Dowry Fires from new contributor Usha Kishore took on a heady, visceral journey through the sights, sounds and smells of India from fragrant, bangle-tinkling wedding to horrific dowry fires which kill one young woman every hour. Disturbing echoes of abuse pervade Caroline Hurley's Grey Shades, Thin Lines too - running the gamut from wife-beater to Pygmalion, to sub and dom and beyond.
But there's Nothing Nouveau says Noel Loftus, taking a well-deserved pop at modern art. And nothing wrong with the traditional -Wendy Nicholson's Moon Landing had the feel of a song from earlier times and it's rhythms took us nicely from a small speck to a giant leap in a final tribute to Neil Armstrong.
I just want to finish by mentioning a topical poem we didn't bag for Poetry24, but is exactly the sort of thing we're all about: Have a look at UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy's poem for the Liverpool Echo on the Hillsborough Report findings announced this week - a topical poem that struck a chord with many people.
We have two new short poems below - one a reverent remembrance from Douglas Polk, the other... erm... less so... a final word from Philip Challinor.
Have a great week and keep writing!
Clare (and Martin)
Two poems
In Remembrance
the towers gone,
Bin Laden dead,
the dreams now,
mutated,
and unrecognizable,
the world,
a different and dangerous place,
but the reality,
the world changed,
only inside our heads,
death always lurked,
only before,
out of view,
the date,
a reminder,
the towers gone,
Bin Laden dead.
© Douglas Polk
© Douglas Polk
Douglas Polk is a writer of poetry, from central Nebraska. Feeling persecuted most of his life he has published three books of poetry; In My Defense, The Defense Rests, and On Appeal. He lives with his wife and two boys and two dogs on the plains of Nebraska.
And finally....
An Inappropriate Tribute
I am outraged! I cannot dismiss
So dreadful a scandal as this!
Dance on Maggie's grave,
After all that she gave?
Don't they know? Don't they care? Can't they piss?
© Philip Challinor
Anger at Thatcher death T-shirts on sale at TUC
Weblog: The Curmudgeon - You'll come for the curses. You'll stay for the mudgeonry.
Books: Philip Challinor's Books
