2 pieces by Neil the Auditor

London Girls:

London Girls - the first stanza was competent, but not dazzling; but I thought the poem was saved by the second - the idea of a love poem to the reader was a neat one, and prevented the poem as a whole coming across as too bleak and mysogynistic. It looked like it might go that way and then steered into quite an uplifting little piece. I liked the seared scar line as well. It felt like the writer had written the first part while still frustrated at being in bored meetings and then the second half was the writer feeling cheered up by the actual act of writing and feeling generally happier about the world.

Gosh thanks Rachel and Andrew; they're part of a trilogy of poems written on the train on the way back from London to Manchester last Friday - the third one's stuck on the spike due my using a rather obvious rhyme for the word "banker" ...

Tanker? Should be OK.

Just to help you get it off the spike: Canker - handy for those death references Tanker - Ocean-going and Road-going flavours available Spanker - Sail on the back end of a ship or specialist lady of the night Flanker - Military pincer movement or NATO codename for Sukhoi Jet fighter Anka - overrated singer Danke - for a polite German ending to your poem Fanker - what someone does to demostrate gratitude to a lady 'darn sarf' Hanker - naff Americanism Nanker - Codename for Jagger and Richards when combined with Phelge Rancour - a bit forced but useful Sanker - What a submarine did to the General Belgrano

When I refer to the "spike" I mean the dreaded "pending review" which happens when you use certain words; the powers-that-be released it next day and they've never actually banned anything of mine. Yet.