The mathematician John Venn was born on this day in 1834.
To commemorate the occasion, here’s a poem in the form of a Venn diagram.
At the Intersection
Selected poemswords
You Took the Last Bus Home
News, Selected poemsI took delivery yesterday of some advance copies of the gorgeous new edition of ‘You Took the Last Bus Home’.
In celebration of that, here’s the title poem …
You Took the Last Bus Home
you took
the last bus home
don’t know how
you got it through the door
you’re always doing amazing stuff
like the time
you caught that train
The Bad Salad of William Archibald Spooner
Selected poemsWhy do I always watch my birds?
I know that statement sounds absurd
but today I reached an all-lime toe
when I received a blushing crow.
It’s wetting gorse – and here’s the crunch:
my conversation packs a lunch.
I’m not sure when all this began
but I think I need a plaster man
to help me when my stouth gets muck.
I should sit, perhaps, and bead a rook,
fight a liar, or flick some powers.
No, I think I’ll go and shake a tower.
…………………………………………………………………..
The Reverend William Archibald Spooner was born on this day in 1844. He’s remembered today for his unfortunate habit of getting his words muddled up. Happy Spoonerism Day to all those who belly crate.
Sounds Made by Humans – out now!
NewsLast week saw the release of ‘Sounds Made by Humans’, an album of ‘poem songs’ I’ve made with the brilliant Catenary Wires.
The album is out now on vinyl and CD; it’s also available for streaming on Spotify and elsewhere, and can be downloaded.
Some places where you can find it…
ROUGH TRADE (including limited edition ‘white vinyl’ edition):
We’re really proud of it and we’ll be taking it on the road with us in the UK in November, for some evenings of music and poetry. More on that in a few weeks.
Happy listening x
Index of Poems I Shall Never Write
Assorted Poems, Selected poemsI’ve been having a bit of a sort out over the summer. I’m throwing out some old titles for poems which I shall never write. Free to a good home.
And Now for the Weather
Assorted PoemsToday is set to be agreeably alliterative
across an assortment of areas
although the occasional metaphor
may cause some faces to cloud.
Idioms will be coming down like stair rods
in northern regions, while the south
may experience the odd outbreak of similes,
like an unexpected shower of arrows.
In coastal, littoral, and seaside areas,
synonyms remain likely.
Further inland, sudden gusts of hyperbole
look set to take your breath away
and a series of scattered euphemisms
will have you reaching for your wellies.
If you’re driving, please be aware that tautologies
of frozen ice are still affecting some roads,
after a heavy and prolonged flurry of oxymorons.
And finally – from tomorrow evening –
expect to see the return of some light litotes,
making next week’s outlook hardly the best.
Roger’s Thesaurus
Selected poemsIn order to grow, expand, widen
his lexicological corpus,
Roger bought, acquired, purchased
a synonymopedia, a thesaurus.
Soon, presently, without delay,
he no longer ran out of things to say,
speak, utter, express, articulate,
give voice to, pronounce, communicate.
This was all very well, fine, great,
wonderful, super, terrific
but his friends, mates, pals found him
boring, tedious, dull, soporific.
So let this be a warning,
an omen, a sign, a premonition,
it’s all very well to show learning,
education, knowledge, erudition,
but here’s a top tip, a hint,
a suggestion, some advice,
don’t ever let it stop you
from being concise,
brief, short, clear, pithy,
succinct, compendious, to the point,
compact, snappy, laconic.
Breviloquent.
Today is Thesaurus Day whiich commemorates the birth of Peter Mark Roget, born on this day in 1779 and author of Roget’s Thesaurus.
Vocabulary
Assorted Poems, Selected poemsHe chose his words carefully.
Each one a gun, a grenade or a knife.
Beneath the rattle and stutter,
the swagger and bluster,
lay a bruise, an assault, and a life.
ee cummings attempts online banking
Assorted Poems, Selected poemsNow enter a password.
i carry your heart with me
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i carry your ear with me
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icarryyourearwithme
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ICarryYourEarWithMe
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1CarryY0urEarWithMe
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1CarryY0ur👂🏻WithMe
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AbCd1234&!%
snow poem
Assorted Poems, Selected poems
