Poetry Forum

A very happy World Poetry Day to you, MacPhil

I saw this article via Twitter earlier; Tristan RT'd a link. What do you reckon to Simon Armitage's poem?

Bw,
Fliss

I rather like the poem Fliss. I thought it was inventive. Particularly liked the lip-gloss petals. I went to a reading by Armitage at the Ledbury festival. He engaged with the audience, entertained, certainly earnest about the environment. What did you feel about the poem?

Bw

Phil

I'm glad you liked it, MacPhil; I did too. I'm going to copy-and-paste a bit of it, why not. Here we are:


Plum Tree Among the Skyscrapers by Simon Armitage [excerpt]


But she’s here to stay -

plum in the middle -

and today she’s fizzing

with light and colour,

outshining the smug sculptures

and blubbering fountains.

Scented and powdered

she’s staging

a one-tree show

with hi-viz blossoms

and lip-gloss petals;

she’ll season the pavements

and polished stones

with something like snow.

- - -
Now, I'd have suggested en-dashes where necessary in place of hyphens, just to be useful, you know. Also, perhaps 'hi-vis'? The 's' would've found a pleasant echo in the sss of blossoms, just trying to help, as usual. I love the idea of a travelling tree and my highlight is the 'mistle thrush beak' (^v^) (Word-Bird is pleased)

I've never been to a reading by Simon Armitage, but I've enjoyed a couple of episodes of 'The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed', which is on Radio 4. He always sounds very natural, which is great. Most recently, I listened to his chat with Chris Packham; the environment featured a lot there, as you'd expect.

Bw,
Fliss

Not sure there is a copyright issue in quoting the whole poem Fliss? Liked your tweaks I do have a Selected edition of his poems, which I occasionally dip into for a read. He can be a bit dour.

Bw

Phil

I don't know either, MacPhil; would you like me to delete it? Hooray for tweakage! Some folks enjoy being dour, I think. I have a pretty cynical side, but it's rarely seen in my poems

Bw,
Fliss

cynical Fliss. Happily never at the .

Perhaps just quote the sections with your tweaks?

Bw

MacPhil

Well, the cynicism is mostly directed at politics, MacPhil, and I'm not sure whether there's much call for that across the poetry journal-scape, ho hum...

I've edited the post and now it's time for breakfast, hooray! Porridge made up with tea, with bran flakes and apricots, apple juice, dark chocolate tablet, two mugs of tea and a bottle of water to wash it all down

wow quite a breakie Fliss. Mine's a full English at the

Bw

MacPhil 🫖

Good choice, MacPhil!

Yes, we like breakfast time here. And lunchtime too, and the evening snackage. It's my mum's birthday on Sunday, cue an afternoon of tea and treats, just a week after the same sort of thing for Mother's Day 🫖