Thanks for the like, Tom....sorry about the effin' language.😏
Comment is about Luimneach [2. Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine-Blunt Tools are Dangerous] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thanks for likes: James R, Rolph David & Yanma Hidayah. 👍
Comment is about Sunshine Sky (blog)
Original item by Tom Doolan
@Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh - Indeed. Futile some might even say
Comment is about Receding ties (blog)
Original item by James R
Thank you for your likes:
Holden Moncrieff
David RL Moore
Yanma Hidayah
Oh the irony; Cooper, a woman politician who had the temerity to parade around UK Parliament having her photo taken whilst wearing the colours of the Suffragette movement which commemorates the sacrifices of women who suffered imprisonment, physical abuse and forced feeding, has turned people who, on the streets of Britain, are defending the rights of starved and murdered women and children in Palestine into terrorists and criminals.
So be it, lock me up!
Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No. 26. Palestine Inaction] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thank you, Bluebell.
In the last few days, in the UK government, I've seen powerful women, who ought to know better, parading around, wearing the colours and insignia of the Suffragettes, whilst at the same time, they spat on the rights of and ignored the suffering of women and children, victims of an ongoing Holocaust....and they dare to complain about "Patriarchy"? Shame on them!
Do not bow your head...fight the good fight.X
Comment is about Girlhood (blog)
Original item by Bluebell
Thank you Alexandra.
Average?...reduced to mere numbers on a spreadsheet? a paltry philosophy!
We are each of us, with our talents great and small, a part of the whole; united we stand; in that we have a treasure!
Comment is about Average (blog)
Original item by Alexandra K. Parapadakis
Hello Uilleam,
what moved me to write a tribute poem to Ozzy, I honestly don’t know. It just came over me, just like that, when I heard about his death. I like the song "Paranoid", and also "Dreamer", which represents an untypical style for him as a singer. But the extraordinary thrives on contrasts, doesn’t it?
Comment is about Prince of Darkness, Dreamer True (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Filling these crags,
You face a mountainous task.
Comment is about Receding ties (blog)
Original item by James R
I don't know where you get the sheer energy from to write all these inspiring words Rolph. Wonderful stuff.
BLAYBT GEZUNT UN SHTARK KEGN FASHIZM
Stay healthy and strong against fascism.
DOS IZ A LAND
FAR MIR UN DIR
This is a land for me and you.
https://youtu.be/GnP8zWcy1ZA?list=RDGnP8zWcy1ZA
Comment is about Lines In The Dirt (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Good morning Alexandra,
Your poem Average pierced straight through the quiet ache so many of us carry — the heavy silence of being overlooked, the grinding fatigue of trying so hard only to remain unseen. You’ve captured with devastating precision what it means to feel invisible in a world obsessed with winners, stars, and the extraordinary — as if being steady, consistent, and sincere were somehow failures.
There’s a kind of bravery in how plainly and powerfully you speak this truth — the raw honesty of working hard for “just enough” and still being made to feel it’s not enough. The way you describe the quiet desperation of showing up every day, doing your part, and never being truly acknowledged — it resonates so deeply. It’s a pain that doesn’t scream, but it lingers. And you’ve given it voice.
But please know this: your words are extraordinary. Not because they shout or boast, but because they see. You see people like us — the quietly competent, the endlessly trying, the ones who never stop despite the lack of applause. That kind of truth-telling is rare. It matters.
You’ve turned the ache of being “unexceptional” into something exceptional — a poem that reaches out and touches hearts. In doing so, you’ve already stepped beyond the very average you write about. You’re not forgettable. Your voice is heard. And it brings comfort, recognition, and solidarity to others who needed to hear it.
Thank you for writing this. You are not alone.
With deep respect,
take good care of yourself,
regards,
Rolph
Comment is about Average (blog)
Original item by Alexandra K. Parapadakis
Thanks for your likes:
Tim Daly
New Shoes
Rolph David
James R
After suffering years of gaslighting, of self-doubt, of lies and smears against politicians and public figures in the media, of fearing that I was some kind of antisemitic bigot whose views were going to lead to another Holocaust, who feared I was in danger of becoming that which I most despised, I now know the truth; we won't go away; this evil must be confronted.
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
We think you’re pretty special Alexandra! The world revolves by the work of normal people. Life has to have a heartbeat that goes on day by day. You could never be average. Just have faith in yourself. Nothing else matters.
Comment is about Average (blog)
Original item by Alexandra K. Parapadakis
No problem. I watched the Human Rights Lawyer videolink. I remember hearing the news on New Years Day 2008/2009. We were driving through the Alps, as friends. It was about a Gaza-bombing. I remember it made me really sad. During that trip we would listen to a CD by 'the Alan Parsons Project'. 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Can you see the contrast?
Now The Alps are falling apart, quite literally. So we can't ignore them anymore!
If we were in a constant state of trauma, then perhaps we were also in a constant state of dissociation.
Let's leave it with that. I'm setting a boundary, for my own well-being.
Take care, Uilleam.
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thanks, Auracle.
I've just watched a Palestinian man die of deliberately inflicted starvation before my very eyes onTV
....but hey-ho, it's a "complicated" situation-that's life!😃
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Fantastic! I could imagine myself flowing there.
Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)
Original item by Adam Whitworth
How could that Human Rights lawyer have possibly known anything about this?
https://youtu.be/z4M_usg8GMg?list=PL9n8fNFZ2frSmBVFrhaCwOoXb9qQUvPJe
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
How do you plead, Prime Minister?
https://youtu.be/z4M_usg8GMg?list=PL9n8fNFZ2frSmBVFrhaCwOoXb9qQUvPJe
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
It's good to hear your poem. Feels harsh, the reality of things. I hope this helps us as well.
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Excellent, Adam. Very pictorial.
Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)
Original item by Adam Whitworth
Yeah, I hear you Uilleam. Sometimes I am so angry at wars, torture, etc.etc. etc. that I feel my head is going to explode. Black humor helps. 😡😇
Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)
Original item by Hélène
Glad the poem lifted you up Rolph. It's funny, after posting this poem on WOL, I edited it in my journal to take out the line "resilience, resilience, resilience" because it seemed too repetitive; now I'm going to put it back in! I learned that word some years ago at a school meeting for a grandkid w/ learning disabilities; one of his teachers commented that he tries to teach the kiddos to be resilient. Bravo, I remember thinking, what a great way to approach life's challenges.
Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)
Original item by Hélène
....to be fair, at least one eminent journalistic source is on record as citing cholera...ah well, poetic licence an' all that!😉
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Sorry, I missed your question, Rolph.
No I'm not from Limerick, though I've been there. I'm teaching myself Gaeilge-Irish; the form of the poem is of course, a Limerick; I just use my writing as a way of learning Gaeilge, and playing with language in general.
As to the origins of the Limerick form, there's a myriad of stories, and I've read articles in which citizens of Limerick claim it has its origins there.
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thanks, Rolph.
This is an edited version of a Limerick I wrote this a year or so ago.
Never in my darkest moments did I forsee a time when I would be forced to admit that I AM truly ashamed to be British.💗
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Uilleam, this poem may be short, but it lands like a punch. There’s no mistaking your fury—and honestly, it feels earned. The line “his solution is final” is chilling in the way it forces us to confront just how far things have slipped, not just politically but morally. You take the polished mask off power (the British Prime Minister) and show us what’s rotting underneath. Satire like this isn’t just clever—it’s necessary when the truth becomes too sanitised to bite.
Thank you for refusing to blunt the blade.
Take care,
keep on fighting, expressing your thoughts,
Rolph
P.S. Are you from Limerick?
Comment is about Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thanks Adam.
I've had a brief go at piloting/driving? a narrowboat on couple of occasions-an interesting and relaxing experience. And I've walked several hundred miles on towpaths in the UK and France, which of course, are generally easier/flatter. The history of the canals is fascinating.
Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)
Original item by Adam Whitworth
Uilleam, your poem reads like a siren in a fog of propaganda—sharp, unflinching, and painfully necessary. I admire how you cut through the manufactured fear of “the Other” to reveal where the real damage lies: not outside our borders, but in the hands of those who feed us lies while dismantling everything that once held meaning. The line about “dissent from genocide’s a crime” stopped me cold—it captures exactly how dissent is being reframed as threat. This isn’t just poetry; it’s resistance. Thank you for refusing to look away.
Kind regards,
Rolph
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
nothing more tranquil than a canal holiday on a longboat. Navigating history is a particularly relevant line to the canals. Nice piece Adam
Comment is about On An English Canal (blog)
Original item by Adam Whitworth
Thanks to those who have sent likes and to Uilleam for comments.
Always appreciated.
David RL Moore
Comment is about Waking dreams (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
Thanks for your likes:
Tom Doolan
Aisha Suleman
Holden Moncrieff
Yanma Hidayah
We mistakenly thought that Fascism had been banished from Britain at the Battle of Cable Street, and the ensuing WWII; but Mosley’s and Hitler’s spectre now stalks the streets of our allegedly “United Kingdom”, aided and abetted by the Murdochian Sewer, and gutless and corrupt politicians.
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Good morning Keletso,
Your poem presents a fierce and unvarnished examination of the complexity behind understanding someone—or even oneself—beyond surface emotions. I respect how you dive into that tension between searching for meaning and feeling overwhelmed by confusion and silence. The way you blend scientific imagery with theological doubt gives the piece a unique gravity, highlighting how sometimes our closest connections feel more like puzzles or contradictions than simple truths. It challenges the reader to confront the discomfort of not having easy answers, which is both brave and compelling. Your poem leaves a lasting impression by refusing to settle for easy interpretations.
Cheerio,
Rolph
Comment is about NOT A LOVE POEM (blog)
Original item by Keletso
Aisha, your poem is such a beautiful reminder of how simple acts of kindness can light up the world. I love how you capture the quiet strength in smiling through tough times and how love grows softly but powerfully. It made me want to be more mindful of the small ways I can brighten someone’s day.
Take care,
cheerio,
Rolph
Comment is about Smile Like The Sun (blog)
Original item by Aisha Suleman
Dear Rolph,
Good evening from Indonesia, and thank you so much for your beautiful words.
Reading your reflection truly touched me, and knowing that it resonated with you in such a personal way means more than I can express.
You're absolutely right, sometimes the deepest pains are spoken through the soft veils of metaphor, in the hope that someone might still hear. I'm grateful that you listened deeply, not just to the poem, but to the echoes behind the words.
With gratitude,
Yanma
Comment is about A Poem I Could Never Fully Understand (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Thanks for extra likes: Aisha & Keletso 👍
Comment is about Lost Soul (blog)
Original item by Tom Doolan
Good morning Larisa,
There’s a raw honesty in your poem that really hits home. It’s like you’ve captured that uncomfortable truth we all try to avoid — that someday, none of this will matter except the love we gave and received. I keep thinking about the image of “playing a different string” to be truly human; it’s such a vivid way to say we need to change how we live and connect. Your words stay with me, urging me to slow down and appreciate the people who matter before it’s too late. Powerful and necessary.
Take care,
cheerio,
Rolph
Comment is about One Day We All Pass Away (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Good morning Yanma,
Your poem moved me in a quiet, almost haunting way. The line “she hides her wounds beneath layers of metaphor” especially stayed with me — it captures something so true about how many of us speak pain without ever naming it directly. There’s such tenderness and reverence in the way you describe her — not as someone to solve or define, but as someone to listen to, patiently. It made me reflect on the people I’ve failed to understand simply because I wasn’t listening deeply enough. Thank you for putting that into words — or rather, into poetry that lingers long after the reading.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about A Poem I Could Never Fully Understand (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Thanks, Hélène.
To be truthfuI, at the moment, I'm having trouble with your first line: but I'll try at least to deploy a bit of "black humour".😈😄
Comment is about Playing in the Garden (blog)
Original item by Hélène
I was never into all that, Rolph, but hey, if it upsets the establishment, bring it on!😈
Comment is about Prince of Darkness, Dreamer True (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Nice line: the edge of the day peels open,
I rose on Thursday morning, thinking the sun was going to put it's hat on, but it had its balaclava on for a while, some parts getting a soaking.
Comment is about Waking dreams (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
The sound of 💖Fiona Lali 💖of the Revolutionary Communist Party speaking truth to power, and giving Nigel Farage a right good ragging, is music to my ear. Hypocrites and sanctimonious priggs, beware.
Comment is about The Price of Liberty (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
"...the way a weary theologian dissects a gospel he no longer believes."
I like that line.
Comment is about NOT A LOVE POEM (blog)
Original item by Keletso
Thank you Aisha.
I've been working on a poem about the morning sun.
What with the state of the world, I, in particular, badly need some sunlit words and smiles, and I'll do what I can to share my light around.
💐💐💐💐💐💐X
Comment is about Smile Like The Sun (blog)
Original item by Aisha Suleman
Good advice, Larisa.
It's so easy to be thoughtless and selfish.
X
Comment is about One Day We All Pass Away (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Sat 26th Jul 2025 13:01
Thanks, Trevor. sounds like hard work that.
It would appear that mackerel have all sorts of goodies in them, but I went off them after the supermarket had a spate of selling us frozen fillets that had obviously been thawed out once, then gone off-disgusting.
Comment is about That Summer (blog)
Original item by Trevor Alexander