Thank you very much, Greg. Yes, it is about ageing as well as cricket, and about the intersection of the young and old at communal events, illustrating the huge spread of experience and memory.
Thanks once again to all who liked this poem.
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
That's an inspiring story Uilleam. Thank you so much for sharing it. You're right. We must not lose hope, especially for the sake of our future generations. Your experience walking through that transformed wasteland is a perfect example of what's possible when people unite with a shared vision.
Thank you.
Comment is about BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (blog)
Original item by Naomi
Good morning Clare,
Going Home is a beautifully honest poem that blends the physical with the emotional, the domestic with the existential. You speak for anyone who has felt unmoored by life’s spaces—who has realised, perhaps painfully, that home isn't where the heart is, but what the heart is.
It’s a moving and courageous piece—elegantly written, sharply felt, and quietly defiant. I love every single line of it.
Kind regards,
Rolph
Comment is about Going Home. (blog)
Original item by Clare
Good morning Uilleam,
Thank you for your marvellous tongue-in-cheek, playful, sarcastic, and irony-laced remark. Rest assured, your allusion to Othello did not go unnoticed—“Thereby hangs a tale” indeed (or should that be tail?). And as for buffalo / buffalos / buffali—your deliberate plural confusion was a masterstroke of comic indecision. I see what you did there. Comments like these are exactly my cup of tea—clever, layered, and just the right amount of mischief. Keep them coming!
😉
Comment is about Penguins Shit Back (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
There’s an old expression that I’ve just made up saying ‘it’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you are’.
Recent events with both an elderly neighbour and my mother in law dying have reinforced that to me.
Stuff is stuff wherever you are!
Comment is about Going Home. (blog)
Original item by Clare
Comment is about Going Home. (blog)
Original item by Clare
Dear Rolph,
Reading your comment truly warmed my heart—thank you. To be honest, it was your poem "Farewell to the Presence" that stayed with me long after I first read it. The imagery you used struck something deep within me. After that, I felt an urge to try writing a piece with strong imagery too, and I realized that memories might be the most honest place to begin.
Thank you for the inspiration, and for seeing something tender in my words.
Warmly,
Yanma
Comment is about Memories (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Thanks @Rolph David 🌷 I will have to be more thoughtful of what I write and post. 😜 but this is such a beautiful review sharing the journey - what came across is gold: beauty in spite of the ache. Thank you for according it time and pilgrimage. 🕊️🙏🏻
Comment is about flight in blinding light (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
Larisa,
The moment the crows come in — everything changes, reminding us how messy freedom can be! I love how they shift the tone from light and airy to something more ironic, even quietly wise. It’s such a clever turn: these critters in the tree, so free and unbothered, even rude — while the speaker is sitting below, trying to make sense of it all, getting literally dumped on! That final question — “Should I cry or be glad?” — is deceptively simple, but so resonant. It captures that odd space between joy and frustration, foolishness and insight. A funny, touching little poem that says more than it first lets on.
Take care,
Rolph
Comment is about Should I Сry Or Be Glad? (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Why blame the penguins? I reckon it's all the fault of those pesky buffalo / buffalos / buffali.
Good job they were wiped out - all those piles of dung everywhere - disgusting! 😫
Thereby hangs a tale (pun intended).
Comment is about Penguins Shit Back (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Yanma,
Your poem is gentle and mournful in the most tender way. I felt the quiet power in your imagery—the black loafers, the dust, the weight of time settling like sediment. You’ve captured how memory can become both a presence and an absence, especially when someone we’ve lost still lives so vividly within us. The final line struck me hardest: simple, truthful, and deeply human. Thank you for this delicate reflection on remembrance and love that endures beyond understanding.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about Memories (blog)
Original item by Yanma Hidayah
Red, your poem held me still for a moment. There’s such a quiet ache beneath the surface—this longing for what’s slipped into memory, contrasted with the stark reality of the now. The image of tendrils reaching for slivered sunlight felt especially poignant, like hope that hasn’t quite given up, even as time keeps shifting beneath it. And those final cranes—so luminous and unreachable—leave a lasting impression of beauty trying to rise through sorrow or uncertainty. Thank you for writing something so delicate yet resonant.
—Rolph
Comment is about flight in blinding light (blog)
Original item by Red Brick Keshner
John, thank you for sharing such a deeply moving tribute to your friend Chris. Losing someone so close is a wound that time never fully heals, but your words remind us that love and memory continue to bloom, even in the hardest winters. I hope you find some peace in knowing Chris’s spirit lives on in your poem and in the hearts of those who remember him.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about FORGET-ME-NOT BLUE (blog)
Original item by John E Marks
Thank you, Uilleam, for sharing such a powerful and uncompromising poem. Your words cut straight to the heart of the injustice and hypocrisy that fuel this ongoing tragedy. I’m struck by how clearly you expose the cowardice of those who remain silent or complicit while innocent lives are destroyed. The way you give voice to the fallen and the countless millions demanding freedom is both moving and urgent. Your poem is a vital reminder that silence is not an option—and that accountability is essential. I appreciate your courage and conviction in speaking truth to power.
Regards,
Rolph
Comment is about For the sake of Hind Rami Iyad Rajab and the Many Millions رجب ایاد رامي ھند (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
I’m really grateful to Nigel, Red, Keshner, hugh, Uilleam, Stephen, Reggie’s Ghost, and Yanma for liking Nothing Embarrasses This Man. Your support keeps the fire alive and means more than words can say. Thanks for standing with the poem.
—Rolph
Comment is about Nothing Embarrasses This Man (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Thank you Uilleam for your comment and for highlighting the troubling media coverage. It’s disheartening but unsurprising how deeply the narrative is twisted and weaponised. Your point about the persistence of such poisonous rhetoric in the UK media is an important reminder of the broader context that allows figures like this to thrive.
Stephen,
Thank you for your sharp observations and kind words. I’m glad the poem captured the absurdity and recklessness of that moment. The image of Trump in "delusion’s tank" feels sadly fitting. And yes, the way he reacted differently to various figures only adds to the spectacle—and the tragedy. I completely agree: world leaders enabling this kind of behaviour only prolong the damage.
I appreciate both of you taking the time to read and reflect on the poem.
—Rolph
Comment is about Nothing Embarrasses This Man (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Thank you Yanma Hidayah, Aisha Suleman, Red Brick Keshner, hugh, Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh, and Stephen Gospage for liking No Land For Peace. I really appreciate your support and encouragement.
—Rolph
Comment is about No Land For Peace (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Thank you, Uilleam, for your insightful and powerful response. You’ve captured the deep and painful history that continues to shape this tragedy. It’s heartbreaking how long the suffering has endured and how entangled it is with colonial legacies and political failures. Your words remind us that this conflict is about much more than recent events—it’s about justice, truth, and the urgent need for genuine change. I appreciate your reflection and solidarity.
—Rolph
Comment is about No Land For Peace (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
To Yanma and Auracle—
Thank you both deeply for your thoughtful words.
Yanma, your reflections on the imagery and sensory depth meant a great deal to me.
Auracle, your poetic reply was an unexpected and moving gift—"noetic nodes to blind" will stay with me.
Regards,
Rolph
And to those who liked Farewell to the Presence—John Coopey, hugh, Holden Moncrieff, Hélène, Manish, Auracle, and Yanma—thank you for your support. Your appreciation gives the silence in the poem a gentle echo.
With gratitude,
Rolph
Comment is about Farewell to the Presence (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
This poem is about ageing as much as cricket, of course, and that is why I like it. Well played, Steve!
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
I had though of deleting this Haiku on the grounds that it might be thought to be gratuitously offensive.
And then I thought again.
What is offensive, and really truly awful, is the theft of homes and land, the murder, rape, ethnic-cleansing and genocide being carried out with the help of British citizens (Mercenaries?) all enabled by the British government and a bought and paid for so-called "News" media.
And anyway - if it's good enough for Larkin, it's good enough for me!
Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No. 14 Up Yours Starmer!] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thank you for your likes:
Nigel Astell
Red Brick Keshner
hugh
Stephen Gospage
Holden Moncrieff
Yanma Hidayah
Giant snowdrops! They were beautiful and lasted for ages. I've resisted the urge to tidy their leaves up by cutting them down, because that's how they replenish their energy.
💐
Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No.17 'Snow Joke!] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Thanks, John and Graham Wonderful memories.
John - yes, it was South Africa. I remember Colin Bland, a brilliant fielder. Also the great Graeme Pollock, although he didn't bat the day I was there.
Graham - I was lucky enough to see Fred Trueman bowl a few times, and also saw Colin Milburn, a great talent whose career was cut short by a tragic accident.
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
I never saw my cricket hero 'Fiery Fred' Trueman in the flesh but did see the mighty duo of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths at Northampton, including the look on Wes's face when Colin Milburn hit him for six of the Hotel.
As we age I'm finding solace in these old memories as sport played such a part in my youth
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
I suspect we are contemporaries, Stephen. I googled that to see it would have bee South Africa. The marvelous Colin Bland.
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thank you, yes, based on the the 60's cult series The Prisoner, a superb creation. I have visited Portmeirion many years ago, were the The Prisoner was filmed, a fascinating place and must go again soon!
Comment is about 'The Village' (blog)
Original item by Mike Bartram
Indeed, Stephen. It’s not like synchronised swimming and other “judged” sports, where the prettiest wins. It depends on you knocking the ball in the net.
I headed South and got as far as Barnsley.
Comment is about I HAD A DREAM (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Hi Landi,
"Koyaanisqatsi" is a great work of art, brilliant musical score.
It's a good place to find inspiration and surrender to a hypnotic trance.
I suspect if readers checked it out they might get some insight into your "Flashlight"
Of course the souless would say it was nonsence...but who cares about those empty vessels anyway.
David RL Moore
Comment is about flashlight (blog)
Original item by Landi Cruz
I love this one, Larisa. Freedom, particularly in today's world, is so precious.
Comment is about Should I Сry Or Be Glad? (blog)
Original item by Larisa Rzhepishevska
Thank you, Uilleam. Indeed it does.
I first went to a match at the Oval in 1965, and it later occured to me that many of the spectators on that day would have seen the likes of Bradman, Hobbs, Larwood etc. This overlap of memories, and indeed of time itself in a way, has always fascinated me.
And my thanks to everyone who liked this poem.
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Very dystopian and effective, Mike.
Comment is about 'The Village' (blog)
Original item by Mike Bartram
It's the result that counts, John. Did you head South for the parade?
Comment is about I HAD A DREAM (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Thank you, Rolph. I think your poem perfectly conveys Trump's total lack of shame. I like 'delusion's tank' and 'freak parade' (we know who the freaks are!) as illustrations of his mendacity. It was also noticeable that while he interrupted Ramaphosa, he sat in apparent awe when the white golfers in the SA delegation spoke.
I agree with your concluding verses: world leaders should not go on indulging this moron and volunteering for his bear pit. Isolation may be the one thing he fears.....
Comment is about Nothing Embarrasses This Man (blog)
Original item by Rolph David
Tribalism, Uilleam. Nothing wrong with that.
And thanks for the Likes, Rolph, Larisa and Red Brick.
Comment is about I HAD A DREAM (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Thanks for your reading and comments Uilleam.
Many an atrocity wrapped in and hidden behind the shroud of belief in scripture.
Many an atrocity hidden behind and conducted under the veiled guise of gods word...
David RL Moore
Comment is about Moses meets Mo (blog)
Original item by David RL Moore
Thank you for your likes:
hugh
Stephen Gospage
Aisha Suleman
Yanma Hidayah
Oh, how the establishment hate being embarassed by public figures…notably those who, realising their own good fortune, stand up for social justice:
Marcus Rashford “should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.”…said a Tory MP. Vile bigot!
Comment is about Haiku for 2025 [No.16. What Genocide?] (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Rule number one in the manual: When in doubt, brew up!
Rule number two: have another!
Comment is about The Magic Cure (blog)
Original item by Rick Varden
"How the most impossible situations, became the foundations for greatness"
How true!
Comment is about Fear & Contemplation (blog)
Original item by Sia T
Thank you Stephen.
The quaint complaint: "It just isn't cricket"! says much about us.😊
Comment is about The Oval, 1965 (blog)
Original item by Stephen Gospage
Thanks for the likes:
Nigel Astell
Red Brick Keshner
Larisa Rzhepishevska
Sia T
Rolph David
AirlogRigsMaria (Arry)
It will be written in the annals of history, and to our eternal shame, that Britain, a nation which in years past, considered itself the bringer of “civilisation and culture” to peoples we once looked down on as “savages”, should be complicit in such barbarity.
Comment is about Maternity to Eternity (blog)
Original item by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
The hopes and fears of all the years,
the woes of being a footy fan!😉
Comment is about I HAD A DREAM (blog)
Original item by John Coopey
Thanks Mike.
Memories of "The Prisoner" and Portmeirion - a lovely place.
Comment is about 'The Village' (blog)
Original item by Mike Bartram
Thank you folks! ❤
Red Brick Keshner
Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh
Aisha Suleman
Holden Moncrieff
Hélène
Auracle
hugh
Comment is about A Poem For All Ages (so I can belong) (blog)
Original item by AirlogRigsMaria (Arry)
Stephen Gospage
Mon 26th May 2025 08:34
A remarkable, memorable poem, Clare. Everything is transient in life, I suppose, except its beginning and end.
Comment is about Going Home. (blog)
Original item by Clare