Variation 4

I’d given her three backstreet cat turds to trash this

she snatched one from the carrier bag
with blank stares at the freedom movement
and the theft of fresh dandelions

(ignore this bit) sludges, blow offs, ribena, wives tales
and blue WKD are forgotten about halfway
through, with disregard

Rursus-via cattus sordes might
confound city centres to vinegar
and a crumpled dunce cap

Be trixy and let it dry up a little.
No hard pummels. Watch it desiccate
in three big ones

The stink is me, the turds are
me. Wherever the dandelions sprout up,
that is me too

Abi

Minutes etc

Our brief meeting in Luton . . .

Planning for the Blue Bus reading on the 23rd July.

We have an hour and a half to play with. We talked about the possibility of starting with some collaborative material (about 15 minutes worth) and then having the first reader followed by an interval. After the interval perhaps having the next two readers and finishing with a bit of collaborative work.

We decided to try and meet on the second Thursday in June, in London in the afternoon.

Before the meeting we agreed to email round some work, even incomplete drafts so that we can keep going with the variations and posting these onto the blog.

We also agreed to bring postcard designs to the meeting in London and to each chip in a fiver to cover the ink and paper costs. The postcards should not be in grey scale but rather, black and white or another colour on a white background. For instance, an area of green text and a separate area of red text both on white rather than a design which uses multiple colours on one area. Have I got this right Jamie?

We also discussed the possibility of using the 'name games' idea somehow on the postcards.

Anything I missed out guys?



I've had an idea for our next gig, see below . . .

Variation 3 (strawberries)

It took him 3 alpine strawberries
to write this

he selected varieties from a catalogue
with opinions on a boundary dispute
and the replacement of old cultivars

N.B. jams, sauces, liqueurs, cosmetics
and herbal teas are referenced halfway
through, with nostalgia

Fragaria vesca semperflorens can’t
translate woodland edges to sweetness
and multiple crowns in a cluster

Simply water down generously
with a fine spray and leave to soak
for thirty minutes

The leaves aren’t me, the fruit isn’t
me. Wherever the seedlings appear,
that isn’t me either

(JW)

intro variations 2

it took me 3 wax crayons
to write this
I wore them to melted stubs

after I read an article on the rise
of the far right that implicated
my name. There are several words

in the final lines
that might resonate if you were born
after 1976, and speak a language

The title needs a little help – only
not from me, not from you.
Let it suffice to say that

Articulation
swings both ways and
rarely how you want it.

When I say “James Wilkes” later
on I open up a carpet bag and
stare in it, put myself in it.

(JW)

something like an inventory and Routes Through

points of interest

II

Moments requiring explanation

III

successes and failures

I

turning point 

I

(a) refrain

XII

photo opportunity

I

accidently confessional or self-let-slip

II

Apologies - Corrections - Words/of/Thanks

M

alternative version

it took her three weeks to write this

after an incident that changed

her view on past-participles and 

a local mayoral election

Please note that the French phrase 

in the final verse

refers to a festival of meat 

attended as a child

The title needs little explanation - only

that it has no literal 

translation.

Let it suffice to say that

The dryer you are when you hear 

it, the wetter you'll be 

later on.

Teh voice of the piece is not me.

I am in it but only partially

as a guest appearance, later on,

whenever it stutters, is where I am.