From reading a lot of your work, makes sense to me, and you definitely achieve that.

My favourite thing about your stuff. I found early on, it helped to inspire me a bit (without making your ego to big hahaha) because of how well you do that mate.

Cool, thanks @Shen Friebe Probably a bit like Marc, I cant be doing with the pretentious use of complicated vocabulary to look clever, bit of a unfortunate by product of this medium. I like brevity and try to make sure every word in my poems is chosen with consideration and authentic to me, though I do find that difficult sometimes. Being new, sometimes I think "does this need to sound, you know, more clever to be taken more seriously?" Whether that works or not is another thing!

great question @Shen Friebe ... I've been thinking about this all morning, and have come to the conclusion that; " I know I believe in nothing, but it is my nothing" by the Manic Street Preachers in there song "Faster" fits he bill for me. Every time I hear it, I clench a fist and bite it in jealously of that line.

Soooo a literal song that could be a poem. I'm getting married tomorrow (29/07/2022) in a small registry office. We're having a song, as poem, as a reading. It's not the best song ever, or the best poem but it's really personal too us and is a real world bonafied example of a "song that could be a poem" - I fiddled with the verses or "Stanza" order little from the original; My beating heart belongs to you I walked for miles 'til l found you I'm here to honour you If I lose everything in the fire I'm sending all my love to you I text a postcard, sent to you Did it go through? Sending all my love to you You are the moonlight of my life every night Giving all my love to you My beating heart belongs to you I walked for miles 'til I found you I'm here to honour you If I lose everything in the fire I'm sending all my love to you With every breath that I am worth Here on Earth I'm sending all my love to you So if you dare to second guess You can rest assure That all my love's for you My beating heart belongs to you I walked for miles 'til l found you I'm here to honour you If I lose everything in the fire I'm sending all my love to you Green Day-Last Night On Earth Official Video

I'd like to know all the things you want to forget 😂

Great reply, thank you @Shen Friebe - I think I am experiencing that freedom of using characters and really enjoying it. In other mediums I've worked in, character development is so in-depth, which is lots of fun but six months of working out the in's and outs of what this "person" is does sometimes dilutes them.

@Marc Brimble That's really interesting, thanks for the insight mate

I didn't know who Rupi Kaur was - quick google search, read 2 poems, I now have no interest in reading anymore of her work. 😂

Sorry @Ken LeMarchand i should’ve been a bit more specific. I meant poets on The Cove in general. I would be really interested to know what informs your work For a start!

Epic question mate, I wish I knew what inspired other poets? specifically I mean? I've found as a group, a lot of you guys talk about nature as an example, but I wouldn't say that's the case for me. I would be interesting to look through other peoples eyes at what makes them inspired.

As its Friday, and it's been a tough one this week I want to share with you "I Wish it Was True", by The White Buffalo. I'm putting the video up with the lyrics separately because the video is awesome. It's very Americana (Not country) The words are beautiful. And I love the idea of directing verses to people in his life. I might nick that because I think that would transfer to our medium well. I'm sure you will all be able to name when this has been done many times, but I've not come across it yet. Thanks for everyone who reads my posts by the way, I do appreciate it. I know this is self indulgence, but it's nice to share art with people who appreciate it. Genius.com - "The song follows the progression of a soldier’s life, and the cycle of regret for disappointing others and culminating in being disappointed himself by his country. It seems he is unable to satisfy those around him his whole life, ultimately causing feelings of disillusionment and alienation from those around him and the nation as a whole." Mother, I tried to do right by you To do what you asked me to I did wrong and I knew Mother I tried to behave for you Now I'm a digging a grave for you It was all I could do Find a way back home, make everything new But I wish it was true Father, well I'll give my soul to you I came in blind folded for you It was all that I knew Open your arms and I'll fly out of hell up to you I wish it was true Boy come on out from the cold Your lost outside there don't you know It's not what you say it was you do Just keep wishing your wishes are true Well your dreams there reality There's no pain there's no misery Just polish the blood and the bruise For there's just no way you can lose But I wish it was true Country, I was a solider for you I did what you asked me to It was wrong and you knew Country, now I'm just a stranger to you A number, a name it's true Throw me away when you're through Home of the brave and the free, the red white and blue But I wish it was true

Ah I love the past.... @Ken LeMarchand - so much of that stuff doesn't hold up, I think JEW do. We we're lucky to have grunge and proper pop punk. I work with people who didn't know Dave Grohl was in "another band" other than the Foo's. I'm not angry with them, just disappointed 😂

That's great @Ken LeMarchand - I'd lost track of 30 Seconds for a bit, but wow. I think Jarred Leto's voice is incredible, and he's a legit artist IMHO, not an actor indulging himself. Also, seriously? ridiculously talented in a variety of arts, beautiful looking and a nice bloke by all accounts. Doesn't seem fair 😂

I think this song has poem-like qualities as it mentions its title "Kill" in each verse, but with a different context each time it's like a very basic sestina type of format. Also, it's a banging pop song that will get stuck in your head and Jimmy Eat World are one of my favourite bands.

I think its subjective @Adam Gary but I see it as someone who is not beaten down by life, conforming to all the boring stuff you have to . Like a free spirit. Living like you want to.

Ha, not bad thanks @Adam Gary. So I'm waiting for the books of the above to arrive (cant be doing with Kindle for poetry) finished you book, amazing; honourable mentions for "Forgiven" and "Tonight I Light a Candle" . And now, I'm killing time with Shakespeare's Sonnets. I know you like the format, but I struggled when I tried my own so thought I'd refer back to the master for a bit of "upskilling". I can write one, I'm sure of it, I just think it's quite subject led, more than I appreciated. So yeah man, I went from your work to Shakespeare 😅

Recent conversations I've had with @Shen Friebe @Ken LeMarchand about one of my friends, made me think of this song. Stick with it, the chorus payoff is brilliant. The video is bland so I've posted the lyrics as well. I'm getting married soon, and my "Best unbeaten Brother" wont be there, life is bittersweet, as is this song. There is a contrary version of this song by Prince Billy that is set to a jaunty back beat. Which mocks the seriousness. That's how I like my irony and self awareness. "I See A Darkness" Well you're my friend (It's what you told me) And can you see (What's inside of me?) Many times we've been out drinking And many times we've shared our thoughts But did you ever, ever notice The kind of thoughts I got? Well you know I have a love A love for everyone I know And you know I have a drive To live I won't let go Could you see it's opposition Comes a-rising up sometimes That it's dreadful and position Comes blacking in my mind And that I see a darkness And that I see a darkness And that I see a darkness And that I see a darkness And did you know how much I love you Is a hope that somehow you you Can save me from this darkness? Well I hope that someday, buddy We have peace in our lives Together or apart Alone or with our wives That we can stop our whoring And pull the smiles inside And light it up forever And never go to sleep My best unbeaten brother This isn't all I see Oh no, I see a darkness Oh no, I see a darkness Oh no, I see a darkness Oh no, I see a darkness And did you know how much I love you Is a hope that somehow you you Can save me from this darkness?

@Matthew Hutchins That's lovely mate, I've never heard it before.

I've gone with Kerouac, because I love his prose, and TS Elliot for my next run of "Revision". I'll be up in the lost trying to find my copy of "The Bell Jar" at the weekend thank you both again.. @Adam Gary @Shen Friebe