Creative Writing week..

Just to show you how some weeks go, last week was

one of those weeks without any shadow of doubt creative writing wise.

Monday first off all, I ended up with my fortnightly visit over to

my buddies in Trio Writers, my writing and performance group

(http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6340&post=46484&uid=15947196131#/group.php?gid=15947196131&ref=ts)

where besides doing our usual writing discussion, we also did a bit more

work on our forthcoming creative writing open mike event ‘Poets & Pasties’

(http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6340&post=46484&uid=15947196131#/event.php?sid=64f460e90e720b9fa56b8ba22e13fb1c&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fref%3Dsearch%26init%3Dq%26q%3Dpoets%2Band%2Bpasties%26sid%3D64f460e90e720b9fa56b8ba22e13fb1c&eid=35871106458) which will happen on 26^thNovember 2008.

We did a writing excerise or too, which I produced one or

two new pieces which gave me a laugh doing, but certainly

not something worth posting here shall we say.

Tuesday night involved another trip over to another writing

workshop I have recently joined called ‘Animal Writes’ which

is run by the lovely Dominic Berry

(http://www.facebook.com/s.php?ref=search&init=q&q=Animal%20Writes&sid=d2322ec84a944d49ba5a893ac8de69db#/group.php?gid=24158377235&ref=ts)

Dom hosts this at the On the 8^th Day café bar which is on

Oxford Road near Oxford Road train station.

Dom started this group off the other month and I had such a

good laugh, I came along to the second meeting.

The group this time truth be told was a bit smaller this

time and we couldn’t sit where we sat last time which

didn’t make life easy sometimes with the level of the noise,

but it was good fun and the writing workshop we did

produced a poem which was a good first draft on a Ode

to Geri Halliwell (More on that later).

Wednesday Night ended up popping over to Poetica

(http://www.myspace.com/poeticamanchester) apoetry

discussion group.

I used to be a regular member off until this autumn

until I got dragged into other things. Was nice to be

back although I do know now aside from the next

meeting, it is unlikely I will be back until next year. What

was pleasing was there was a lot of new members there

and quite a few I hope will return over and over in the

future. As I may have mentioned in the past in cases like

Animal Writes and Poetica, the group need to keep attracting

new members if they hope to survive etc and certainly from

looking at all of the people in Poetica I didn’t know, this

looks like the case.

Thursday involved another night to a major charity

event for Poems called ‘How many poets does it take to

change a light bulb’? (which I did a nice little poem slot

featuring my love ode to Geri – see mentioned above

and another poem called ‘She) with my pals Vicky and

Tony!

If I am honest, I didn’t really enjoy the event so

I was glad I was one of the first few people on and it felt

like at least the audience bothered listening to me which

they certainly didn’t for some of the later people!

What was amazing was the people in there that

were from all over the country and the praise I got

from some people which was brilliant! Gave some

good confidence that!

I took a recording off this reading for those

interested and it can be downloaded for

FREE from

http://www.archive.org/details/andytonyvickyhowmanypoetsoct08

Friday by this point I was knackered, ended up

popping over after work to see Dominic Berry

at the Royal Exchange straight after work in

a nice evening show, which was a good show

too as I felt Dominic looked so confident in that show.

I took a recording of that show also..

It can be downloaded FREE from here

http://www.archive.org/details/domberryroyalexchangeoct08

Saturday I was over a mate’s doing things not creative, but

Sunday despite the fact I was knackered I went out to a

Write Out Loud in Middleton and had a great time there.

This oddly enough was recorded and downloaded

FREE here also

http://www.archive.org/details/andynalexhtonywriteoutloudoct08

By yesterday I was totally knackered as you

may have guessed and I then decided to have a week off

after week and rest!

So I am…

(Picture is a facebook drawing of me performing at

How Many Poets?)

3 x new poems performed at Freed Up

Dear all;

Here are three x new poems as performed at Freed Up Poets,
Manchester last week!

BRIAN LIKES TO POKE THE BEAR

Brian likes to poke the bear
with a little white stick.

Brian likes to poke the bear
and pull big faces at it
before calling it thick.

Brian likes to poke the bear
and he boasts it is scared of him
before again taking the mick.

Brian likes to poke the bear
before giving it a big hard stare.

Brian likes to poke the bear
but when the bear snarls at him
then cries out 'THAT'S NOT FAIR'



BLAIR'S MEGADETH BURGER

I couldn't believe it
when I read on
the internet
It was probably
the hottest
takeaway
In the world.


I couldn't believe it
when I read on
the internet
it's burgers
were reportingly
so spicey
it was recommended
you wore rubber
gloves
when you ate one.

What was it's
secret ingredent
I asked myself
to make it so hot
it would almost
make your fingers
melt
if you tried
to eat one
without wearing
rubber gloves.


STOLEN BIKINI

You say you cannot believe
somebody stole your wallet
and used your credit cards
to buy two machine guns
and three automatic pistols.


You say you cannot believe
somebody stole your wallet
and used your credit cards
to buy some explosives
and some designer sunglasses.

You say you cannot believe
somebody stole your wallet
and used your credit cards
to buy a bikini from H & M


And then post it to you
from Brazil
once it had being worn.


(Image borrowed from
http://api.ning.com/files/lZ4SC6CFu36xzkxEm*8RoDBzsJ*hSgzPGOADVEdzh49w-XV0RiMX51rr-0oiTajn-uc09G902TUx878BwCnq0lMDSI6xG4Ah/poetry.gif)

Poets & Pasties - New Poetry event

Dear all;

Here are details of a new poetry event I will be involved
with on 26th November 2008

Cheers

Andy n

Poets and Pasties

Hosted By: Trio Writers
When: 26 Nov 2008, 19:30
Where Bolton Rugby Club
Avenue St
Bolton, BL13AW
United Kingdom

((http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventid=466865.71272&Mytoken=5933DEA9-E35C-4C88-979FC80E0FBE4764101976173)

OR

(http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?compose&ref=mb#/event.php?eid=35871106458&ref=mf)

Submissions wanted for new online comp. CD

Dear all;

After all the great fun we had last year.. Me, Keith Hicc
& UK Dragon (DIH) have decided to do another
DIH & friends at Christmas album as another Hicc Release
and we are now seeking submissions.


Usual rules apply - i.e. - there are none providing
it has some element of Christmas to it.


Send all tracks for those interested to
aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk (Andy N)

Already had a few tracks in - I'll provide a list
over the next few days over what I have had so far!

Closing date is 30th November 2008.


Link to last year's album is :
http://www. archive. org/details/DIHchristmas2007

P.S. - Picture borrowed from
http://www.crewsnest.vispa.com/ChristmasTop.jpg

3 x new workshop poems

Dear all;

Here are three more new poems
as done at a creative writing workshop
I attended on 30th September 2008.

I've amended the second one
a bit since then, but I've tried
to keep them as close to what
they were on the night.

Thought I would share them with you
as examples of what you can produce
at workshop environments sometimes.

Happy Reading

Andy N!


Gone Away

I saw you in a dream recently
like an unexpected ending.

I saw you in a dream recently
and you stood there as pissed off
like the last time I saw you.

I saw you there again
with your circular glasses
and a crap t shirt
of some terrible metal band
that stood out
like a sore thumb

I saw you there again
moaning about your two daughters
and two failed marriages
(one of which I didn't even
know had finished)
before you eventually said
'I'm sorry I was so stupid
last time I spoke to you
how are you feeling nowadays?'

'All the better you ain't
in my life anymore'
I answered.


Inventory found at the Suicide of a poet

There was a TV set minus a plug
in the living room
and a micro-wave
that looked like it
hadn't being used in months
in the kitchen.

The fridge was littered
with out of date
bottles of lagers
and cheese that turned
my stomach off
with the
smell off it.

The bookshelf in the
living room
contained several books
that was overdue
by several years
from the local library
and there
was a scattering
of dirty magazines
hidden badly
behind
the back of the shelf.

The front room
was empty.

His bedroom
had clothes scattered
all over the floor
like it was a
artistic statement.

The front room
was empty.

There was an
battered acoustic guitar
on the bed
with several strings
on the floor
that had clearly
being pulled
out in tempter.

His sofa
next to his TV
clearly shown signs
of being slept on
more than once
and a notebook
laptop
was left
on the side
of it
which had being
left on
clearly by accident.

The front room
was empty.

There was a notebook
on the kitchen table
which looked like
he was halfway
through writing
a note to
his milkman
to let him
he was going to
be going away
for a little while.

The letter was closer
to the truth
than anybody
realised.


Once upon a time

Once upon a time
people used to queue
up there in droves.

Once upon a time
people used to spend their
Friday nights there.

And their Saturday nights.

Once upon a time
people used to stand there
with fake smiles
and broken promises.


Once upon a time
people used to have
a good time here.

Young and old.

Black and white.

Once upon a time
people used to queue
up there in droves.

But then the police
shut it down with their
fake smiles
and broken promises.


(Dedicated to the memory
of The Hacienda)