The Conversation

No Difference

  

The Voice

Found Poems

Found poetry, which can also be a form a visual poetry, is when you take an exististing text and rearrange it, highlight it, cut it out, or in some other way alter it to make an original poem.

It is a lot of fun to look at a page and see what words jump out at you and what you can do with them. You can also use pretty much anything to create these collage poems: letters, speeches, and even other poems.

Poetry is all around you, ready for you to bring out the words and create it! Perhaps you are on the train and notice a discarded newspaper laying beside you. What can you do? Sure you can read the old news but then what? Take a highlighter and highlight all of the words and phrases that jump out at you. What sounds nice to the ear or resonates with you? You don’t have to choose words simply because they are beautiful words that seem pretty. Not all poems are about pretty thing after all. Experiment by looking for words that are jarring to your senses. When you are done (perhaps after you have reached your destination) cut out or write down everything you have highlighted. I guarantee you will find some delightful combinations. Feel free to insert your own words as well. The possibilities for unveiling new meaning is endless.

chippedteacup

 

Hope is the thing with feathers

Underface

December 2 – The Turquoise

 

“If cold December gave you birth
The month of snow and ice and mirth
Place on your hand a turquoise blue
Success will bless whate’er you do”

 

Lazy Jane

Lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
lazy
Jane.
She
wants
a
drink
of
water
so
she
waits
and
waits
and
waits
and
waits
and
waits
for
it
to
rain.

Shel Silverstein

Depression

 

 

We Drink Because We’re Poets posted this on facebook yesterday, I wanted to share it here.

As one commenter said that the above statement was “hauntingly beautiful and painfully true.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Many people who suffer from Depression can seem happy on the outside but on the inside are fighting a daily battle of severe and persistent feelings of worthlessness, self-blame, sadness and hopelessness.

A major depressive disorder — usually just called “depression” — is different than the “blues”. Someone experiencing depression is grappling with feelings of severe despair over an extended period of time. Almost every aspect of their life can be affected, including their emotions, physical health, relationships and work. For people with depression, it does not feel like there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” — there is just a long, dark tunnel.
Canadian Mental Health Association

Bubble and Squeak and a poem

Traditional Bubble and Squeak history

Bubble and squeak it is a dish of fried potatoes and other vegetables. But during 18th century it was a dish of fried meat and cabbage. The name ‘bubble and squeak’ was defined by Francis Grose in his dictionary in 1785. It is called bubble and squeak, beef and cabbage fried together because of its bubbling up and at the same time squeaking on the fire.

Vegetarian Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients

• 500g new potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 200g savoy cabbage, shredded
• 20g butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Handful of cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Directions

Fill a saucepan with cold water. Bring to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook until soft. Take off the heat and drain.

Add the butter to the potatoes and mash until smooth.

Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add the cabbage and cook until tender. Drain.

Mix the potato and cabbage together, add cheese and season lightly.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add ‘rissoles’ of the potato mix. Flatten with the back of a spatula. Cook until brown. Turn and continue to cook until the second side is browned.

Serve immediately.

This is traditionally a leftovers dish – you can just throw all the remaining cooked vegetables from a roast together. The one thing you will definitely need though is potatoes – either mashed or roasted enough that they can be squashed down.

• This Bubble and squeak recipe is one you can make from scratch rather than leftovers. I think it’s absolutely delicious with the inclusion of cabbage – and let’s face it, there just aren’t enough yummy cabbage recipes around!
• Cook the cabbage until it is cooked through – you really don’t want crunchy greens in this recipe.
• If you want to make this a little more fancy, add a tablespoon of mustard to the mixture before pan frying.
• This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, Australia’s best recipe finder.

www.kidspot.com.au

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

I am a man who dwells alone,

Save only that I keep a dog,

Who eats my scraps up, orts and bone,

So that the creature shares my prog.

I had a boiled salt round of beef

On Monday, all to my own cheek,

Wheron my hunger sought relief

From day to day, for near a week.

Of cold boiled beef the daily round,

After a while begins to tire,

One longs for something nicely browned,

Or steaming from the genial fire.

And then the beef was getting dry;

But food away I never fling,

What can be done with it? thought I:

Bubble and Squeek, sir! – that’s the thing.

KING GEORGE THE FOURTH was not a dunce

At least in gastronomic lore;

Bubble and Squeak he tasted once;

And then he ate it evermore.

The King had oft on turtle dined,

As I have sometimes chanced to do,

We both, to think I am inclined,

The less enjoyed it of the two.

So large with what it fed on grew

My whetted appetite’s increase,

That ‘twas as much as I could do

To leave my dog a little piece.

And even when I gave him that,

I muttered in a doubtful mood,

“is this quite right now – what I’m at,

In giving you, Sir, Christian food?”

The dish at which I’ve pegged away,

So that it my interior fills,

Would that they had it this cold day,

The Brave on the Crimea’s hills!

They in the cannon’s mouth do not

The Bubble reputation seek,

But Glory find; their onset hot,

Leaves to the Russians all the Squeak.

But Bubble, not of empty air,

And Squeak that’s more than idle sound,

Soon may those gallant heroes share

At mess on Russia’s conquered ground!

Anon. Punch 1855. vol. XXVIII, p.10