I Can't Help Wishing Christopher

there's something different about the style of this, compared to your usual - what do you think fatboy? It's very good, and I really like it - it just seems unlike you (not in a bad way)

very intense & yes I like it too. I liked the line about the nativity play - the fact that families (unrelated) can stand together over children.

And the loss - the mother;s loss.

to your loss - as we all move on. the

"the grainy swarm of history,
and I can't help wishing Christopher"

brings it home from the past to the present.

Moved me to almost-tears, only almost as I have to keep my composure at work. Beautifully written.

Thanks Insert, I feel a bit rusty and am not sure what my style is anymore, there are such huge gaps between my poems these days (my comp entry was written in Feb) and it feels like starting again every time. Hope you're well and great to hear from you. ATB fatboy. :-)

Thank you Maisie that's very kind and pretty inciteful feedback. Much appreciated.:-)

I'm sorry about that Ladylazarus :-) - more than thank you for the kind feedback. ATB fatboy

This stunning poem is our Facebook and Twitter pick of the day.

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Get a great reading recommendation most days.

That's brilliant, many thanks Tony. :-)

Wow, wonderful fatboy- really wonderful. x

So very moving, fb. Good writing is good writing...whichever way the wind blows;-)

Tina

"If only we'd had that chance to drift apart -
to not give a second thought, to stare blankly at a name
on some social network - and then move on."

Brilliant. This is a wonderful piece. Very well done.

Sometimes that feeling of 'starting all over again' or being out of a style or comfort zone can result in some breakthroughs.

Sundays it means a lot you think so - cheers. :-)

Thanks Pia that's a lovely thing to say - I've kind of fallen out of love with poetry (my own) so it's nice to get such lovely comments. :-)

I'm really pleased you liked this Tina thanks so much - I'm going to read your latest so i'll see you in a minute. :-)

Hi kirincnj - thanks for reading and your really kind comments, you're probably right but it feels harder with big gaps putting pen to paper coz I know it will be a struggle. I haven't read your work yet but i'll make sure I do something about that. ATB fatboy. :-)

new fatboy74
Hello! Great see your poem,
chosen Twitter and poem of the day.
And the cherries!
However you write, I always enjoy
poems, and stories. But how you have explained
all in this poem,very good I feel sadness in it to.
I know what you mean, I had problems,took a break!
Re-think or just answer comments for a while.
We are off to one night show, to-morrow.
Mine actually said in 'Worthing' had a bite to eat!
Getting tickets, come to so glad. Should be good.
Get back to you on your lovely comment to me.
Hope all is going well for you.
Good here from you.
Keep writing.
julie xx

Thanks Julie you are very kind - have a lovely time tomorrow at the show. :-)

Poem of the week is always really special - thanks a lot tony. :-) :-)

A real poetic tour de force, fatboy. The imagery here is just so, so powerful. I especially like the musings in the final stanza. Just haunting. Very well done! Would you mind if I tweeted a link to this on Twitter?

Magic xxx

Cheers magic i'm really pleased you liked it that means a lot - i'd consider it an honour to be tweeted (have to admit i'm not sure what that means but it sounds like good fun - a friend of mine tried to explain it once but I was drinking Guiness at the time and not really listening) Looking forward to reading some new stuff of yours and hope Durham is treating you well. ATB fatboy :-)

the grainy swarm of history' gets my vote! Wonderful.

Hello again, fatboy - you have been tweeted! Hopefully you should be able to see it here: http://twitter.com/#!/Mistaken_Magic I'm currently cooking up a new Durham-inspired piece. Should be posted on here next week! :) Despite the essay deadlines looming I'm having a wonderful time here ;-)

Magic xxx

I liked it too Fatboy74.

Scratch.

It's very good indeed - one of your best. Heartfelt without drifting into sentiment. I liked the last verse about wishing these people (there are a couple in my past) had the chance to be normal and forgotten. Seems to say all sorts of things at once about how we are.

Rob

It was really evocative, the idea that we can enjoy the luxury of forgetfulness and the development of indifference to our loved ones and that this carelessness would be for many a real privilege.

Bravo.

Kind regards,

Scratch.

Genius

new fatboy
Hi! Many congrats;
on Poem of the day.
And what a night,we went to-gether.
Smoke screens,lazer coloured lights,
photos all and us took. Terry Winstanley
one arranged, good singing voice,8 from x factor
hadn't got further through, from boot camp, should
have. Mine and me took photos, and met and had with
the star amateurs,lights balloons. Clapping,swaying
arms. Songs new sing along with,some went front stage at last song, by Terry Winstanley's good voice. We met all after, let us have photos with them, young,children and old, a bit like me.
Jade Richards from Scotland, one from Ireland. So on
one with Luke Lucas.Very young,16 up.
Only had to ask if Terry Winstanley coming out,for
signing autographs they go and ask, one wearing Wow! factor t shirt and appear! All great so natural meet, even at tea break signing. Things to buy for
Help Heroes raising money evening.
Brought back many memories! when I stayed over there,and 19 used go dancing there.And bands. Assembly Hall Worthing. Stop at aunt's and a cousin take me.
Didn't recognise it, so pleased mine came in the end to the amazing show. Got back late by train.
Those days, lights go out, one by one, get from seafront to top road,used take shoes off and run, only 19.
And when met, told them of AbcTales etc; loved to here! To join up etc;
and in the comp:
all the best
julie x

I entered the tweet world magic - your page looks good - nice to have my poem on there with those other poetic behemoths ;-) look forward to reading yours and glad all is going well.

C-man you're a legend - cheers. :-)

Cheers Rob, yes, it's a strange one, 99% sure I would not be in contact anymore but it would have been nice for him to get that chance, that was what I was trying to say. Well done on a great start to your next story. :-)

Thanks scratch - you've hit the nail on the head. Cheers for reading. :-)

The best one word comment I have ever had seashore - if only it were true. Great to see you writing again and hope all's well. :-)

Sounds like a fabulous night Julie - I also thought Terry should have got through to the live finals, I like a nice crooner and he gave it some. Thanks for reading I really appreciate it. :-)

This is brilliant. You are such a good writer you could make a goverment annuncement beautiful. Don't fret about style. This is great. Fall in love with your writing gain. We all have.

Thanks ott I'm really pleased you liked it and for your lovely comment - i'll try. :-)

Blow-your-socks-off poetry - I'm speechless fatboy, from the lumps that every stanza's left stuck in my throat. Can't pick out a favourite line but celtic's was one of many. Only you could word such a fragile memory into such a delicate and tender poem FB - no need to worry about style my friend, you've got bloody plenty ;)

Congrats on POW, deserving and then and then and THEN some :)

Rachel xx

Sorry Rach I missed your comment - thank you it means a lot to get such praise and your comments are always wonderful. You knock em dead next week. :-)

new fatboy74
Hi! Terrific. Story,
Read into,a lot of emotions and sad.
Yes,Great wow! show 'Help The Heroes'
Raised £6,000. What marvellous singer and family man.
Hope he get's obver 50's group I would join, if could
get there! regularly few towns away any practice future! Ours all closed finance.
Terry Winstanley Tarring Worthing Sussex. put on,met all and got all photos, with him, and all,
contestant stars x factor all could got through!
They all had arms round each other in our photos.
Seems not in our local paper,only Worthing
Herald, so have to order, or go W.H.Smiths
put in order regularly. Go down by bus?
Told all about AbcTales and to join AbcTales etc;
All so nice and natural,mine
Ray took all of us to-gether.
But now got full address,send on copies
to Terry Winstanley Worthing. Only one of
him in paper,and few little ones,of contestant
8 stars. But we have,and many audience taking too.
Keep writing. All the best
Just received emails. Oldpesky, and 'Bill of the beach' From some AbcTaler's new one's
or some older,thanking me comments or maybe on mine.
How lovely. My heart goes blop! when see one.
So unusual, and I gabble! on now.
Will reply,best as I can. In past got some,computer
goes wrong, can't get through! cuts off
all the best.
Cavalcaderl Julie x

All the best Julie -thanks for coming back and letting me know. :-)

Good evening fatboy, I'm always amazed every time I jump into your garden and find something new. I should do it more often. After Tom Leonard...and Tina...and Rachel...and maggy...and Biggus...you're probably my favourite poet, but, as you know, I don't know much about poetry so I'm not really qualified to comment. Hope you're having a good night.

It's a great comfort for me to know that I might be your sixth favourite poet OP :-) I know you think us poets are a strange breed because we don't write to the end of the line, but unlike clivethenewbiepearson I don't require you to understand the complicated laws of our world; but merely appreciate you dipping in to say nice things. Cheers :-)

This piece is beyond words really. It should come with a warning sign: do not read in public. It's intensely moving. So many lines that cut right through, straight to the heart. It's a masterpiece really.

From a poet who I admire as much as you Maggy that means a lot. :-)

I remember reading this and thought I'd left a comment. It gets you to the core - that which one tries to shield.

Hi Mazrilyn, I do it all the time with comments, thanks for your more than kind words. :-)

Many congrats on POTY, fatboy! Well deserved :-) This is one hell of a piece!

Magic xxx

Congratulations on this. Nice way to end the year.

Rich

Thanks Magic and you tweeted it too so you must have known! Hope you're having a great hols. :-)

Pia you are a star thanks so much, hope to see more of yours as well! Have a great one and all the best for the new year. :-)

Thanks Rich, I really appreciate it, not sure where you our over the pond, but have a great new years eve. :-)

Well done fatboy. A big BIG smile. Have a good one tonight. Oh, and about the poem,

freaking good.

I'm in Cold Spring, NY. A little village off the Hudson River. Have a great New Year's.

Scratch it has been a pleasure reading your stuff and seeing you give so much encouraging feedback to so many these last few months - a very happy new year and thanks for your support. :-)

Sounds like a great place Rich, wish you every success with your writing for the year ahead. :-)

Well done. I kinda remembered it and the poem is kinda like remembering. You can be fat-headed about your triumph.

Cheers c-man and a happy new year - luckily for me I find it pretty easy being fat-headed but at least now I have good reason - the other half wants me to spend this year it seems getting less fat bellied, but I can't see it somehow. ATB :-)

Very poignant, and extremely good. Congratulations on poem of the year! Richard LP

Thanks muchly Richard, glad you enjoyed. :-)

Wow - lumps in my throat...
Congratulations, you deserve it all :o))

Check out my website: http://www.francesmacaulayforde.com

Hello again - and thank you and I definitely will. :-)

Congratulations on the cherries and Poem of the Year - both very well deserved!
I enjoy your style of writing, you have a very 'Irish' voice and I mean that in the nicest possible way! I lived in the Cradle of Storytelling for 14 months and soaked up all the inspiration I could and you remind me of the many Irish writers I met and admired.

...in fact, your name wouldn't be Gerry, by any chance would it?

What a wonderful experiance Frances that must have been - no Irish in me though - plenty of Romany and plenty of Salford (the original dirty old town). Visited your website which which is really well done, it looks great and really ejoyed exploring, your projects are very exciting - i've bookmarked it anyway.

Apologies for not responding sooner, I'm in self-imposed exile until I can write again which sounds very grand but is actually pretty pathetic. ATB fatboy. :-)

C'mon fatmeister, I'm there at the moment. It's shit but

Thanks for taking the time to look at my website -it's very much a work in progress, although I am tryin hard not to put too much on it (which is what happened with the last one).
I look forward to reading more of your stuff...

This is a very good poem. It's like picking up a saxophone and finding that the reed is missing. Sorry if that is non-sensical.

Hey scratch - It's funny you know, I kind of steer away from writing in this way, I try to be a bit more economical with words now, almost like writing like this reveals a bit too much of the self - and yet whenever I write in this way, people like it, but it's not 'publishable' poetry if you know what I mean - not that that should be a goal either or for that matter trying to please people anymore - I'm just waffling now.

I don't have a clue what your comment means but I really appreciate you coming back to tell me you have had a read and enjoyed it.

All the best mate. :-)

Oh and sorry Frances, I missed your comment, I really appreciate that.

FB - many many congrats on getting POY - I have been absent from Abc for so long (bad time, moved again - 26th move now, 2 in one year & long story so no can write at the mo) that I missed this wonderful poem. What else can I say? Very moving,totally brilliant and was it as easy to write as it is to read? Only found it via Newsletter but so glad I did.

ATB as ever.

Sorry to not see you on here at the mo seashore, hope things settle quickly for you and life gets a bit easier. I think a link to my poem may have been tagged on to the winner of 2012 in the newsletter which was a poem by AKT Extremely Abridged History of Paul Askew. Mine was the winner the year before, but thank you for your kind words and appreciation. ATB and happy new year.

Just logged on, having realised even before I saw your reply that I was a year out of date!! No doubt I read and commented in 2011 also. No wonder it seemed familiar.....

Having drawn a line under the last nine months, I'm now living in a totally different environment and typing this whilst looking out at a picture-postcard view of a snowy garden. Hopefully the next step will be the breaking down of the dreaded writer's block. I've just sorted through my box of art materials so maybe the creative juices will begin to flow again before too long.

Hope you are okay and ATB from me too.

May I say that it's so nice to see you around seashore.

I hope you don't mind Fatboy, I linked this page on my professional Facebook page (11 Jan 2013). You are one of my favorite writers on ABC Tales, with Seashore and Scratch and a few others...

Not at all Frances - thank you for your kind words. :-)

I really hope so seashore, it would be great to see you back and writing.

One love Fatboy. This moved me - how could I fail to be moved. Majestic

We don't need another love.

Cheers Mr L thanks for appreciating.

This broke me. Utter stunning. Emotional distance enough to bend hearts and smash up brains. Jolly good stuff Mr.

I didn't think that it would be too long until Vera's ability to sniff out talent brought her to your stuff FB.

Vera, FB was very naughty a few months ago and cleared a lot of utterly brilliant poetry out of his cellar. I bought a lot of it on a car boot sale. I made him sit on the naughty step for ages but whether he learned his lesson only time will tell.

Anyway. What a tremendous thing it is to read this masterpiece once again after so long. The thing is I remember it as being much longer than it actualy is. It seems impossible to me that it stretches to just five stanzas. I suppose that that is because this is one of those poems that grows in the night without you realising, causing itself to become massive in the psyche.

Fabulous FB, simple as that.

Absolutely. fb get your other stuff back on here. Please.I need a fix.

scratch - saw you reading a piece the other day on utube, quite by accident and was hugely moved.

Ha ha, yes my cheeks are now numb from that unforgivingly cold naughty step - the last time I heard from one of my poems was a tattered postcard of Caesar's Palace a few weeks ago - he'd been hitting the slots and the hard liquor was taking its toll. He'd gotten into a brawl and someone had stolen all his punctuation - even the random hyphens. Anyway, he asked after you Scratch and I told him you were still a top gent. :) thanks as always for your kind words mate.

Vera I'm made up you liked this so much, thanks for finding it, you're too kind. Atb

Please don't be frightened that I have read most of your other work. I am not a stalker.

some are lost forever, but as you've just read lots of my stuff which is so kind I'll dig one out and give it an outing for a few days and then put it back to sleep. I'd like to see scratch on YouTube - whereabouts?

:) you reading my stuff is a massive compliment and reminds me people used to like what I write, which I always forget in the doldrums of lethargy and lack of inspiration.

Bollocks FB here is a link to me reading "The Attic" (I think) and the others are the ones that I read at the York event:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjHbx9YR_Rtfvr06v3q5s1A?feature=guide#/wa...

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjHbx9YR_Rtfvr06v3q5s1A?feature=guide#/wa...

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjHbx9YR_Rtfvr06v3q5s1A?feature=guide#/wa...

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjHbx9YR_Rtfvr06v3q5s1A?feature=guide#/wa...

scratch I just watched the attic and it blew me away! Beautifully read too, and nice to put a face to a name

Thanks insert, that means a lot.

What an absolute treat to hear you reading your own stuff scratch. I've always loved Anglezarke Quarry, but your reading of it made it mesmerising in the same way I'm sometimes lost in Armitage's . The attic was also fantastic- I don't remember it from before I don't think I've commented either. Brilliant thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing the links but because I wasn't on a mobile device, I couldn't see the videos. I had to google YouTube and search for Peter Hitchen, "The Attic" to watch his stuff in 'standard' mode.
Great to see and hear the writer, it certainly adds to the appreciation of any piece. Well done, Peter.

Good morning. I'm delighted to have discovered this gem all over again. I remember the first poem I read of yours. I think it was called Inside The Belly of A Whale. First time I'd read anything like it. Just noticed it's not on here anymore. Any chance of it making an appearance, or is it hitting the liquor down Caesar's Palace way?

Great to see and hear you reading your work, scratch.

You poets sure are a talented bunch of chaps...and chapettes.

This must be a new record, a four-day-late reply OP.Apologies. I'll try to fish it out and he can come out all guns blazing like Manilow. Great to see you around again.