Alice Li

Did she marry David Bowie? I love the chinese; Pork curry, my favourite! Chris ;)

How strange. I had a very similar experience with Janet Mah (not her real name). I tell myself it was a narrow escape.

Hi Ewan I really like this piece. I know I said no more questions but pretty much everything you produce turns to cherry and given our recent Q&A session is there any chance you can please explain why "the long-time couple,we almost were; I smell star anise and think of her." works better than "the long-time couple,we almost were; I smell anise and think of her." and why "Perhaps I wasn't sophisticated, in the two short months that we dated." works better than "Perhaps I wasn't sophisticated, in the two short months we dated." in their respective places? Hoping you can help & thanks in advance. Or if you don't like me asking here I'll happily delete this. Cheers

Jupiter - it's to do with metre - the way the stresses fall on the words - the true master being Shakespeare, of course...words have a rhythm all to themselves, their own music...the way you read something is half of it... all I can suggest is to read your work aloud and consider the way the beats fall in the words... J x p.s. great poem, as ever, Ewan!

Thanks Ewan. I've had a look and a listen. I read the poem out loud before listing to him and there's nowehere that he reads it diferrently to my expectation. So, lovely as it is - and thanks for letting me know about the website - I'm sure if I search I will find an example of what you mean, in this case I can't see anything to inform me. How about uploading a recording of yours? I take your point with the word 'produce' and as for your 'luvverly song', both "I wrote a lovely lover's song the rhyme is alright but the rhythm's wrong" and "I wrote a lovely lover's song the rhyme's alright but the rhythm's all wrong" sound fine to me but I guess choosing one would depend on the rhythm of the rest of the poem? Anyway, Fry's book just arrived and I'm on page xvii. I have to confess that I bought this book against my better judgement and so far I see I was unfortunately right! Fry dribbles such garbage in my opinion that I normally avoid his appearance on tv like the plague and the first 6 pages have got me already wanting to put my hands around his throat and shout "Just f***ing get on with it you twat!!!" so at this rate I may not even make it to chapter 1!! However, having spent the money, and given your strong recommendation that it might help me, I will do my damndest to get through chapters 1 and 2. I'll keep you posted ;)

Hi Ewan. No, A) is obviously wrong. I wrote the two that I thought worked ok. "Are you hearing what you want to hear?" Not sure. What do you mean? As for the book, it is getting better although I don't think I have the love of words required by his Rule One which may be a problem! They are more a delivery tool to me rather than to be savoured for their own sound. I am much more a message delivery man and even though I'm now only on page 2 I am already googling to find what to call myself other than a poet. ;D I can't imagine taking days over a poem, most of them flow through me in minutes, half an hour to an hour at the most with possible little tweaks later. From a metric standpoint you may well say 'ah well that explains it' but I haven't been trying to write metrically until you guys said that my work was hard to read. I consider myself an imaginative thinker with a limited but sufficient vocabulary and with a skill in rhyming and short informative message delivery. I think my story telling ability is reasonable but I have no 'particular genius for metrical composition'. So what am I? It seems that the pieces I would refer to as my poems aren't poems at all because they do not follow the rules set out. So what are they? I have no need or desire to call myself a poet other than it's an easy and existing pigeon hole to hang my work on if called to explain what I do. I do not aspire to be metrically skilled, rather, having spent a little time here I see that it may be beneficial in message delivery. So what am I? A rhymer? A limericker? What? Is there a place on this board for people with my current skillset or is there an unwritten rule that such as I must strive to perfect the pre-defined techniques? Whilst I am starting to understand that my text may be a little jarring to some of you, it occurs to me that metered reading might be a little stifling rather than liberating. But there again, what do I know? On page 3 now! Should be interesting! Shit - no pictures! ;)

Hi Ewan. "The thing about metre is, if you start your poem attempting rhyming and metre you do have to stick at it" I don't normally attempt metre, I just attempt rhyme and syllable balance although once I get through chapters 1 & 2 I will try it on to see if it fits. After all that is why I bought the book. "Anyway, I have enjoyed our interchanges immensely, I hope you have too." Yes very much so and thanks for your help. Shall I take it from your use of the past tense that the lesson has ended? ;D

This is a brilliant piece. I love the rhyme and rhythm of it, works beautifully.