Poetry Thursday 113 - Rattus

 It struck me the other day that rats get a really raw deal. My daughter had a pet rat when she was a child, and it opened my eyes to the nature of these much-maligned creatures. Although it may seem extreme that a whole species is ostracised, what else can you say? 

Rattus  

 

It has to be our fault,  

been done with a pinch of salt,  

maligning a whole species,  

with thoughtless absurdities.  

 

No black and white suit,  

or a funny walk that’s cute,  

more a furry scurry,  

smelling curiously of curry.  

 

In a life so short,  

hardly fair sport,  

to deny an animal right,  

in a species so bright.  

 

When a creature just needs a warm bed,  

a roof overhead,  

a shoulder to ride on,  

and a friendly companion.  

 

Mazes and runs for challenges, 

no more food scavenges,  

shelter from outside storm,  

in a house of love and warm.  

©David L Atkinson October 2025 

God Bless 

Writing - Empathising

Making progress writing can sometimes hit the  buffers. It may be because you're tired, or you've run out of ideas,  or your story has taken an unexpected turn that has jumped outside your experience. It may be called writer's block. Too negative a term for me that suggests no solution. 

 There are several reasons why writers experience difficulties in moving stories forward. If you are choosing to write about something with which you have no experience, even research will not bring the emotion you need to invest in a story. This may be one cause, and what I'm suggesting today is a strategy that could help in this area, but it would also enhance the quality of the relationships and incidents in your tales. 

What this strategy involves is empathising. If we are to make the most of our story writing, then we must live the story. (Sounds a bit extreme) I am a firm believer in writing from whence we come. In developing a story, you want characters to take part in a specific activity, then, as the writer, you should put yourself in the shoes of the characters to experience the emotions those characters are going through. This will allow a fuller understanding of the situation and engage the reader emotionally. You only get out what you put in! 

It is in these situations that I have experienced the phenomenon of the characters writing the story. I have heard of other even famous writers agreeing with this idea. Participating in empathizing increases the enjoyment I get from the writing process. 

God Bless 

 

Poetry Thursday 112 - All Wrong

 I listened to a Spike Milligan interview the other day, and he summed up his career by stating that the jokes became crazy, and the audience soon loved the crazy more than the jokes. The poem below is a protest piece. 

Spike Miliigan 

All  

 Wrong 

 

It would seem that 

I’ve been wrong 

all of the times regarding 

writing poetry 

that rhymes. 

Its seems that one has to 

produce words strewn 

across the page in a  

haphazard fashion which gladdens the eye 

rather than shows the slightest semblance of form 

or passion. 

(Who uses the  

word semblance anymore?) 

It doesn’t appear that making sense 

or enclosing a 

hidden message 

is considered praiseworthy. 

Personally, 

I 

believe  

that  

to  

be  

bollocks 

horrocks. 

© David L Atkinson March 2016 

God Bless