I’m pleased to announce my poem Rainbow appears on the back cover of The Society of Civil and Public Service Writers Author Magazine. The photos show the front and back cover of the magazine.
I am now on Threads, which is an alternative to Twitter. To follow me on Threads, please go to https://www.threads.net/@kevinmorrispoet
In order to follow me on Threads, you will need to download the Threads app, as Threads appears to be purely app based.
I am still on Twitter, and will continue to post there for the time being at least, but I will also be posting on Threads.
Please note, my Instagram has also changed from @kmorrispoet to @kevinmorrispoet
If you are not already following me on Instagram and you would like to do so, please go to the foregoing address.
As some of you may know, I have recorded a number of my poems on TikTok. You don’t have to have an account to watch my videos, however, you will need an account if you wish to like, comment or follow me on the platform.
My experience of TikTok has, on the whole, been a positive one, and I would encourage my fellow writers and poets to consider the platform. In my experience, my videos on TikTok reach people who do not follow me on my blog, although I am, of course, grateful to those few WordPress followers who also follow me on TikTok.
I am pleased to announce that my June Author Newsletter is available and can be found here. It is over a year since my last newsletter, and I promise to be much better in the future.
i am pleased to announce my late January newsletter can be found here
When a young lady whose name is Lou
Said, “I shall write a poem about you!”,
It was really rude
And so extremely lude,
That I hear you are going to sue!
Me reading a couple of my humorous poems:
I have just uploaded four posts to Instagram of my book ‘Light and Shade; serious (and not so serious) poems’. The photographs show me holding the print and Braille editions of my book, whilst others show me stroking my dog, Trigger.
Book Description:
Life is full of light and shade. For to be human is to experience joy, beauty, love, pain and laughter. This collection reflects all facets of human experience. hence the title ‘Light and Shade; serious (and not so serious poems)’.
You can purchase ‘Light and Shade; serious (and not so serious) poems’ here for the UK or here for the US.
“And the poem, I think, is only your voice speaking.”
― Virginia Woolf, “The Waves”
I was delighted when Veronica did me the honour of accepting my invitation to appear on my website, as I am a huge fan of Veronica’s writing.
—
Veronica Sizova
It is a pleasure to meet you, lovely readers of K. Morris! I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Kevin. It is a great honour to be featured on the blog of such an excellent poet! His creative writing is an infinite source of inspiration and a beam of positivity in these uncertain times.
My name is Veronica Sizova, and today I am going to tell you how an eighteen-year-old girl has found her destiny in literature.
As soon as I’ve learned to read, the dream of becoming a writer encompassed my naive imagination. When I’ve opened a book of poetry for the first time, I was utterly spellbound by the power of words – the freedom of poetic expression, its infinite possibilities and irresistible charms have conquered my heart once and forever. My gloomy hometown, Yekaterinburg, an industrial city in the middle of Russia, is far from lyrical. Nevertheless, I have tried to find beauty even in its stern, wintry spirit.
The call for liberation from the confinement of an authoritarian Motherland has ignited my desire to study abroad. Two years ago, I got an incredibly lucky opportunity to attend a Canadian high school. This extraordinary experience not only enriched my cultural awareness but also inspired me to start writing in English. As unbelievable as it may sound, I have finally found my own voice – in an unfamiliar country, among people from different backgrounds.
The first poem I wrote in English was inspired by Bob Dylan’s timeless song, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Its lyrics capture the essence of tragedy with brilliant simplicity, and I was aiming to achieve a similar effect. Hopefully, this ode to the loss of a loved one will resonate with your soul.
I’m knocking on your Heaven’s Door
As restlessly, as reckless waves –
Remember – when they reached the shore –
You have succumbed to Death’s embrace.
The sun reflected in your eyes:
Its blinding, fatal afterglow –
A witness to the heart’s demise –
Took your ethereal, light soul…
This tiny door contains the world,
Replacing millions of words;
Shakespeare is writing there in gold –
The clouds are parchment, stars – the chords.
Please, let me in – the flames will rush,
Spilling themselves – my tears of love –
But there’s no lustre left so lush –
The earthly beacons aren’t enough!
I keep on calling through the mist;
Wings rustle softly with the tide,
As if an angel holds my wrist
And whispers: “Let me be your guide!”
I will stay by this Heavenly Door,
As the billions of centuries pass –
“Dearest, give me the keys,” I implore,
Still lamenting your final caress…
As the feeble thread sets us apart,
The Creator is honing his knife –
“Live or not to?” He asks every heart
While exclaiming – “How precious is life!”
I’m knocking on your Heaven’s door
For the myriads of desolate days:
No one answers me anymore,
Since you saw the oncoming waves…
Thank you for taking the time to appreciate my work – every new reader is a balm to the writer’s soul!
You can find more creative writing on my website: https://thewavesofpoetry.wordpress.com/
If you share my passion for capturing the fleeting moments, feel free to explore the Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/veronica_bloomsbury/
I hope to get in touch with you soon!
A couple of days back, I fell into conversation with a jazz musician. We talked about jazz, his teaching of music and the jazz performance I had recently attended at my local pub. On me mentioning that I am a poet, my companion said that he had recently been given a copy of Stephen Fry’s “The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003V4AT1C/, and that he had just started to compose poetry.
I have not read Fry’s “The Ode Less Travelled”, consequently I’m unable to comment on the book. I did, however say to my companion that whilst books on poetic craft may, in some instances, be helpful, its crucial to read as much poetry (of all kinds) as possible to enable the development of one’s own unique style. Such reading will bring one into contact with poetry which is not to your taste, however this is, nonetheless useful in honing the poets ability to compose verse.
I am not dismissing works on poetic craft. Indeed I have on my shelves “The Poet’s Voice and Craft”, which consists of a series of lectures by famous poets explaining how they go about writing poetry, and other aspects of poetic craft, (https://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/indexer?product=9781857540208). Whilst I’d have no hesitation in recommending this book, in my opinion reading Keats, Housman, Blake, Larkin, Auden and a myriad other poets will prove of more benefit than pouring over numerous tomes on poetic craft.
Of course there is a danger that by reading other poets, we come to replicate them. One must always be wary of falling into the trap of (either consciously or unconsciously) trying to outWordsworth Wordsworth, or outBlake Blake, but by reading other poets and absorbing the poetic tradition, one learns, over time to develop one’s own unique voice.
I have been told that a number of my poems remind readers of Emily Dickinson, Larkin and a number of other poets. I have never (consciously) attempted to write in the style of any poet, but take such comments as compliments. We build on the poetic tradition. We can, of course augment it but, ultimately we are all part of the great cultural heritage that has gone before.
As ever, your comments are most welcome.
Kevin
K Morris - Poet 