first draft

Danzig-Gdansk

& today there is K who cuts
through the fog

& we
are on the hill

above
Gdansk Glowny

an armory built
into the hills

waves of Teutonic
wars

& the Polish
victory over Swedes

at Oliwa
and the burnings &

burnings the free state
the no-state

the beginning
of the terrors

of all terrors
the beginning

of new beginnings
at the shipyard of Solidarity

now crushed
by waves of capitalism

post-shacked
with a moldy old ghost

in the old town
we walk down

Mariacka Street
& reach the largest

brick church in the world
who owns this city

who owns this history
Baltic amber

& knitted hats
& the post office

with prints of hands
welded into the walls

we are here
like locusts

like foxes
ratifying our

existence
finding our

Green Way
we wander

through gates
& side streets

& into the house
of 100 beers

and in
the corner

the Polish lads
gather round

to sing
sto lat sto lat

one hundred
more years

indeed

another draft

Unheimlichkeit ( the breaking of ground)

a boy a boy came to me
with wads of paper from the Lamma
welfare shelter I greased the pirates
what clutches yr dairy air?
my grandmother Jean was dissolving
into Northern Irish gravy oh lottery
to the grand land of dreams
hidden Star Wars figures
forgotten on light bulbs
this is the smell of burning plastic
this is a faint signal from Portadown
to Milton Keynes to Las Vegas agog
with crackes and shells alive alive
oh oh this is the piecing
together of extra bits
is that you in front of me
in a rocket ship with Neil Diamond
blasting we're coming to America
today today but I'm in Elblag
Poland among Teutonic bones
and there is a shadow of a nun
in her spires I've dreamed
of horses I've dreamed
of lands I've never seen

self portrait (written while listening to Richie Hawtin)

Self Portrait

the devils
in the details
you grow
your blond
hairs you
shave your
blond hairs
my left arm
is from
Iona
my left arm
is from
the lower
world
come out come
out oh
mermaids
the hornet
nest is the
golden butter
the mytho-
poetic cabbage
is boiling with
goldilocks
quell quell
the rainbow
I live towards
the border
yeah

another draft of Trendy Club

Trendy Club
(Elblag, Poland)

I'm not your
stoic mistress
I'm the oops
in yon skirt
a sheet of metal
throws
back the sparks
that light a cigarette
we're hidden in itchy
dreams a creamy
touch this stranger
shacks with testicles
we ride
the brambled motions

Polish literature in translation

Polish literature blog

fascinating video!!!!

Argotist Online

Some new poems from the London section of Alien Memory Machine just published at the Argotist Online.

Great magazine. Check it out:


Argotist Online

Another revision

Garbary 11
(Elblag, Poland 28th August 2009)

the tactile
is whipped
into the other
eye and I'm a
bunk bunking
on tip toes
jeepers
creepers
in this patch
of northern Poland
red stars
dot the graveyard
and if everybody knew
what they want
there would be
no government
people people
this is a riot
the measure of love
is to love without
measure
I'm suspended
in the ethical
in this palace
of baby gods
oh baby I'm
going to give
you a mystery
in this wormy spermy
canal after that final
yes the point comes
trotting after

Louise Rosengreen (DANISH POET)

Some good work in English translation forthcoming in the new journal Cleaves. Check out her blog:


Louise Rosengreen

Grzegorz Wroblewski's Projekt 1

check it:

Projekt 1

another quick revision

Unheimlichkeit ( the breaking of ground)

it takes four horses
to overcome
14 pounds
of limp flesh

& what is crossed
is found again

in modern Utah
a cowboy came
to me shucking
corn and shrugging
with his wads of
paper from the Lamma
welfare shelter
and I was chewing
Now & Laters
while my grandmother
Jean was dissolving
into Northern
Irish gravy oh lottery
to the grand
land of dreams of
hidden
Star Wars figures
forgotten on light bulbs
this is a faint signal
from Portadown
to Milton Keynes to
Las Vegas
agog with crackes and shells
alive alive piecing together
extra bits is that you
in front of me in a rocket ship
with Neil Diamond
blasting we're coming
to America
today today but I'm in Elblag
Poland among Teutonic
bones and the shadow of a nun
in her spires I've dreamed
of horses I've dreamed of lands
I've never seen

such a variety of houses & fortresses
which fish make from their own liquor
& saliva these details take precedence
over a panorama

Nikki Dudley's new novel

London poet, writer, and all around great gal . . . check out some sample chapters from her new novel here:


Ellipsis Blog

Amy De'Ath

super super . . . . the one and only Amy De'Ath has a poetics blog . . . .

check it:

Amy De'Ath

New Project

Putting together a few Polish poets for the Polish section:

CLEAVES

photo blog from Turkey

La Playaseca

Unheimlichkeit ( the breaking of ground)

such a variety of houses and fortresses which fish make from their own liquor
& saliva these details take precedence over a panorama
-------------------------------------------------------------
four horses to
overcome 14 pounds
of limp flesh

--------------------------------------------------------------

this is whale watching
on the blinding
islands
with sliding
waters what is
crossed
is found again

--------------------------------------------------

last night a Utah
cowboy
came to me
among the red
rocks and offered us
some land
and shortly after I
was back in Milton
Keynes England
with a rocket ship
in the mall & Neil
Diamond
blasting
we're coming to America
today I'm in Elblag
Poland among Teutonic
bones and
the shadow of a nun
in her spires
the Wulkan pub
where another new life
was sprung
among the clicking
of sharp heels
I've dreamed
of horses I've dreamed
of lands I've never seen

Trickhouse

Terrific arts magazine. Combining/mixing various art forms: video, ambient music, visual art, poetry etc.

check it:

TRICKHOUSE

domino night with Roger

Sophie Robinson

Some invigorating poems in progress over at Sophie Robinson's blog. Goad yr loins:

Sophie Robinson

interesting discussions on poetry in Britain

mainstream and non-mainstream etc.

Joseph Ceravolo

One of my favourite poets of all time. Second generation NY School.


Joseph Ceravolo

second revision

Trendy Club
(Elblag, Poland)

I'm the oops slits
in yon skirt
all creatures
unite
practice smoking
in the sheet
of metal
with puppet
lips here
on ice
with itchy
dreams
dispersed
in the creamy
touch this
stranger shacking
on the greasy
table on the
loud hum
of testicles
we ride
the brambled
motions
I'm not
your
stoic mistress

The Almighty Kerouac

first draft of "Trendy Club"

Trendy Club
Elblag, Poland)

in the El
Bano
there is
a sheet
of metal
where girls
can practise
smoking
puppet masters
muscles &
boobs
oh
broken
faces
I want
to be
touched
I'm not
your
stoic mistress

Kerouac song by Chris Hickey

20 hours of riding Polish trains

wooden boxes. Some are a bit more advanced than others. But the infrastructure is still very basic. The way back was a late night train for 10 hours. Started a bit before midnight.

Jotted this in my notebook half asleep at about 6AM as the sun was slowly leaking into the dark of the train's compartment.

Of course still rough . . . much more to come. . .

Elblag Katowice Elblag
"the measure of love is to love without measure"

to get
from side of
Poland to the
other I'm
traveling
with priests in a closed
compartment
one has thick glasses
I'd say 26
and the other priest
giggles and a gooey eyed
nun comes I'd say
around 21 and they
pray and pray
10 hours of mumbling
holy Polish and this
is a midnight train
a ten hour communion
with what I don't
know
---------------------------------------------------
Let the record show Polish trains leave you saddle sore. Sometimes the babel and the banal turns brilliant. There is need to trace my teeth to gums. I've invented something simple for the rats but my yogurt has gone sour. The toilet is full of shit with a footpump to drizzle out the water. If we fall into the fizz, I wanna lick you all over. The old spooks on the way to Kalingrad hold their heads in their hands. I've met my head in the sweat boxes of Polish trains. Getting comfortable in your skin is a class thing.

Enneagram test :-)

your Enneagram type is NINE (aka "The Mediator")


"I am at peace"


Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.



How to Get Along with Me

• If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure.

• I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this.

• Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit.

• Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally.

• Ask me questions to help me get clear.

• Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery.

• Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.

• I like a good discussion but not a confrontation.

• Let me know you like what I've done or said.

• Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.



What I Like About Being a NINE

• being nonjudgmental and accepting

• caring for and being concerned about others

• being able to relax and have a good time

• knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around

• my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator

• my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now

• being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe



What's Hard About Being a NINE

• being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive

• being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline

• being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally

• being confused about what I really want

• caring too much about what others will think of me

• not being listened to or taken seriously



NINEs as Children Often

• feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant

• tune out a lot, especially when others argue

• are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves



NINEs as Parents

• are supportive, kind, and warm

• are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

IQ or A POETICS (part one)

half of your intelligence is from congress
with other people

thus, without contact, last time
around in Poland

my intelligence
hibernated

or I lost
my vocabulary

which amounts
to the same thing

this time I talk
talk talk &
talk

if only
to myself

love songs
are the same
and they
keep pushing
my buttons
especially during
sleep


I dream
non-stop because
I set my alarm
at odd intervals

I want to live
with pedestrian
poetics
and sing woozy
on my feet
fumbling
around for my keys

wear my organs
on the outside

all our feet
make the big
city , the new city,
the only city
after this one
gets sacked and re-
sacked by the visa-
goths or some
other discontent

what I do
at my desk
is what I want
to do on my bed

it's about getting
comfortable
with your self
or selves
that shifting
flicker

we're gonna go
gooey
so better
not confuse
existence
with life

Milk Bar (fifth revision)

Milk Bar
(Elblag, Poland August 9th 2009)

plump ladies
are sweating
into my
gulasz
let feelings
bring events
and not vice
versa
my spooked
speech contains
a bond with day-
dreaming
'ello 'ello
spiegel in
spiegel
history is just
a big H
my house
is not
on the rocks
my little dog
eats me
chop up
the momentary
this is the tender
the barter the human
meatloaf Hercules
paddles upriver with
a spoon and the salt
shaker is missing
from my table

Sopot (second revision)

Sopot
(August 17th 2009)

this sun
brings me
back to 21
with disorderly
hair with pierced
ear
I did wear
a wet suit
on my
honeymoon
stranger stranger
I've leaked
into the sea
oh woman hobbling
in canary shirt
I'm here
on this bench
I've misread
my trains
soon the light
will go
where are you
oh
travel mates

illustrations and animations

Some interesting illustrations from Darby Hudson


illustrations


and some animations:

animations

poetry as potential . . .

I love love love this literary journal. Quickly becoming my favourite in print or online. Always poetry as potential and a revival of the literary review as actually interesting. Unlock those gates.

AHHH!!! Every issue makes me immediately want to write . . . beginners mind . . . that is the best feeling about writing and reading . . . feeling a beginners mind . . . and this literary journal . . . ignites potential . . . terrific terrific editing and work . . .

ONEDIT

Radioactive Moat

Some poems from Alien Memory Machine (South Korea section) are in the debut issue of Radioactive Moat. Check the first issue here:

Radioactive Moat

Garbary (fourth revision)

Garbary 11
(28th August 2009)

it's too late
to hand out
the chocolate
the duchess
of Malfi is trying
to eat me
the tactile
is whipped
into the other
eye and I'm a
bunk bunking
on tip toes
jeepers
creepers
in this patch
of northern Poland
red stars
dot the graveyard
in this palace
of baby gods
oh baby I'm
going to give
you a mystery
in this wormy spermy
canal after that final
yes the point comes
trotting after

revisions . . . continued

Bez Konserwantów (third take)

there's a hole to keep you warm
a hole behind the eye
a certain slant of light
with a fly sliding in butter
to feel the turbo pig
scratch his ass
in this afternoon glow
draw the sexsweat
from my aging bones
this is very much a woman's
novel
my ditz nipples flap open
to splay the winning way
to yon sexless desert
my laptop rattles like a cough
there is no
no selling back what
we already have
yes yes
I'm tick ticking
with a tension between
Buddhist and Christian
suffering
we adopt
a brand new language in death's
dream kingdom
hey handsome
you mean I'm going to lose
the farm whatever happens
yep this is love talk radio
coming to you live from
Elblag

The Great Barry MacSweeney

One of the great poets of the 20th century. Give it a listen:


BBC Radio Barry MacSweeney

Garbary (third revision)

Garbary 11
(28th August 2009)

and if everybody knew
what they want
there would be
no government
people people
this is a riot
the measure of love
is to love without
measure
this is the suit-
case of the world
this is the suffering
the sugar on the
rotting apples
a saucer hiding
unknowns the duchess
of Malfi is trying
to eat me and
I'm suspended
in the ethical

milk Bar (third revision)

Milk Bar

I'm in a Polish
Milk Bar &
plump ladies
are sweating

into my gulasz
every thought
contains a debris

What does
memory reclaim?

What is our bond
with the past?

When did
the daydreaming
collapse?

Spiegel
in
spiegel

OK comes
from the American
civil
war
0
K(illed)

what does it mean
to confuse

existence
with life?

The salt shaker is
missing from my
table and my kapusta
is pickled

let feeling bring events
and not vice

versa when
the story
ends

history
begins

new self portrait Issue of Poets and Artists

Some interesting art and poetry in the new issue of Poets and Artists. I have three wee poems. Sort of Self Portraits. Check it out:


Poets and Artists

from the notebook (not revised)

Garbary 11
(Elblag, Poland 28th August 2009)

the suit-
case

dumped
with

a late riot
of lost

love

I am sick
sick

and my
eggs

are runny
we're not

legit
hey sugar

sugar
on my

rotten
apples

yeah
we're

far
gone

so get
your leather

on

Bez Konserwantów (second take)

here's a
hole to
keep you
warm
here's yr
poked
out
iris

we
adopt
a brand
new
language
and grace
it up
in death's
dream
kingdom

hey
handsome
you mean
I'm going
to lose
the farm
whatever
happens

yep

this is
love talk
radio
coming
to you
live from
Elblag

a portrait from a korean pic

Didi Menendez painted a rather flattering portrait. If only I were that cool . . . damn . . . .

Korean Shades and all