challenge – Angele Toomey Poetry

Not all men, but most of the songs

It’s been a while since I blogged. A lot has been happening in the world, especially the heroic stand of Ukraine against Putin’s denazification invasion efforts. So my mood is pretty dark. Today’s poem fits into the ‘found poetry’ genre. I have reflected on the songs that play on the radio, in supermarket, at weddingsContinue reading “Not all men, but most of the songs”

Unplanned supplemental

Good morning/good evening everyone. I was pushing my pen around a scrap of paper this morning while finishing my coffee when I started to do a silly exercise using four word statements….and the results are in: Good enough is good enough Let go of perfection Perfection let go of Of perfection let go Go ofContinue reading “Unplanned supplemental”

Tanka and Sestina

That title sounds like an intriguing police drama, with powerful acting from an ensemble cast to rival Orange is the New Black! Alas, I am pitching a new TV show just yet. I have spent some time this afternoon pottering about my note books, trying to think new thoughts. One of the strategies I useContinue reading “Tanka and Sestina”

Boot Camp Day 10: Found poetry

Found poetry is a form that uses an existing body of text as source material for words, phrases or themes and then organises them into a new piece of work. To avoid plagiarism, the onus is on the poet to create a unique new work and to cite the source. In this instance I haveContinue reading “Boot Camp Day 10: Found poetry”

Poetry Boot Camp Day 8: Delayed reaction to conference attendance

In my ‘day job’ I usually attend a couple of conferences a year. Obviously last year was an extreme exception. New Zealand is operating at 95% usual settings. The only visible differences in my life are wearing masks on public transport and scanning QCodes when I go somewhere. Definitely a tiny tiny price to payContinue reading “Poetry Boot Camp Day 8: Delayed reaction to conference attendance”

Poetry Boot Camp Day 6: Words and Ideas

Today I have two poems – not because I am boastful or greedy – they arrived in quick succession on the same page, so it felt wrong to separate them. They also didn’t have names until I realised that they were about words and ideas – how they are formed and what we do withContinue reading “Poetry Boot Camp Day 6: Words and Ideas”

Boot Camp Day 5: Renovation realities

There is a situation in New Zealand that has been described as a ‘housing crisis’. We haven’t been building enough houses to keep up with demand (driving up property prices) and what we do have is of poor quality (people pay a lot of money to live in cold, damp housing). When buying a houseContinue reading “Boot Camp Day 5: Renovation realities”

Boot Camp Day 4: Nature from another perspective

I am one of the rare people who won’t watch David Attenborough documentaries. It’s not that I have anything against Sir David, I love the sound of his voice, and his obvious passion for the environment. The documentaries are beautifully filmed and scripted. They are works of art. I don’t like watching the realities ofContinue reading “Boot Camp Day 4: Nature from another perspective”

History and destiny calling my name?

This is poem #1 of my self-imposed “2 week boot camp”. The aim is to post a poem every day for two weeks! I had a very close relationship with my maternal grandmother, she taught me how to crotchet and how to put food on the table when surprise visitors drop in. Her lavender scentedContinue reading “History and destiny calling my name?”

History never repeats? Hmm

I have been experimenting with form and themes lately. And repetition is something that has sparked my imagination. Using it to drum home a rhythm or focus on a sound has been a bit of fun. Below is a short work I banged out on a train trip into town a week or so ago,Continue reading “History never repeats? Hmm”