BACK AT THE POETRY CAFE...

YETI-POETICS

Hello beasties!!

This time I'm going to be giving you a quick talking through last week's show at The Poetry Café - a week's already sped by - so hear are all the details:

 

YETI-POETICS: THE GIG - 18/07/2014

POETRY CAFE, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON

There was no real first and second half as it was so hot - so we ran through these poems and John's selections in one longer segment, lasting approximately one hour. I do not have listed the titles of John's poems (some do not have titles!) None of this show was video recorded.

PICCADILLY IS  A RUBBISH CIRCUS

BECOMING MORE CAT-LIKE

THE CAFFEINE QUEEN

COLIN THE CUSTARD-EATING SPIDER

A FLEA TEA PARTY

A MONKEY'S UNCLE

MY LONG LOST FRIEND

*JOHN*

JUST ONE DAY (BEING YOU)

MYSTERY HEN

SOMETIMES A HUG IS ENOUGH

THE STUPIDITY OF BIRDS

YOU'LL DO

*JOHN*

BEING COY

CAT THIEF

DISCO YETI

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

THE TRUE LIGHT

WE WERE GOING TO BE WED...

I WILL EAT PIES

ENCORE:

JOHN, I'M  ONLY RHYMING...

IN GREATER DETAIL:

PICCADILLY IS  A RUBBISH CIRCUS

This piece was written early last year and is one which appears in my next collection, A YETI WAY OF THINKING.

BECOMING MORE CAT-LIKE, THE CAFFEINE QUEEN, COLIN THE CUSTARD-EATING SPIDER, A FLEA TEA PARTY, A MONKEY'S UNCLE, MY LONG LOST FRIEND

These were all from my second compilation SHY YETI STILL RULES OKAY (2012), most of which I have read before - although A MONKEY'S UNCLE was chosen randomly by the audience, who were asked to pick a page number. BECOMING MORE CAT-LIKE is still one of my favourites to read live and one that I have managed to read at that venue every year since it was written back in 2010. A text version appears at this link: http://thedaffypoet.blogspot.co.uk/2010_03_21_archive.html and it also appears during the following MRSHYYETI video, as recorded in L.A. in 2010: http://youtu.be/JYYzcBIYS34?list=UU0-eoWU7pUumDo0WEUFzJCQ

*JOHN SMALLSHAW READS FOR 5-10 MINUTES*

JUST ONE DAY (BEING YOU), MYSTERY HEN, SOMETIMES A HUG IS ENOUGH, THE STUPIDITY OF BIRDS, YOU'LL DO

The next five poems were from A YETI WAY OF THINKING and are ones that I have read before at shows over the last year or so, although THE STUPIDITY OF BIRDS is a short story that made it's debut on the night. You can read more about what inspired these poems in the new collection, when it emerges later this year. A text version of YOU'LL DO can be found at: http://thedaffypoet.blogspot.co.uk/2013_10_20_archive.html

*JOHN SMALLSHAW READS FOR 5-10 MINUTES*
 

BEING COY, CAT THIEF, DISCO YETI, A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, THE TRUE LIGHT, WE WERE GOING TO BE WED..., I WILL EAT PIES

The final section of poems were from SHY YETI RULES OKAY (2009) and have all been performed at The Poetry Cafe previously, at some stage - although this is the first time in 2014 for A LEARNING EXPERIENCE and THE TRUE LIGHT. It is three years next month that I read many of these poems at The Cobalt Café in L.A. - when A LEARNING EXPERIENCE appeared as my "broadside" poem of the night: http://poetrysuperhighway.com/cobalt/080211.pdf  Here's a blog about what went on, with links to a video where a number of the poems above were performed:  http://thedaffypoet.blogspot.co.uk/2011_08_07_archive.html

ENCORE:

JOHN, I'M  ONLY RHYMING

John was keen for me to read "JOHN..." as it is partly inspired by him - so this is the poem that we finished with - another from SHY YETI STILL RULES OKAY (2012) I'm not sure I've ever done an encore! ;)

There were a number of poems that I had set aside to read, but didn't get to - most of them being new ones from the next collection and one just being a favourite: poems were - An Ideal World, The Dreaded Lurgy, Friday The 13th, A Harmless Prank, Game Plan and The Ungrateful Valentine.

Here are a few more photos from the night...

Thank you to everybody who came along and especially to John Smallshaw for reading more of his excellent poems. We're back at The Poetry Café on Wednesday 17th September 2014.

Next time I have a new piece to share with you from my trip to Amsterdam, but that's it for now!

Thank you for reading - take care!

Yeti hugs,

Paul x

This post and all content is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2014.

JUST SO YOU KNOW...

 

THE NEXT POETRY CAFE SHOW IS ONLY DAYS  AWAY...

Hello beasties!

Just a quick post about the next Poetry Show at The Poetry Cafe, London.

Do come along if you can! Entrance is free - although you're welcome to donate as it costs us to hire the venue. There will also be the opportunity for other poets to read open-mike. Just speak to me when you arrive.

Hope to see you soon!

Yeti hugs,

Paul xx

MAD IN MADRID

A FEW DAYS IN SUNNY SPAIN...

 

Hello beasties!

 

This time I'm going to share with you some photos from my recent trip to Madrid. Not only that but I have a new short piece to share that I wrote whilst out in Spain, inspired by my trip to Madrid Zoo.

Here are the photos...

There are more photos from the trip - some of them are in Instagram and I may have room for them here on a future blog, but I already have photos and something new from a recent trip to Amsterdam!

Next time, well - I think Amsterdam is where we'll be, but I won't promise anything until closer to the time... We also have that gig coming up at The Poetry Cafe on Friday 18th July. (See advert at bottom of post)

More soon - yeti hugs,

Paul xx

THE STUPIDITY OF BIRDS
(A FLIGHT OF FANCY)


"Those larger birds are so stupid..." Laughed the sparrow as he and his companion regarded the ostrich strutting about its enclosure at the zoo. "We smaller birds are able to move freely about the cages whilst those supposedly mighty birds of prey - the owls, the hawks and the eagles are all imprisoned behind bars... Even this ostrich who has no roof above his head and the peacock who wanders amongst the tourists are as good as trapped here because they are unable to fly to freedom..."

"The penguin has the same problem, but it's not as simple as that - isn't it the prestige?" Replied his companion wisely. "Nobody is coming here to see us... Certainly, we could leave any time that we like and yet we stay to pick over all the morsels of food discarded by those who come to visit... Does that make us any better or worse for being here? Aren't we just as much imprisoned as those other birds?"

"Not at all!" Disagreed his friend. "What makes us different is the choice - that we may come and go and yet we use this place as a resource to keep alive... Yes, these things are scraps - but we eat scraps in garden and scraps off the street - if anything the food here is better than that. Don't start twisting my case... We are liberated and they are foolish for allowing themselves to be taken advantage of..." Silence, not a word. "Well?" Persisted the first sparrow, glancing over, keen to receive praise for his concise deductions. "Oh..." Sadly, it was to be his last flight of fancy - for all that he saw before him was a haze of bloody feathers and the hungry yellow eyes of the zoo's resident cat.

Idea for this piece: 03/06/2014 whilst visiting Madrid zoo. First draft written in art gallery in Madrid on 04/06/2014.

This piece and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2014. THE STUPIDITY OF BIRDS will appear in his next collection, A YETI WAY OF THINKING.

IT'S BIRTHDAY TIME...

THIS IS OUR 300TH POST!!

Hello beasties!!

I know... I know... It's been a little while since out last post - but I've been away. This week we are celebrating our 300th post...

OH...
 

Can you believe that we've gotten there already? It's only taken 12 years!!!

It won't be our longest ever post, but it will be picturesque! I'm going to share with you a few photos from behind the scenes of my recent trip to Scotland, not to mention a new piece that I wrote during that trip.

Let's peruse the scenery, shall we?

Well, I hope you enjoyed that! Next time we'll be looking forward to photos from my recent trip to Madrid - and I have a short story to accompany that post too.



Before I depart, I'll leave you with a poem I wrote on Loch Ness on the 28th May 2014 about the Loch Ness Hamster!! There are even photos of me posing as aforementioned beasty! It's all very silly, but then nonsense is probably what I do best, after all.

More next time!

Take care... Yeti hugs,

Paul xx

THE LOCH NESS HAMSTER

The Loch Ness Hamster's -

Quite a Scot...

But is he a monster?

Well no, he's not.

He'll do his best -

To make folk flee...

But more usually -

He's full of glee...

His tail is long -

And badly knotted...

He tries to hide -

But soon is spotted!

The Loch Ness Hamster's -

Not a fright...

He's kinda puny -

Lacking might...

No, he'll not engulf you -

With his rage...

Just rides the wheel -

Within his cage...

It keeps him sane -

A calming sound...

Content to journey -

Around and round...

The Loch Ness Hamster's -

Far too clean...

He bares his teeth -

But he's not mean...

He's just too cuddly...

He's far too cute...

He doesn't snarl -

Remaining mute...

Which brings no fear -

Fails to disarm...

And yet it lends -

A certain charm...

The Loch Ness Hamster's

Much too sweet!

As beasties go -

He's not elite!

So very meek -

He's oh-so mild...

Why can't he be -

Just a little wild?

Yes, his teeth are sharp -

His back is hairy...

But no monster he -

The lad's nae scary!


THE LOCH NESS HAMSTER is Copyright Paul Chandler 2014. It will be published in his collection A YETI WAY OF THINKING, due out later this year. This post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2014.