale Pie

Mr Slagg said my pie was stale

I gave him what for, a sorry tale

Now he’s gone out to drink ale

The Plate

Mr Slagg deliberately broke me best plate

He’s been so very stroppy as of late

I blame the dog bowl off which he ate

The New Girl

New girl Edna is full of charms

But it’s Mr Slagg who that harms

So I slapped him about on the arms

What do you think, PL’s? Do you think you could do a better one? With less violence? Please send them in, and risk Mrs Slagg’s wrath. Are you brave enough?

Send one in if you dare! thanks for tuning in, we’ll be back real soon

Diminishing Verse – a collaboration with Dobby…

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today we are going to do a diminishing verse. I have Dobby’s assistance in this – I think…

”Isn’t that right, Dobby?”

“Now Dobby, do not go back to sleep. Remember what we rehearsed. A diminishing verse is great fun. We take a word that can be stripped away – like …astray

So we use the word astray

What’s the next word, Dobby?

That’s right. Stray

And as Dobby says; the next word is tray.

So now we’ve prepared a poem, haven’t we, Dobby with these three words;

So, you really led me astray

When you took in that stray

Serving her fish on a tray

Needless to say, the last line is Dobby’s favourite. Wasn’t that fun? Do try one yourself but best not to ask Dobby to help.

Meanwhile this is Dobby getting her reward for co-operating with the mini-poetry workshop today.

Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. Any ideas or poems for another diminishing verse, do send them in. Meanwhile, stay tuned for more poetry action real soon….

The One Minute Poem….

Hello Poetry Lovers

This week I was compelled to take on this one minute poem inspired by the lovely poet Sharron Green

What with 60 syllables, 3 stanzas of 4 lines and rhyming, it certainly was not the walkover I took it to be. And I’ve penned my favourite subject sugar.

Anyway, read on, the first line has to have 8 syllables;

Bread and Jam

I want bread and sugar to eat

Because it’s neat

It tastes so sweet

Down to my feet

I must have sugar in my tea

It’s part of me

And who I am

Plus I like jam

Will you get me some more red jam?

Who gives a damn?!

Sticky and sweet

I feel replete

H Moulson 2021

Wasn’t that a hoot?! Mrs Slagg likes it because it contains sugar – so how could I go wrong?! Any one minute poems most welcome, on any subject.

Thanks for tuning, PL’s. Stay tuned for more poetry action real soon

The Cat Triolet

Hello Poetry Lovers

Welcome back to our Triolet Corner.

Lovely and talented poet, Trisha Broomfield has given us this wonderful piece titled ‘The Cat’.

Beautifully done and right up mine and Mrs Slagg’s street. Trisha will be given a personal invitation from the lady herself to read this piece live at the Slagg’s Cafe. A great honour.

It’s an exquisite triolet, so read on ;

The Cat

The cat sits on my door mat

It must have its own home

It’s not thin, but not fat

The cat sits on my doormat

Maybe it has smelled a rat?

It looks at me, its eyes alone

The cat sits on my doormat

It must have its own home?

Trisha Broomfield 17/06/2021

Wasn’t that a terrific piece?! Thank you so much, Trisha. See you at the Slagg’s Cafe. There is an open invitation to send in your own triolets, PL’s.

Thanks for tuning in, be back with more antics real soon….

Toilet Triolet

Hello Poetry Lovers and welcome back to Mrs Slagg’s open mic.

Today, the lovely and clever poet Sharron Green has risen to the Triolet challenge laid down by Octavia (see last post) and has given us a wonderful Toilet Triolet piece. An exciting new school of poetry is emerging