LOVE IN THE FAST LANE, by Tom Paxton

A pair of pliers,

All it takes

To cut the cables

To your brakes

Live fast, die young, 

You used to say,

I merely helped you

On you way

Image by Ameena Nur

Nur

SHE SPELLS FAREWELL ON THE SEA SHORE, by Mark Grossi

My dearest love, Amy

Why didn't you tell me you'd leave?

You've sentenced my heart

And denied it reprieve

Now I sit here alone sifting sands of dead times,

The ocean a witness to the hurt of your crime.

It's depths would hold me... for how long I don't know,

But one shan't die here,

No, I really must go.

Far, far away from the haunt of this beach,

I'll wash away the memories with a bottle of bleach.

Image by Mark Grossi

Nur

HEART OF STONE

My heart and my shovel

Always land me in trouble

I still hear you heart beat

Through layers of thick concrete

You gave the other girls in town a good fecking*

Let's see how you like it under the decking.

You'll drive yourself crazy

Trying to push up the daisies

But the lid won't budge

Under six feet of sludge

Your actions and words always sent my heart reeling

This won't be the last time I bury my feelings.

Image: Mark Grossi

*This certain line marks the special appearance of Lynsey Schaschke

 check out her blog! houseofschazz.blogspot.co.uk

DEAD SEXY, by Tom Paxton

You've always been my favourite Bridget

Though recently, you've been quite frigid.

In fact, my love, since our last tiff,

It's just not me, who has been stiff.

I found my sex drive has increased

Since you became newly deceased.

You're so much easier to hold,

Now that you're pale, still and cold.

Nur

SISTERLY LOVE, by Ameena Nur

I never thought you were this short

I'm truly lost for words

You seem to have shrunk quite a lot

It really is absurd!

I've measured, look! you've lost a foot

Or maybe even two

I guess you'll have no further use

For your Jimmy Choos

Nur

INSPIRATION OVERLOAD

Ralph Steadman

Michael Sporn

Last four images- Artists unknown, if you know the work, let me now so I can credit them

Nate Wragg- I love his work. check it out here : http://n8wragg.blogspot.co.uk/http://n8wragg.blogspot.co.uk/

Nur

GROSSIS'S DREAM

The scene was set, rhyme after reprehensible rhyme were being put onto parchment, etched into the fabrics of time and space as we know it for ever more... the power of words would never be underestimated again, the sharpest swords are beguilingly blunt,  desperately dull and therefore immensely ineffective against these amazing collection and arrangement of humble letters from the alphabet..

Now was the time to gather some inspiration and imagery for the book... Mark had some ideas about the look of the book.

Many of you are probably familiar with Tim Burton's : The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~sebulbac/burton/home.html

For those of you that aren't or would like to reacquaint yourself with Mr Burton's fun-filled drawings, click the link above. 

Mark wanted a similar feel to the illustrations for the book. Now, let's be honest, the style cannot be duplicated in any way possible, but the essence of the drawings was what we would strive for. 

The above three images are from the lustrously talented Ronald Searle. I love his sense of humour, which is so evident in his drawings. 

(images courtesy of google)

Nur

WHERE THE DOMINOES FELL INTO PLACE

Annecy... situated 35km south of Geneva, host of 'Annecy International Animation Film Festival' since 1960 (oh, I say!) and has a famous prison (built in the 1920s)- which is known to be the symbol of the town and is apparently the most photographed monuments in all of France! (thank you, internet) This prison, Palais de L'isle is shown above, photographed by yours truly.

Originally the residence for the Lord of Annecy, it later became the administrative headquarters for the Count of Geneva, then a courthouse and eventually a jail... it is built in the middle of the canal that runs through this perfectly picturesque place and did become a highlight of our trip to Annecy- we couldn't stop mentioning it.. but that's a story for another day...

And here we have quite a lovely, calm view of Lake Annecy. They're clever about the names, they are.

And.. you've guessed it! More pictures from Annecy..

This is the last day at the camp site. look closely and you can see the brown patches of grass-less ground where our tents were put up for two weeks. Also, as if to mock us, the sun decided to come out that day..

THIS-  is the room where the poem book was brought into this world, not kicking and screaming... it arrived quite willingly, as if it was waiting to be called upon... We were in Annecy for two weeks for the Animation Festival mentioned above. We were camping for the entire trip...and it rained almost every day! This room was our sanctuary, our promised land we knew awaited us after a long and rainy day. It was the place of dreams, it meant the status of our feet could go from 'drenched' to 'damp'- what more could one ask for? It came complete with camp-site owners who told me off, a bookcase filled with novels that were not in English and a TV with Futurama episodes dubbed in French. Yes, we were living the life.



Nur