Layers of Love

A  while ago I attended a talk by the poet Roger McGough, who told a story about Carol Ann Duffy who had just been appointed as the Poet Laureate, Roger was her guest at a poet's gathering to celebrate her appointment. He was running late for the party, on entering the room he went straight up to Ms Duffy and whispered in her ear "Have you heard the news ?" "The Queen is Dead, get your thinking cap on for you've a poem to write!

Ahhh, The banter of poets. (and God Bless the Queen for she is still fighting fit)

 Anyway let's have a wee poem by Ms Duffy all about the subject of love.



Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

We've the technology......

Our boiler is broken and it be a tad cold in TF towers!  I'm sitting in the study cuddling a hot water bottle.This girl knows how to live. Yep! On the edge ;-)

 I really believe that technology is such a wonderful thing when it works BUT when it goes wrong a lot of naughty words are muttered by yours truly Ive been thinking how far technology has advanced since I was a wee babe in arms. - mobile phones, emailing, internet, eBooks just too mention a few.

But I'm so looking forward to the day when technology takes the next step or giant leap. The day when say you're watching a character on TV eating  a BIG slice of chocolate cake (or a glass of vino/beer or any other item you heart desires) And just like magic, you wave a wand in front of the screen and out pops that very slice of chocolate cake etc etc. Scoff, scoff  or slurp, slurp.... Ahhh, a bisto moment.......

Now that's what I call technology!



(A man is coming tomorrow to reprogramme the boiler, I might ask him to have a wee look at my brain as well)  ;-)

Light Relief

Now is it me or has this world become far too serious for its own good? Way too much doom and gloom in the news for my liking. So in the name of balance you understand,  I thought it was time to post some light relief which may upset those of a delicate nature!  Tough.

Ouch! 

Handbrake turn ;-)

The cost of giving ....

Hooray!. All the shops in the land will soon be closed for Christmas. Credit and debit transactions will cease to be made. The pound in the pocket will remain firmly secure like a Joey in his mothers' pouch. Bank statements I guess, will be scrutinised and digested in the New Year. Did I really spend that much on  Christmas ? 

Hmmm, of course  it's a well known fact that the greatest gifts we can give to each other in life are free  Either a smile, a wink, a nod, a pat on the back or a a few kind words, cost us nothing, only a wee bit of effort.

Have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all :-)))) .

The right to write

 Just imagine a world where you had no right to write. Sad to say, some do live in that world.

I'm a lover of all things creative (except blinkin'opera ! ) so I was very pleased to see that Antony Gormley has had a new sculpture called "Witness" (in the British Library) commissioned by English PEN to mark their 90th Anniversary. Cast in iron the work depicts an empty chair, a symbol used by English PEN.

At PEN’s annual event, ‘The Day of the Imprisoned Writer’, writers worldwide commemorate colleagues who have been persecuted for their work. Each year an empty chair represents a writer who could not be present because they have been imprisoned, detained, threatened or killed.

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 So, go forth and write. I intend to start the ball rolling by writing my Christmas cards. Small steps.... .