Voting Rights Anthem & does Twitter really need all those words?

We can't wait
in every district, every state
paper, pen get it done
voting rights for everyone
#democracy

Okay, twitter decided to increase the limit on the number of characters, but just in case they go back to the old standard, this little ditty - at only 101 character including spaces and hastag - this would still work.

Proving 1: increasing the number of words was silly, as longer ideas could be linked to anyway.
2: important ideas can be expressed in very little words. Hell, you could cut the first two lines and be down to 58 characters.

And of course there's the idea that started this poem: the idea that voting rights should be universal, and beyond reproach. Just like having more women in politics, it appears we also need more people supporting voting rights in key locations. So remember, democracy is not a spectator sport, so we should all do what we can, so we can all have a voice. :)

Have a great week
A.J. Ponder

The Power of Poetry - At The Edge

I cannot tell you about the way
words writhe,
only let you feel
their power

to deceive
to comfort
to take the path

Buy At the Edge RonaGallery or Amazon

you shouldn't want
to take

I cannot tell you about the way
words fall,
only let you see
the ground
far below

and still
you jump,
we all do -
or we cower at the edge
and fall
anyway


I cannot tell you what to do,
but the only way
to stop falling
is to fight -

until you hit the ground


A.J. Ponder

okay, this poem was begun quite some time ago, but like many poems lacked the middle and the end, which came to me at last, and so I've finally managed to finish a poem I began over a month ago now.

It possibly helps that At the Edge, the collection I'm in, has just been released.  And the title just fit perfectly into the poem.  At the Edge is edited by Lee Murray and Dan Rabarts and contains my short story BlindSight, which I believe is well worth a read and was described as eloquent (or near enough) in this review www.mariannedepierres.com/review-at-the-edge-by-dan-rabarts-and-lee-murray-eds

So why not pick up a copy at Rona Gallery?  All things going well, I'll release an extract next week, so watch out for it! :)

Have fun,
A.J.

Pants on Fire

So
You think you know
the toothiness,
the truthiness of that
fact.

Chew it over
spit it out

Just watch
those words

Some are more fiery
than others


Watching political debates in my house often involves much eye-rolling at the shocking mis-statements of the candidates. So it's nice to know that there's a website dedicated to sifting fact from fiction, truths from untruths. There's no more need for "truthiness" (thanks Stephen Colbert) if you visit http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

Of course if you want some fun you can go straight to the "pants on fire" page, or check out your least liked American politicians ;)

I'm not so sure why we're so fascinated by the American election, we're on the other side of the world, but then I don't know why we all like hot sauce...  ;)

Have a great week,

A.J. Ponder

Surf Security

Surf Security doesn't like my words

Red circled exclamation marks

Proclaim to all

The unsafe nature of this text

Seeing fit to warn you

Of its revealing nature

After all

Poetry is for the mad,

The troubled,

The ghosts who lock themselves within galleons adrift

Never straying into in sight of

The breathy sea of swimming beaches

Choosing instead to listen to the

echo

Of reality booming

And the shrill cry of seagulls

So now you must choose

To fly far to distant lands

Far, far away from this uncertain brig

Where I lie

My breath thrown

higgledy-piggledy around me

In uncertain 

indecency

or turn your wings to the distant lands

to whence lies the unknown

the unknowable

the distant shore-

Or return to your cell.

 Alicia Ponder

An exciting weekend because I was lucky enough to have my poem, "The Trouble with Time Machines" published in "Eye to the Telescope," .  Check out in particular "Rapunzel," by Mary Victoria but there are also some great poems by people like Helen Rickerby (first up), Janis Freeguard, Peter Friend my oft partner in crime, and the surprising Joe Dolce, (better known for songs such as "Shaddup you Face" than his poetry).  Edited by the redoubtable Tim Jones its well worth a look - because as Tim says, 'Whether you love poetry, you love SF, fantasy, and horror, or you just want to find out what on earth speculative poetry is, there is something for you in "Eye To The Telescope 2".'

Also received my contributors copy of Challenge magazine, with "Survival" co written with Peter Friend.  Of course it's not Frankie, as my kids are quick to point out.  Thanks guys - but the magazine is absolutely awesome and I'm so proud to have been a part of it.  :)   I even bought some extra copies from Australia because I knew it would be popular and I'm already running out!  They're mine.  All mine.  

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Arty Bees, The Children's Bookshop and good New Zealand bookstores

A Sonnet to the Muse

Shall I compare thee, or shall I just write

Oh my demon, summer died as you drove

A plague of words

As black and dark as night

Through my heart and through my head.  Words you wove -

Yes you did - with a tongue so slick and sweet

My world held neither shadows nor delight

Nought but bloody threads

Spilling your own neat

Hell upon darkened pages of my life

But my torment is not your tapestry of text

Nor ink-smudged tears dried long upon my face

Tis but the fear that

You will set me free -

So let dead summers sink without a trace

Let words plague every corner, every part

My demon stitch the small world of my heart.



Much as I adore simplicity, there is no way I could compete with Helen's poem, Truths, so I thought why not go to the other extreme!  Everyone should have a go at writing a sonnet, with the reversal et al. at some stage of their life. One could say this sonnet is a little more textured than a traditional sonnet, but only a little, and it was great fun to write. 

A..J. Ponder 

Also, if you love sonnets and want to read some more "This Year of Fire"  and "Running Away with a Christmas Sonnet" are fun, and if you want to learn how to write a sonnet The The Poetically Incorrect English Sonnet is there to help (watch out for the bad language though!