Even in death you look pretty

this is wonderful maggy - well done!

Yes a very powerful poem Maggy- you are very capable of these poignant pieces. ;)Pia

You do have some words at your disposal Maggy - love in particular 'but I have to look the other way and pretend to be staring at the sky' which is wonderful. Really well done. :-)

An intriguing and powerful poem, maggy, written with your usual flair. Many good lines such as the following: "but you ran out of secrets and mine weren’t good enough." Well done. Luigi x

Fantastic piece. Loved 'snowy dreamfields with drips of dog piss and footprints and old leaves' so much in this!

This sent shivers down my spine - in a very good way. I love `If I do what I'm told I could be normal but when I'm asleep my wounds sing...'.

wounds sing' Yeh, that caught me, made me stop and think. As always, a pleasure to read, even if its about death.

The last stanza and last two lines are very powerful, though I don't fully understand them I think I get the general idea, humming the rhythm of stolen time being the time you had with that person?! I don't know, I don't always understand the poems in here, I just write simple stuff.

I echo Luigi's comment.......intriguing. Your standard never drops - no idea how you do it but it makes me wonder just how mch work goes into these gems of yours. I read it twice and the second time it `clicked'. All of it. I particularly love the stark beginning and the last two lines. A poem to remember.

Sorry I got here late, maggy...and now it's all been said, except to offer my congratulations on the well deserved cherry. Another stunning piece;-) Tina

new maggyvaneijk Hello! Maggy,definitley well deserved cherry. Clever young person I am reading. An another astounding piece, I did get feeling of sadness, and pain in the poem and sadness. But yes, I am one of those, who don't always can do that, see it in a different light.Like some I feel they are true stories, ends are as they are so well done, comment and they are not true!Keeps the reader guessing? So then I don't comment incase wrong. Like the photo, strange you mention flickr at the People's day, B/ton I met photographer re-cardboard cut outs,and head goes through of Prince Regent and another face. holes in, stand behind and photo 2 did. Then did one with me as I questioned do you have to have two people, as two young chineses girl's had done. Then get a slip of paper, to look up Flickr but one has join site! Which I am not on. 2 girl's took photo as asked. Reminded of The Pier where big cut out cardboards are.They were laughing,as I hadn't put my head right through, incase got stuck.Bu don't think can see photos, unless on site flickr of all.PS. just found all your photo sight,really interesting,so many have to keep looking. But through you an Flickr he has found what looking for, all there Royal Pavilion people in carboard cu outs, to see. Thanks a million. Had such a laugh over them all. cavalcaderl julie x

I like the visceral rawness and the proselike imagery. This poem works at a dozen different levels, and I agree that it's not necessary (possibly even counter-productive) that the reader understand everything. That's part of your artistry and allure.

maggy... it's all been said above. really enjoyed reading this, well done. :)

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Agreed, agreed, agreed. Very late to the party, but this is really powerful so I had to comment. Great.

Packed, as always, with gems, but my favourite was - 'Remember when we were equally messed up? but you ran out of secrets and mine weren’t good enough. ' Struck a chord or two. Wonderful read.

I found this very moving, maggy, and you write with great emotion. I particularly liked this: I wish I never saw you dead helpless wrists outstretched damson blood trickled down like spilled ink over ancient paper Wonderful imagery Fab! Sorry this is a bit belated, I don't always catch them first time. Best wishes. sue

"You slept over on the Friday night before…afraid of being alone you asked me to stay whilst you showered tears from your face. I promised not too look but in silence I stood closer than you thought – breathing in plastic – your body a sheet away." - this stanza is absolutely brilliant. Love the one that follows it too. This is so intriguing and wonderfully drawn. Very well done on the cherry! Magic xxx

Intense and rewarding to read, I loved it. Well done; the cherry was a given. Chris ;)

A wonderful poem that connects emotionally, and that really is the essence of poetry, superb writing.

Many things I liked in this poem. The first line suggests to me EE Cummings 'Buffalo Bills/Defunct': how do you like your blueeyed boy Mister Death I really liked: an image occurs about giving birth to a telephone A handshake MARK http://iamamanandmynameismark.blogspot.com/ markanthonypearce@googlemail.com