Commonword Blogs

A brief update on our guests from Callaloo Magazine. Ten writers met up with Charles (and Marcus) who explained what they were looking for. Callaloo is a USA based literary magazine. They want t make it an international one. They visited Manchester to build contacts and solicit creative work. Here's the info from them...

I looked at the poems/pieces I wrote while in Pakistan and found these. Can either of them be moulded into a classical shape? (PS I showed them to Martin via his comments section - so you can check his comments on them via his blog.

1.
Grey trees spider the grey skyline
Mr Mehmood’s cell phone battery is fading.
He speaks quickly in 3 languages

2.
A bird whistles an evening chorus.
The rope bed sighs as I shift a limb.
Somewhere in UK it is raining.

Hi guys - many thanks for the great crit last night, I've had a go at tweaking, though the layout is lost in this context - just imagine alternate lines gradually convening....
If you think it's heading in the right direction (!) let me know :)
Many thanks
Ax

I must split myself in
two, like the flesh of a ripe peach
scored with a small sharp
fruit knife
then twisted to reveal
the gnarled hard heart
it’s the pits

I reach forward and fetch back
gathering my mothers towards me
stretching my line of horizons
to vanishing point

both hold me

Hello Everyone,

Apologies for abandoning the cause! Managed to get myself to China for the summer. I have been here exactly one week now and finally feeling steady enough to write a hello message with an 'I'll be back in full force' shout out attached. Hope the picture gives a nice touch to the recent classical chinese workshop, it is taken from the Summer Palace in Beijing.

MM

Hi guys - been a while since I uploaded, apologies. Been working on a collection from which I've drawn the below as a 'homework' response. Loosely based along the lines of image (peach) setting (vanishing point) and conflict (maternal) so I can get some feedback for your good selves. Thanks for any reads and comments.
Till the next sess
Ax

I must split myself in two
like the flesh of a ripe peach
scored with a small sharp
fruit knife
then twisted to reveal
the gnarled hard heart
it’s the pits

I reach forward and fetch back
gathering my mothers towards me

MY SISTER

SIBLING

my sister is a lagoon

a rippling counterpart

of erudite serenity

on Moon struck waters

phospherescent ribbons mirroring

the luminosity

of her smile

2008 Yvonne Mc Calla

Pete
I'll hire you as my publicist when i make it...

Here's the poem i won the competition with...

Overspread

touch me feel me
delicate buds
of candyfloss
I have soothed
torn skin
drank the fever from sodden brows

seen the heart torn
from living souls
until their eyes
no longer reflect
a spark of light
my softness stretched and taut

on the wheels of
spinning jenny’s
that worked me
endlessly remorselessly
day & night
until they had manipulated

my milky unblemished flowers
into the warp & weft
of misery & servitude
painted my face
transformed me

The winner of this competition was this Course's very own Yvonne McCalla, with her poem, Overspread. Perhaps she will post it here? Congratulations Yvonne!

Hello people, this is just to let you know that I won't be available for about 2 weeks, that means i'll be missing out tomorrow and maybe the next (hopefully not) reason being, i'm going into hospital for a long awaited and overdue job (yeah i know, it sounds dodgy!) but looking forward to being back. For those who pray remember me in them, for those who don't, please think positive for me.
Many thanks
Abi