There once was a very precocious housefly
Who said, “all men must surely die”.
A man named Ray
Aimed the fly spray,
And wept as he sprayed that housefly!
There Once Was a Very Precocious Housefly
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Cook’s Book
When a young man whose name is Cook
Said, “please will you look at my book?”,
An old lady called Yvette
Said, “its not written yet!”.
So I haven’t yet looked at Cook’s book!
When My Beautiful Young Mistress Miss White
When my beautiful young mistress Miss White
Said, “if I should die this night …”.
I said, “you want me to know
That you have always loved me so!”.
She said, “no, its not quite that
Please, take care of my old cat”.
I said, “oh! but he scratches so!”
As the Light Slowly Dimmed
As the light
Slowly dimmed
I took delight
In birds.
“Oh my god!”.
But words
Are not birds.
The Squire and His Young Wife Moriah
Whilst visiting my dear old friend the squire
I was entertained by his young wife Moriah.
A housemaid named Spink
Gave us a wink.
I think that she’s close to the squire …!
Midnight Walk
Whilst walking home at just after midnight
I met a young lady in white
Who said, with a big smile,
“Do you think I have style!”,
And the graveyard was freezing at midnight …!
I Remember You 2
I remember you two.
One of you,
In my living room
(I forget who)
Waited for your friend.
Was there perfume?
I can’t pretend
To remember names.
Alone, I telephoned
And you came.
There Once Was an Eminent Old Professor
There once was an eminent old professor
Who lived in a large Welsh Dresser.
His student Maude
Got terribly bored
With polishing that dresser and her professor!
Responding to Criticism
Whilst out walking yesterday, I bumped into an acquaintance.
“I like your poems. I’m not sure about the limericks though”.
His comment concerning my latest collection “Leaving and Other Poems” made me smile. I appreciate good honest feedback and that is what I received.
I could have pointed out that others have said how much they enjoy my humorous verses, (which indeed they have). However, I said words to the following effect:
“I’m really pleased you like my poems”.
We chatted for a while about other matters, then we both went our separate ways.
I have seen other authors/poets become defensive when their writing is critiqued however gentle the criticism is. Whilst I completely understand why writers adopt this position – they have slaved long and hard over their computer to produce their work – not everyone is going to like everything you have written, and as authors/poets we need to accept this fact with grace and keep writing.
Some criticism is fair criticism and needs to be taken on the chin. We can (and should) learn from it. Where criticism becomes unacceptable is when it turns to personal attacks on the author or their family and friends. But provided it focuses on the writing it is fair as, once a book is out there it is no longer the sole property of the author. Of course he/she retains copyright, however readers have every right to interpret a book they have read as they wish.
In the case of my acquaintance, I am delighted he likes my “poems”, and I understand that my brand of humour is not to everyone’s taste. Indeed some readers dislike humorous verse in it’s entirety and they do, of course have every right to do so.
As always, I would be interested in the views of my readers.
(“Leaving and Other Poems” is available from Amazon in Kindle and paperback and can be found here, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leaving-other-poems-Kevin-Morris-ebook/dp/B09R8NG6WQ).
Kevin
Writing is an illness?
One of my favourite poets, Ernest Christopher Dowson was an alcoholic, a frequenter of the world’s oldest profession and died at the age of 30. Did he have a mental disorder? Quite possibly. However, in the final analysis what matters is that Dowson composed some fine poetry.
Mental illness is widespread. However the vast majority of those with mental health issues do not write and are not creative in other areas (for example as painters).
Many factors may cause a person to be creative. An appreciation of beauty coupled with parents who helped to foster creativity in the growing child may lead to him/her putting pen to paper. The creator may or may not have a mental health condition.
I also wonder whether one could conjecture (on the basis of this research) that anyone with an obsession (and writing is an obsession) has a mental health condition? Does the person who scours the internet for hours in search of rare stamps or coins have a mental health condition?
Kevin
So, science has just worked out that anyone who shows any kind of creativity is suffering from a mental disorder. Where do they get these notions from?Lala land?
In a recent article on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19959565 entitled “Creativity closely entwined with mental illness” it was pointed out that writers have a higher risk of anxiety and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and substance abuse, according to a team of researchers at the Swedish Karolinska Institute, led by Dr Simon Kyaga.
It went on to say that anyone who is in the least bit ‘creative’ is almost twice as likely to kill themselves; far more than the general population. According to the researchers, creativity is often part of a mental illness, with writers being particularly susceptible.
Thanks a lot folks; that maybe explains why I am so driven to write. It’s a funny thing but I’ve never ever thought of writing…
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K Morris - Poet 