John Hegley is a Poem Man

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Thu, 2004-05-27 12:19

and so is Eggy Buns...

I'm so excited about seeing John Hegley on stage again. Last time I saw him was in The Carlton Club at the Edinburgh festival (1989) where he was doing a set with Al Murray (currently sweating in Hell's Kitchen), Attilla the Stockbroker (whatever happened to him - Ralph?) and strangely, Instant Sunshine, Giles Brandreth's accapella group were supporting.

I think it was very early days for John Hegley, he was still doing the taking the violin for a walk on a piece of string thing and his set was more stand up than poetry. However, he gave me one of his first "collections" - a badly photocopied two fold A4 job, hand stapled with a funny line drawing on the front which I still have. It contains gems like:

"In Amsterdam
I saw a tram"

and

"My mummy gave me an armadillo
I kissed him and put him under my pillow
and cleaned him with a brillo
pad"

Which for someone poetically challenged made me hoot. So I was thinking, for those of us incapable by lack of skill to enter the Bloomsbury comp, how about we put together a Collection for John in this style, and present him with our own anthology? Put them here and I will provide the staples.

Tue, 2004-06-29 10:28

sooz

(quote) "they're not really poets... just pretending to be." This troubles me. What defines a poet?

Tue, 2004-06-29 11:37

fish

yes ... i agree sooz ... it is troubling me too is shackleton saying that heggers and eggers are pretending to be poets rather than actually being poets? i need to check this is what shackleton means before i shoot him

Tue, 2004-06-29 17:09

stormy

shackleton rarely knows what he means let alone having the competence to criticise poets.

Tue, 2004-06-29 19:05

stormy

Thank you.

Tue, 2004-06-29 19:09

Jeffrey Prince

It's horses for courses isn't it? We don't all like the same poetry. I like Pam Ayres. But then I also like J-Lo. So what does that say About Me ?

Thu, 2004-05-27 12:24

andrew pack

I still remember a poem by Enid Blyton illustrating the difference between stoats and weasels. (It was in a book called the Children of Cherry Tree Farm, featuring children who regularly spent time with a hairy man called Tammylan who lived in the woods and communed with nature. It would give parents the raving horrors now) Hang on :- A stoat is easil y confused for a weasel But the stoat is bigger and its tail is thicker Which personally I think has a sort of Ogden Nash quality, like Candy is Dandy, but Liquor is Quicker. How about, by way of abc tribute to our new addition-to-be : When a mouse loves a seagull cigars get smoked by a beagle When a seagull loves a mouse Even Mancs should hug a Scouse. (I have never claimed to be a poet, you know)

Thu, 2004-05-27 12:51

Tony Cook

My Dad used to ask me: What's the shortest poem in the world? To which the reply was: It's called 'Fleas'. It goes: Adam Adam.

Tue, 2004-06-29 19:35

fish

*puts gun back in holster*

Tue, 2004-06-29 19:46

#10

stormy

Actually Shacks me old mucker me laddo my remark isn't as bad as the one you made about me a while ago when I had the audacity to oppose your view on a matter. Me ashamed? No. You?

Tue, 2004-06-29 20:00

#11

stormy

Ha ha... keep up the insults Shacks I'm sure someone will find them amusing. No, I wasn't taking the piss as I recall, I was being serious. Your problem matey me laddo is that you are only here for yourself. Cheerio witmeister.

Thu, 2004-05-27 17:01

#12

dublindian

Sorry Tony, I don't get it.

Thu, 2004-05-27 17:05

#13

Liana

Adam had them. (fleas)

Thu, 2004-05-27 18:43

#14

smillieboy

Rachel, I often see Attilla at the cricket at Hove. He's still about doing bits and pieces. Last time I came across him, he was organising a beer festival.

Thu, 2004-05-27 18:44

#15

Emma

oh dear.

Thu, 2004-05-27 19:35

#16

stormy

nothing rhymes with hegley

Thu, 2004-05-27 22:25

#17

shackleton

I said I was a poet; she said, 'bloody hell!' I said I'd got the rhythm and rhyme; she said, 'come ring my bell.' [%sig%]

Thu, 2004-05-27 23:20

#18

hitch

Liana- Fleas. Adam had 'em. Storms- nothing rhymes with coughing

Fri, 2004-05-28 00:11

#19

mississippi

Try 'quaffing', Eddie.

Fri, 2004-05-28 00:23

#20

Rachel

Hrm.... I'll buy a packet of post-its then shall I?

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