VeraClark's blog

I’m sad to inform you that Poetry Monthly has come to its natural end. There have been so many talented poets on board since its start in 2015 and we've had such pleasure in reading each other's beautiful outputs each month. I want to thank all of you for contributing ideas for briefs, for your inspirations and for consistently bringing so much to the table with the sort of quality peer feedback that writers would be hard pushed to pay for. ABC...

It was difficult to pin down the picks for this week on ABCTales due to some gorgeous work. However, Story of the Week goes to Noo with ‘Suddenly’ for stunningly crafted characters and an unshakeable sense of isolation. Poem of the Week goes to ephraimcrud in what is a fine and illuminating poem with slant perspectives which resonate long afterwards. https://www.abctales.com/story/noo/suddenly https://www.abctales.com/story/ephraim-crud/where-...

There were some fabulous Romantic efforts this month and I loved reading such diversity: Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Ewan’s poem has the hallmarks of history: https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/sheep-station-perkolilli Linda Wigzell Cress does rhyming with mythology to great effect: https://www.abctales.com/story/linda-wigzell-cress/comrades Cacophony of voices creates a cutting storm of ice: https://www.abctales.com/story/...

Thank you to Catherine Poarch for her brief on Creation last month. Seeing as it's February I feel drawn towards expressing my die-hard romantic nature in lyrical form. Don't assume I'm after Valentine's Day couplets and a table at that rustic Italian on the High Street. There's nothing more cringeworthy than a bloke with a rose threaded between his teeth. I trust there won't be a love heart or a teddy bear or gasp: an unsigned card in sight. (...

Story of the Week goes to ajhoward for his ghostly prose 'curious-one-under' and Poem of the Week to lovewriting for her poem 'auchtertyre.' Big congratulations to both. Breathtaking landscapes and a sift through the soul makes a deeply restorative read: https://www.abctales.com/story/lovewriting/auchtertyre Richly compelling, this first installment of a ghost story switches us confidently between digital and urban setting to distort perceptions...

A big thank you to Accidentallyexisting for her performance based brief last month. Here’s three favourites: Accidentallyexisting gives us lyrical flavours of a most authentic character: https://www.abctales.com/story/accidentallyexisting/tim-timpany-poetry-monthly Londoncalling’s sort-of-nonsense is steeped in a love of Ireland: https://www.abctales.com/story/londoncalling79/belfast-boun-poetry-monthly Elsie’s rhythm has the pound of the...

My apologies for a delay to the Picks of the Week. January’s already launching me curve balls but I’m fairly light on my feet and will continue to dodge them imperviously. Wishing you all a year full of beautiful things: unexpected laughter, notebooks full of first drafts, birds writing liberty across the sky, a rainbow in a teacup. Two sharp, bold pieces for you this week: Poem of the Week goes to Noo. There’s far more to grief than the Kubler-...

You had a go at kennings this month and some of the pieces were deeply imaginative. Here are three crackers: Ed Crane’s beautifully textured leather cloth war: https://www.abctales.com/story/ed-crane/leather-cloth-wars-poetry-monthly Rhiannon’s visual delight: https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/%E2%80%98icecoming%E2%80%99 Catherine Poarch’s words are charmingly inventive: https://www.abctales.com/story/catherine-poarch/ladenbox This month’...

Hi all, some of you have been emailing me with Poetry Monthly ideas and had difficulties with my email address. A big apology. That's because I've given you the wrong one. In fact, I invented another one that was an amalgamate of two others. 'Just keeping you on your toes', says the massive bumbling idiot. Anyway, the correct address is ray@abctales.com and I look forward to receiving all your ideas. Thanks Ray

It's been desolate on the Poetry Monthly front these last two months. I've confidence that creativity will be revived so I'm calling on members to have a crack at this month's brief and encourage writing peers to participate. If any of you have any fresh ideas for creating new poetry, please email me at raysmart@abctales.com well in advance of next month. I'm open to suggestions - a total re-vamp with new wig and heels in fact - but need to hear...