Poetry Thursday 7 - Death Throes

 As an observer of the aquarium, it is time for the blue fish to go.

Death Throes

 

It is always sad to witness the anguish,

and struggles of a stranded fish,

flopping about away from the water,

stuck in the bottom of the capturing vessel,

channelling the last of its energy into one final leap to salvation.

 

Each explosion of pointless activity,

bringing closer the inevitable end,

but still the senseless entity,

without a scrap of extra to lend,

grinds on blindly.

 

But with limited attention span,

we can’t expect more from the dory,

or from the rest of the azure clan

who excel at wasteful folly.

© David L Atkinson September 2023

God Bless 

Writing - Short Stories

 One type of writing that I've dabbled in on occasions is the writing of short stories. I think that I've spent so much time writing novels that the short story has been a little flippant in my mind. Of course, it isn't at all and can be a good way to refresh the writing muscle. So here is one that I wrote earlier and is presaging the season which will be on us in less than 100 days. (91 in fact)

A Christmas Story

 

Wise words from an unusual source

 

“I want….”

“Stop!” yelled Dad. “I want never gets.”

I wished that I’d had as many £1 coins as I’d heard that mantra trotted out in my 10 years of life. It was also said in the tone of voice that brooks no argument. The big day is due in a fortnight and already I may have cooked my goose.

“Bed,” instructed Mum only a tad less impatiently. I think that was to discourage any discussion - for my own safety. I bade my loving parents’ goodnight, somewhat sheepishly, and made my way up to the chilly bedroom which was almost exclusively mine.

It was one of those nights when staring at the ceiling was going to be a long study. Perhaps the excitement of Christmas, the adrenaline generated from the discussion downstairs, or thoughts about whether or not there was a Santa Claus. In short, I couldn’t sleep.

Of course, I was ten, I didn’t believe in Santa Claus, I knew, I got it. At the same time, I knew that there’d be presents and where they’d come from. I knew that my dad didn’t earn a lot down the pit and Mum’s job in the shop wasn’t well paid either, but I knew that they’d try. Games consoles and other modern gadgets were expensive.

I heard my pet rat, Rudi II, scrabbling around in his bedding. They only live around 18 months to 2 years as a rule but this one was nearly 3! It was my intention to keep the name for subsequent rodent pets.

“Shush Rudi,” I hissed. “I’m trying to get to sleep.”

“Shush yourself! I have to put up with your snoring.”

“What!” I couldn’t believe my ears. I sat up in the almost dark, the only light coming from the orange street light, and looked at the bedroom door. I slept with it open but there was no sign of Mum or Dad, I turned and looked at the rat’s cage. Rudi II was sat up on his hindquarters staring at me.

“I must be sick,” I thought.

“No it’s me,” said Rudi II twitching his whiskers.

“It can’t be,” I stammered.

“Don’t be daft Ben. It’s me Rudi II, why you’ve added the ‘II’ I don’t know, perhaps I don’t want to know,” the rat grumbled.

“But you’re talking,” I said.

“C’mon kid catch up!” said the rat snappily.

“But how?” I began.

“Never mind that Ben,” Rudi II said. “You should be wondering why.”

I was struggling to cope with this situation. I must have eaten something to upset my stomach and was hallucinating.

“You are perfectly well Ben,” the rat said.

He’s reading my mind I thought.

“At last,” sighed Rudi II. “And I’m speaking in your mind.”

“Why?” I asked after assimilating this disturbing situation.

“That comes back to your conversation downstairs,” said Rudi II

“With my parents?” I queried.

“Who else?” snapped the rat.

“Rudi II give me a chance, it’s not every day your pet rat speaks to you,” I whined.

“We can all do it,” said Rudi II.

“What?” I exclaimed.

“We just don’t usually choose to,” he explained.

“Why then?” I repeated.

“Christmas presents,” he said which as an explanation was a bit limited. “Your Dad was right to shut you up.”

“That’s all I need,” I thought. “My pet rat telling me off.”

“Christmas in Bethlehem was a wonderful time,” he stated baldly.

“What do you know about that?” I was incredulous.

“You don’t think that there were rats two thousand years ago!”

“Okay!” I gave up looking for an explanation. “What do I have to do?”

“Three wishes Ben BUT nothing for yourself!”

I lay back against my pillows, being careful not to take my eyes off the rat, and started to think. If I could wish for things, but not for me, what could they be? After a few minutes, I came up with,

Make my dad’s knee better. It was arthritic whatever that was.

Stop Mum from worrying because she does it all the time.

A better Christmas for the kids next door whose dad had lost his job.

“That it?” queried Rudi II.

“I think so,” I answered.

“How do you feel?” asked Rudi II

“Good,” I said. That was true. I yawned. Yes, I felt less stressed, easier in my mind. “Will they come true?”

“What do you think?” said Rudi II and with that he burrowed back into his bedding.

I fell asleep thinking about a Christmas Rat; my three wishes; and wondering about a rat in a stable in Bethlehem all that time ago.

 God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 6 - You can't sit there

 Wherever we go in life we make an imprint, some visits last longer than others and some imprints are more noticeable than others, but they are there however fleetingly.

You can’t sit there

 

Every time I come I sit there,

If you sit there where do I go?

it’s my place please be aware,

why’s it important – I don’t know.

 

You can’t take that place,

that’s where I always stop,

no kind of race,

even for a few minutes it’s where I drop.

 

It’s where I am every week,

part of my regular route,

others will be unable to seek

my normal commute.

If you take that spot

what’s left for the renter?

Try again – take another shot,

piece of mind preventer.

 

Oh I know you don’t understand,

probably don’t even care,

derive pleasure delivering discomfort,

hardened by this reprimand,

superiority boosted by the emotional flare,

ego supported by this assert.

 

Perhaps it’s time to step back,

consider a passive approach,

revel in the avoidance of attack,

give comfort rather than on others encroach.

© David L Atkinson September 2023

God Bless 

Writing - Or selling?

 In this series of blogs I have visited the reasons for writing in some small measure but not the marketing side of the business. It must be said that I have sold some of my work, probably quite a few over the years, but never in the hundreds. My writing is a hobby. 

The best way to sell is, according to 'experts', to obtain an agent, then do as they tell you. Sell your soul to the devil. (Sorry for being cynical). An alternative is to send samples to publishers who offer that service but don't hold your breath for a deal. It has to be remembered that agents and publishers are in the business to make money and they know the market. If you are a famous person or noteworthy in some way they may think you will make them money so a deal will be forthcoming. That is the first group you have to surpass in your quest for a publishing deal. 

After banging my head against that particular wall I decided on self-publishing and have been happy with that outcome. There are other steps that may help. Agents will encourage you to become fully involved in social media and create your own website, the maintenance of which is very time-consuming. 

It was at the point where I was trying to maintain a significant presence on social media that I decided to concentrate on what I enjoyed - writing. 

You choose. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 5 - The After Sound

There are many examples of when there is a magical silence, but they all have that indescribable power. 

Speech is silver but silence is golden. 

The believed Arabic saying speaks for itself.

The After Silence

 

Everyone has experienced it some time,

anyone who listens to music,

classical to pop to rap to ragtime,

at the end there is the magic.

 

When the band comes to the end of a piece,

after the final notes have been played,

the last echoes finally cease,

that’s where the magic is displayed.  

 

Paul and Art tried to explain in words,

darkness, visions, their silence sounds,

creating even more instances onwards,

the magic part of their collective rounds.

 

Even that f*cking lark soaring,

once it reaches its zenith of flight,

when the bow leaves the violin string,

before applause, magic at its height.

 

Between the last chord and first applause,

is a moment, not simply acoustic,

a silence where music finally withdraws,

resetting the sounds ether with magic.

© David L Atkinson September 2023 

God Bless 

Writing - Start young

  I suppose that I'm saying this because of a personal wish. I wished I'd started earlier but like most people, when you're young life is often very busy and writing can be an anti-social activity. It is necessarily solitary and quite often involves conditions ie. music, so finding the time, place and conditions can be difficult. So perhaps you have to consider shorter forms of writing. 

Poetry is an exceedingly flexible writing form that is almost limitless in the range of styles available to a writer including the 17-syllable Japanese haiku. 

Seventeen

Make your first line five

the middle line has seven

words of your choosing.

A descriptive effort taking minutes and conveying a very simplified description of the rules of haiku. If you're interested in this style there is much more information to be found on the internet. 

Diary writing is something that can keep your writing muscle in trim. I have been writing a diary for many years some entries being mundane and of no interest to anyone but myself but keeping diaries can be culturally useful. I try to include the prices of items I purchase so that future readers may gauge the cost of living etc. Also, the current political situation could be of interest, and maybe natural disasters or the deaths of celebrities. Naturally, it would be your diary so your feelings and opinions are important. 

Letter writing is perhaps a rarer activity these days even to the point that there are groups set up simply to practice letter writing, I have been a member of such a group. Even emails are opportunities to write in English. I stress that because when I worked in a bank the manager of our building used to send emails out that would not have passed the SAT for an 11-year-old at the end of Key Stage 2. 

My point is if you want to write books then there are a variety of ways of keeping writing fit. The list above is far from exhaustive as I haven't mentioned writing to papers and magazines but the point is to write even if it is only briefly, it will make you feel as if you're progressing.

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 4 - Public Services

 The new term has begun. Already I've witnessed the howling pantomime of PMQs that reminds me of Banksy's painting.

Public Services

 

Sorry about the sh*t in the sea,

it’s not our fault in the end,

so please don’t shout at me,

I just have to double dividend.

 

Don’t worry we’re fixing the problem,

we’ll pour more money to the ill,

it’ll cost billions every annum,

all on the consumers’ bill.

 

Toothache is a proper pain,

and not a dentist in sight,

tie tooth to door handle and strain,

let casualty repair my plight,

 

No doctors or nurses on duty,

settle down to wait out the night,

then apprentices of differing ability,

will sort out your damaged bite.

Attacked by a rabid offender,

officers are subsequently called,

eventually a gradual responder

arrests, and the miscreant is jailed.

 

Don’t hold your breath for adjudication,

four years is common waiting time,

the courts may provide remuneration,

but you could be well past your prime.

 

So you think an holiday is called for,

but your passport is out-of-date,

by the time it drops through your door,

your out of pocket and far too late.

 

Yet we English plod on stoically,

after thirteen years of misrule,

accepting rubbish pathetically,

happy to play the Tories fool.

© David L Atkinson May 2023 

God Bless 

Writing - You decide

 If you are beginning to write for the first time you decide what is going on the page. An over-simplification perhaps because you need to consider who you want to read your work - is that really so? The advice is to write from where you're at; or, write about the familiar; or, write what you know. Add these trite statements together and you should get the perfect advice or perhaps just more confusion.

When I began the first Steele novel I just wanted to write. I had the rough outline of a lead character, a site of action that turned out to be a home base, and, a handful of additional characters. As my writing progressed the above three situations didn't change much but the lead character is dynamic and he drove some differences. The stories developed to the point where Patrick A Steele was leading me rather than vice versa.

I remember talking to a group of people about the writing process and trying to explain what this meant. I think they left the discussion thinking that I'd lost the plot and it bruised my confidence somewhat until I heard other writers saying the same thing. It shouldn't be that surprising because you have spawned a new being and blessed it with behaviours, thinking skills and personality traits. When you set them off on any given path they will make decisions according to how you created them. 

Of course, you can stop and change direction, style or content because you decide, however, if you use the same characters beware they will take control again. 

There is one warning that is a little controversial. I would say that you should write what you want to write without influence from outside sources. It does depend on what your writing aim is meant to be. If you are working towards pure commercialism then you need to aim at an audience and take on board the restrictions that puts on you as a writer. 

God Bless