tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21033444895598133352024-03-13T19:29:12.196+01:00Bianca's Book BlogBiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.comBlogger414125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-21356354556723824382020-05-25T20:53:00.001+02:002020-05-25T20:53:57.650+02:00Malory Towers BBC series: review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tough times lead many of us to seek nostalgia trips - and what could be more nostalgic than Enid Blyton, and the BBC's recent adaptation of her Malory Towers series, dubbed "Downton for kids"? As a long-time Blyton fan, I figured lockdown was the perfect time for this trip down memory lane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite instances of occasionally overdramatic acting (such as when Gwen falls into the water), on the whole the quality of the acting - from both children and adults - is superb. The Downton distinction is also well-founded: the grand setting immediately and beautifully evokes Blyton's stately boarding schools from times gone by. The overall sense of mischief, so integral to the series, is also generally successfully created. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">However, the script for the series is fundamentally flawed. Despite Darrell's shortcomings, she is not this bad so soon in the term, or believed to be by members of staff. In the same way, Gwendolyn is not this manipulative (for example, in the incident pertaining to the French prep), the Matron was never this nasty, and Alicia never so loud. In this way some characters become unrealistic caricatures rather than the realistic renderings that Blyton originally created.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alicia's character, in fact, has been altered in ways that deeply discredit the script. Adding her as an American character (when this was not the case in the original text) adds incongruous (dare I say unfortunate) Americanisms - e.g. "mail" - to the script. This might be forgivable if the Americanisms were only spoken by an American character, but even Gwen says about "acing" a test. The girls' whooping is also thoroughly Americanised and not at all faithful to the time period in which Blyton's original stories were set. If the unnecessary character of the errand boy had not been added (who was only superficially sketched in, in any event, but still wasted valuable minutes), then time need not have been sacrificed on genuine characterisation of the protagonists and antagonist as opposed to insertion of further inferior invention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Similarly the addition of the 'back story' of Darrell being allegedly asked to leave St Hilda's is unnecessary. Blyton's already strong story does not require such inferior embellishment. One effective addition, however, is Gwen running into the village by herself to make a malicious phone call, as this is far more in keeping with Blyton's original characterisation of her (which regularly sees Gwen cutting off her nose to spite her face).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, the series lacked thorough historical, educational, and linguistic consultation. As well as Darrell's dyslexia (or "word blindness", as the series describes it) being thoroughly invented, learning difficulties were simply not well understood enough in Blyton's time to attract diagnoses (even informal ones). Darrell is also shown to be writing in print, rather than cursive, which simply never would have happened in 1940s Britain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Had Darrell really had dyslexia, Blyton would certainly have used it as a feature of her stories in order for children to learn from this. In the same way, a character with a facial disfigurement is added, but this is not part of any storyline - even though it would have been rare enough in Blyton's time (as now) to have been a talking point and as such, a learning experience. A black member of staff would also have been unlikely in this period (in general the BAME-ing of the cast seems to have been done for modern diversity reasons rather than reflecting the society of 1940s Britain), and again, would have been sufficiently unusual to prove a talking point in the original stories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The series also makes overt comments pertaining to World War 2; this, along with the débutante storyline particularly, was equally unnecessary. Blyton's strength is in her escapist, timeless setting; it is this, and not the post-war situation in which she was writing, that makes the stories still popular today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Arguably the series does overly compress the drama compared to the books - though this is arguably a failing of many literary adaptations. The length of the episodes generally works well for the intended audience (which I recognise I am not part of!) and made for accessible, easy viewing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As such, despite the criticisms above, continued series based on the subsequent books would be most gratefully received, and even more so with the recommended alterations. Nostalgia is what we all need right now - and, Blyton fangirl that I am, I'll take anything that's coming to me, perfect or no.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-83174901198204542842019-07-26T20:55:00.001+02:002019-07-26T20:55:53.220+02:00Posting paperlessly<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SPONSORED CONTENT</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm a huge fan of real post and love the feeling of ink flowing across different textures of paper, as well as choosing beautiful writing paper, learning to calligraph, or even creating my own mail art. There's also the emotional aspect of knowing that you couldn't be physically closer to another person without actually being with them; you have touched what they have touched and have access to their innermost personality and feelings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is all fine for individual letters. But when it comes to mass mailings - such as Christmas cards, or sending out our son's birth announcements - things become trickier. Whole books have of course been published solely containing the letters of the famous, giving us fascinating psychological insights. By and large this was the only communication method available to these luminaries; post was delivered multiple times a day and stamps were much more affordable. Furthermore, by comparison, telephoning was expensive and often inconvenient; telegrams were reserved for emergencies; and today's modern methods of communication simply didn't exist. On top of this, people generally used to spend more time sending letters and cards because there were fewer distractions and more spare time - particularly for women, who did not work as often as they do today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So in this day and age, when it comes to sending, say, invitations to large numbers of people, digital methods have numerous advantages, particularly in terms of time-saving. Your card can reach tens or even hundreds of people instantly, and even if you've had to spend time and money making it, chances are that the overall cost is less. And, of course, environmentally, it all helps to save the trees!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is where companies such as <a href="https://paperlesspost.com/">Paperless Post</a> come in. On this particular website, you can choose from hundreds of designs to make a card for any occasion, then use your email contacts and/or social media networks to send it to whichever recipients you wish. You can either choose from free designs, or buy 'coins' on the website to add extras. Everyone can get 30 coins from signing up, linking your Paperless Post account to your Facebook, and liking the Paperless Post Facebook page. This at least enables you to try some of the premium elements before forking out for coins (which you can pay for in £, USD, or A$), which start in bundles of A$16, $10, or £8 depending on your currency. (And, of course, as they're online, they can be sent from wherever you are.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was invited to try the service, I was immediately impressed by the wide range of products offered, including the possibilities for invitations for my son's first birthday party. These can be anything from photo-based to cartoon-based, with lots of options for different fonts, borders and colours, to cater for any taste. The quality looks good too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://c1.ppassets.com/cards/images/562316418/original/51362c864ff949e76f95f42b61839c55-20-136992995" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://c1.ppassets.com/cards/images/562316418/original/51362c864ff949e76f95f42b61839c55-20-136992995" width="228" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But as my son's birthday isn't until November, I also wanted to try out something that would fulfil a more immediate need. My sister recently purchased and moved into her first home, so I wanted a card to commemorate this. (An online one was also perfect for the occasion as I was a little behind time-wise - oops!) When I typed 'new home' into the search engine, not immediately seeing a relevant category in the drop-down menu, I wasn't expecting much to come up, but was in no way disappointed. Even though some results are invitations to housewarming parties, there are definitely options for welcoming someone to their new home, congratulating them on this important moment in their lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With 30 coins to spend, I had a look at the possibilities, and settled on one encapsulating my synonymical (a word I just invented, I think - so neologistic too!) instincts: one describing my sister's new abode as mansion, apartment, shack, and home. With a bit of understated humour and elegant design, you can't go far wrong - but equally, if a goldfish swimming in its funfair bag floats your boat too, then the world is your oyster. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The card-making process is both fun and simple throughout. You can start by choosing (or indeed removing) the background of the card (which is separate from the card itself), which ranges from classy marble-like designs to idyllic backdrops of boats on tropical seas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You then turn to the back of the card, which contains your chosen text. Of course, as well as typing the text, you can pick the font, colour, and placement. Some fonts you'll recognise from word-processing programs such as Microsoft Office, whereas others are completely new. The only thing I found irritating about this process was that you had to press enter if you wanted to go onto a new line of text, as if you were using a typewriter, rather than this occurring automatically.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After this, you can even customise an envelope design, including the envelope colour, the liner, and the backdrop. You can keep the same background as for the card itself, or choose a different one. An envelope liner and colour is already chosen for you based on the colour scheme of the card (which is good if like me you have no artistic sensibilities whatsoever), or pick your own. You can also delete the envelope entirely if you don't want one at all. But if you do, you can even choose details for the front, such as a 'stamp' and 'postmark'. The stamps are relevant to your card's topic, ranging from new baby to having a party or celebrating Christmas. It would have been great to be able to preview the stamps and postmarks before choosing, though, as some designs are clearer than others, as well as to have a wider range of postmarks, as those available are quite US-centric at the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The text on the front of the envelope is pre-filled with the recipient's name (they see the front of the envelope in the email they receive telling them they have been sent a card), and t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here's also the possibility to have a reply card added - super useful if, for example, you are sending out something that requires an RSVP, such as a wedding invitation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, you add the name(s) and email address(es) of your recipient(s). This can be done by manually entering email addresses, linking to an email account address book, or uploading a file (e.g. .csv). You can also send yourself a free test preview of the card by email - especially handy if you are sending your card to a lot of people and need to be sure it's correct. Of course, you can still edit your design after seeing the preview. It looks really professional and impressive. The 'cost'? 6 coins - which, remember, I took from my free 30 coins (from signing up, liking on social media, and linking my Paperless Post account to my Facebook), which means a) it didn't really cost me anything, and b) that I can still do another 3 or 4 cards before needing to really pay anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another feature of the Paperless Post service that appeals is the Flyer service, which is designed to let you send event invitations to large numbers of people. Perfect for small businesses organising events, as well as if you're organising a party!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But perhaps the best part about Paperless Post is that if you do still want paper copies for relatives who aren't online or even just as keepsakes, you can also right-click and save the design to your computer and print it from there. Now that's what I call a win-win.</span></div>
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BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-23140040671268254712019-02-16T22:06:00.000+01:002019-06-29T22:15:00.923+02:00Making room (on the broom)The extreme hiatus this blog has suffered recently is down to the birth of my son - who arrived 2 days after the publication of my review of Soupy Twists on this here website.<br />
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He is now 3 months old and charming all he meets. He is also - unsurprisingly in a household stacked floor to ceiling with books - an interested reader, who sits through whole stories (which are longish for his age!) with great attention, as well as enjoying 'reading' soft books on his own.<br />
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Being a full-time mother who is soon to become a full-time working parent, I will have to work even harder to make room for my own reading and writing, as well as fostering my son's own love of reading. I can only apologise for the gaps between postings that may well result.<br />
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Prior to my son's birth, this blog was also an excellent venue for my poetic endeavours, during projects such as NaPoWriMo. However, as I am now trying to carve out a serious career in poetry-writing, and many publishers do not accept your work if it has appeared elsewhere (even on a personal blog), no more poems will appear here.<br />
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So what with poetry-writing, reviewing, reading, full-time working, co-parenting, gym-going, (occasional) socialising, and much more besides, it's possible that posts here will be infrequent. However, for now, let me leave you with a list of some of my son's favourite books:<br />
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<b>Cuddles/Ploum series (translated from French, originally by Micheline Bertrand and Lise Marin)</b><br />
Being a bilingual household, we have some of these in French and some in English. As well as admiring the simple illustrations and cute characters, we find the effects of the translation interesting: the original French books rhyme and give a jollier feel, whereas the English ones do not rhyme and as such are more calming. Both, however, are perfect for bedtime, including length-wise - and thanks to being written in the 1980s, provide a nostalgic element for parents too. You have to enjoy a challenge, too, though - many are sadly out of print, so hunting through eBay and charity shops alike is essential. Nonetheless, you won't regret it!<br />
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<b>The Storm Whale series (Benji Davies)</b><br />
I admit that we often read books to our son that are pitched a bit above his age group! This series is intended for 3-7-year-olds. However, he sits through them happily and really focuses on the frankly beautiful and detailed illustrations. There are also little puns hidden in some of the pictures for parents (and, eventually, older children) to find. These are therefore really books that will grow with your child, which include moral messages without being preachy.<br />
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<b>Juste un petit bout (Emile Jadoul)</b><br />
Emile Jadoul's delightful little book is another one that's perfect for bedtime, with clearly recognisable (yet appropriately flawed) characters that are repeated throughout the pages, and a concise story that emphasises sharing. This one has been translated into English under the title Just A Little Bit. Some of his other books are also available in English, such as Look Out - It's The Wolf, and Push Me Higher!, as well as in other languages (such as Spanish and Italian). Our son's liking for it is testified via the corner of our copy which has been lovingly chewed upon.<br />
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<b>Little Hedgehog series (Christina M Butler)</b><br />
This series is another one recommended for its beautiful illustrations, which again hold our son's attention wonderfully. Aspects of the books are also textured, making them appropriate for even the very smallest readers, as well as offering well-constructed and rhythmically-told stories. Most of our copies are in French, but again the series is available in many languages, including Dutch.<br />
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<b>Goodnight Everyone // A Bit Lost, by Chris Haughton</b><br />
Our baby's bedtime routine is without a doubt enhanced by Chris Haughton's unique illustrations of adorable baby animals who are looking for their mummies, insisting they aren't tired, and more. Haughton's distinctive style and skill with different graphic weights makes this very different and much more modern than the more classically-illustrated books I have mentioned above, and are economical with the text too (with not a word wasted) while still incorporating humour (and maintaining that delicate balance of not making the little one too hyper before he goes to sleep). We have one in French and one in English, so you can probably take your pick of languages too.<br />
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<b>Usborne Very First Cloth Books</b><br />
Believe it or not, though, our son does actually possess some age-appropriate reading material, and he loves his Cot Book with a night-time theme from Usborne. Its detailed and brightly-coloured images offer contrasts that he spends ages looking at - and with a woodland theme on one side and a space theme on the other, there's plenty to keep your little one entertained. This was an impulse purchase in Exeter that has turned out to be excellent value!<br />
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I'm sure I'll probably think of, and discover, even more as our little boy grows up. What are your children's favourites? Don't hesitate to comment below!BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-78674690523193365032018-11-02T16:49:00.000+01:002018-11-02T16:49:28.523+01:00Soupy Twists! (Jem Roberts)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iy9-nPnEL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iy9-nPnEL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">--The blurb--</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Comedy history shows that it is our funniest double acts who receive the most love from the public, from Eric & Ernie and Pete & Dud to The Two Ronnies and Vic & Bob. But while all of these partnerships have been celebrated in print, one of the most beloved duos of all time – Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie – have not.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Jem Roberts, acclaimed chronicler of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Blackadder</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">, seeks to rectify this with an all-new official biography, timed to mark the thirtieth anniversary of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A Bit of Fry & Laurie</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">. Featuring interviews with the likes of Emma Thompson and Richard Curtis, he takes a fresh look at the duo’s journey from insecure Footlighters to international comedy heroes. Beyond this, the trials and tribulations of their remarkable subsequent career paths, from </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">QI </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">to </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">House</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">, will be entertainingly explored for the very first time.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Thanks to the generosity of both colleagues, the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A Bit of Fry & Laurie </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">archive has been opened up, revealing a host of tantalising titbits for fans – including what happened next for Tony and Control, which other shops Mr Dalliard’s friend ran, and the lost Laurie number </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The Ballad of Neddy Muldoon</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">…"</span></span><div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">--The review--</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are without doubt a central part of the British televisual canon. Whether your first discovery of Stephen Fry was via quiz show QI, your first sight of Hugh Laurie was in the film Maybe Baby, or indeed you encountered the two together in iconic series Blackadder, Jem Roberts deftly shows in the crowdfunded publication of Soupy Twists! how the duo rose to the top of their game - and how they've done probably an awful lot more than you realised in order to get there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fry's sheer talent is rightly prized over the darker elements of his past, but Roberts gives both a realistic and honest treatment. Roberts also does well to demonstrate the hard work that went into the pair's meteoric ascendancy to fame, as well as acknowledging the opportunities that were available to them at various points - alongside humbler beginnings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Roberts' meticulousness as a researcher is seen front row and centre in this joint biography. His attention to detail and emphasis on first-hand accounts (from such luminaries as Emma Thompson) is what brings the recount to life, alongside a beautifully varied selection of photographs, and never-before-seen access to scripts. It is a balanced retelling that showcases Fry and Laurie's strengths and weaknesses and sensitively analyses what makes them the performers that they are today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The scripts from A Bit of Fry & Laurie will perhaps be the highlight for die-hard fans; however, for those who have seen less of the show, it may be harder to visualise the tone, gestures and overall performative style inherent therein, even if readers are familiar with the twosome's other work (both together and separately). For this reason, the book would arguably be an even greater standout hit as an audiobook, enabling the scripts to spring into full life. An ebook format would also enable links to clips at relevant moments. Fry and Laurie are themselves such animated forces on the screen (big or small) that any textual rendering is bound to feel a little flatter by comparison.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nevertheless, Roberts' exclusive insider access and expertly incisive commentary makes this book an excellent gift for any Fry and Laurie fan, especially in anticipation of the upcoming festive season (is it even legal to mention the C-word before Bonfire Night?). Soupy Twists! is entertaining, engaging, thorough and humane - and readers will surely not be disappointed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">other works by Jem Roberts</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Fully Authorised History of 'I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue' (2010)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The True History of the Black Adder (2012)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Frood: The Authorised and Very Official History of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2015) </span></span></div>
BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-78759163520731768212018-10-31T11:38:00.003+01:002018-10-31T11:57:21.694+01:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 31: endless<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We try counting stars, and fail,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">falling back instead on souls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stretching boundlessly into</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">our skies' sparkling seas, we see</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">our souls' infinite spaces,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">spiralling unfadingly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>----</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Today's prompt suggested inventing our own poetic form. I didn't set out to, but may have inadvertently done so.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">I've ironically written quite a short poem today, figuring that less is more. I was inspired by yesterday's form - the Pleiade - with its seven lines, and Hortensia Anderson's additional restriction of 6 syllables per line. It occurred to me yesterday that 7x6=42, and that as all Douglas Adams fans know, 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. So in reversing the form (today creating a sestet of 7-syllable lines, which I can't describe any more technically than this as the metre is so irregular), I created a short form that is actually the gateway to everything we need thanks to its 42 total syllables. You can call it the Deep Thought form if you like (as in Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy it takes the computer named Deep Thought 7.5 million years to calculate that 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Or one could even call it the Molybdenum form, since "The atomic number of Molybdenum is 42, as mentioned by Elliot Cooper. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">Coincidence? I think not, because molybdenum is a very important element for humans and plants in minute quantities for proper growth."</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;" /><a class="vglnk" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-and-how-is-42-the-answer-to-life-the-universe-and-everything" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #002a77; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.quora.com/Why-and-how-is-42-the-answer-to-life-the-universe-and-everything</a></i></span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-31616991628396518262018-10-30T20:01:00.002+01:002018-10-30T20:01:44.066+01:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 30: dancing on the moon<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moondance</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moonshine through the window</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">makes our first night come back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mirroring in water,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">moving with us, it soon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">mimes our luminescence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mute, we tread our secret</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">measure, dancing again.</span></div>
BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-44949283029719479522018-10-29T18:08:00.001+01:002018-10-29T18:08:02.666+01:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 29: by the numbers<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">add up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to all that</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">is right, meaning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the sum is complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In encircling me, you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">are my diameter; like</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">pi, we continue forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our sequence links irrationally.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Totalling infinity, we spiral</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fibonacci-style. Suddenly it all seems</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">so rational after all; we are symmetry.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-56142496931389841132018-10-28T17:00:00.002+01:002018-12-18T17:03:51.453+01:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 28: split in two<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7VZhzHkcK0/W9XdFJoB0yI/AAAAAAAADZQ/bMwrcMJy54AdN4Ee-FbmKJF8jOTrmMa1wCLcBGAs/s1600/anglosaxon%2Briddle%2Boctpowrimo201828.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="1133" height="131" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7VZhzHkcK0/W9XdFJoB0yI/AAAAAAAADZQ/bMwrcMJy54AdN4Ee-FbmKJF8jOTrmMa1wCLcBGAs/s400/anglosaxon%2Briddle%2Boctpowrimo201828.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Form: the Anglo-Saxon riddle</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The most famous Anglo-Saxon riddles are located in the Exeter Book. Unsurprisingly located in Exeter, UK, specifically in Exeter Cathedral. And who spent three years studying ENGLISH LITERATURE, OF ALL THINGS, in Exeter and never ONCE went to see it? *points at self* (...yep. Kick me now.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been informed by someone with a master's in literature from Cambridge, and former education professor, that the gaps in the riddles occur at each line's halfway point - and each half-line is alliterative. So the split is not just visual - which for our purposes is very convenient.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But I understand if you don't feel up to writing a riddle. After all, the ones in the Exeter Book are so complex that many scholars have spent years unravelling them. If nothing else, Megan Cavell's <a href="https://www.bl.uk/medieval-literature/articles/the-exeter-book-riddles-in-context">British Library article</a> on the subject makes an entertaining read that it would be a shame for you to miss out on.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-91503744968394083662018-10-27T18:13:00.001+02:002018-10-27T18:31:36.393+02:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...<div style="text-align: right;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It may seem hard to believe - but Christmas is indeed just around the corner, at barely 8 weeks away. Shops may be cluttered now with Halloween paraphernalia, fireworks for Bonfire Night, and Thanksgiving delicacies, but several shop windows already have Christmas trees and home decorations front row and centre. It's common within the beauty industry, too, to have '<a href="https://biancasbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/liz-earle-autumnwinter-2015.html">Christmas in July</a>' showcases so that journalists can already have Christmas issues ready to go even before October. And as someone whose first baby is due today (!) I have already been making Christmas cards and buying presents, anticipating that in the blur of life with a newborn it will soon be the last thing on my mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Luckily, <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/">Literary Book Gifts</a> has got you covered for all the bibliophiles in your life (including that awkward uncle who can sometimes be hard to buy for). Looking through the website, I found all kinds of goodies that you could either pair with a book or would make excellent standalone gifts.</span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/c4f07546bc581efc7441092d6c204b86_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1533753462" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/c4f07546bc581efc7441092d6c204b86_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1533753462" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Say your awkward uncle is on the especially erudite side. You could team a T-shirt themed around the work of <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/descartes-t-shirt-mens">Descartes</a> or <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/the-prince-machiavelli-t-shirt-mens">Machiavelli</a> with a copy of one of the works of the great man - giving you options even if your intended receiver does not enjoy fiction. Scientist? Try <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/darwin-tree-of-life-t-shirt-mens">Darwin's Tree of Life</a> or <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/grays-anatomy-t-shirt-mens">Gray's Anatomy</a>. Artist? <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/michelangelo-t-shirt-mens">Michelangelo</a>'s got you covered. Hipster? It's <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/typewriter-t-shirt-mens">#typewriter</a> time! Or just a grumpy old git? I especially liked the slightly sinister <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/book-end-t-shirt-mens">The End</a> T-shirt, which reminded me of the time when my sister and I were watching the Disney movie of Peter Pan and, come the closing credits, my grandad walked past and said "This is my favourite part!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You don't even have to start with Christmas if you don't want to. If you have any male friends with Halloween birthdays, look no further than the range of creepy T-shirts, featuring illustrations alluding to <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/dracula-t-shirt-mens">Dracula</a>, <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-t-shirt-mens">Jekyll and Hyde</a>, <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/heart-of-darkness-t-shirt-mens">Heart of Darkness</a>, or the works of <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/mens-book-t-shirts/products/edgar-allan-poe-t-shirt-mens">Edgar Allan Poe</a>, to name just a few. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're after a more discreet design, there are always T-shirts like this (available for both women and men) which combine the quirky, fun and literary, without naming the book outright:</span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/99b150214e6245f36a08cba1065936c7_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1537987757" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/99b150214e6245f36a08cba1065936c7_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1537987757" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/3427660921f004718b734c0941492fcf_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1538576575" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/3427660921f004718b734c0941492fcf_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1538576575" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Virtually all of the designs, in fact, seem to be available for both men and women, so you're sorted regardless of what type of book your recipient enjoys. Literary Book Gifts' range is extensive both in the titles the products reference and in the design styles - and there are a variety of colours available too. T-shirt wise my personal favourites, if I were buying for me, included one alluding to <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/womens-book-t-shirts/products/ode-on-a-grecian-urn-t-shirt-womens">Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn</a>, and the T-shirt transcribing <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/womens-book-t-shirts/products/emily-dickinson-t-shirt-womens">Emily Dickinson's Hope Is The Thing With Feathers</a> (what with these and the Whitman design, there's plenty for poetry-lovers!), as well as the wonderfully subtle Beethoven design (perfect for any musicians amongst your friends and family). All designs are created in-house and printed professionally, meaning you are getting a high-quality gift that won't disappoint, whether for Christmas, birthdays, or "just because".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sizing and fit wise, you don't have to worry. The <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/pages/sizing-fit">guide</a> shows that women's designs are available for a 34-inch chest and up, with men's shirts going all the way up to a 50-inch diameter. (Measurements for tank tops and hoodies are also listed, although sadly none seem to be available at the moment.) Once I've made a purchase myself, I'll report back in terms of comfort as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/c7b4b2b81e7bfb499603fbcad405d4b1_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1534277491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0075/3857/3430/products/c7b4b2b81e7bfb499603fbcad405d4b1_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1534277491" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But what if you have enough T-shirts? If you are buying a book for your loved one, what better wrapping than a tote bag? These come in small, medium and large sizes for added flexibility, with the price scaled accordingly - meaning you can watch your seasonal spending budget easily. My favourite designs here include the <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/book-tote-bags/products/jane-austen-tote-bag">Jane Austen</a> (which features the great lady's desk), the fabulously elegant <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/book-tote-bags/products/in-search-of-lost-time-by-marcel-proust-tote-bag">Marcel Proust</a> (whose swan design perhaps alludes to Book 1, entitled Swann's Way?), and the bold <a href="https://literarybookgifts.com/collections/book-tote-bags/products/don-quixote-tote-bag">Don Quixote</a> (especially meaningful to me as I've recently purchased a Quentin Blake print that also comes from this novel).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All of these products ship worldwide from the US at very reasonable rates - I'm located in Europe, so would have to pay the $10 flat rate (excluding any taxes/customs duties your country charges), but I have had to pay much more than this for postage of products even within Europe in the past, so consider this to be good value. And best of all? With 20% off your order thanks to an exclusive Bianca's Book Blog discount code (<span style="background-color: white;">BiancasBookBlog20) that has no minimum purchase required, you can get your shopping sorted as of right now. You can thank me later. And Merry Christmas!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>(This post was requested by the owner of Literary Book Gifts, but was not paid for in products or money, or sponsored in any other way.)</i></span></span></div>
BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-85066000138802417502018-10-27T14:38:00.002+02:002018-10-27T14:38:20.897+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 27: what colour is it?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I asked you what your favourite colour was</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and you said it was me;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that I could be your rainbow</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">whenever I so pleased.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I photographed myself in emerald</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and also in deep blue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You said to come as I was,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in whatever colour I choose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the end, we were Impressionists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We made a palette true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You held me in your arms that day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to make a newer hue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-44275119094750431922018-10-26T18:48:00.003+02:002018-10-26T18:48:31.850+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 26: inside out<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The pale words of love were fledgling first:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">they practised flying with their nascent wings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They fluttered inside, struggling quite for birth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">into a world unkind to weaker things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I nurtured them, not ready to release</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">them into their first independent flight,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">perhaps from fear of what they might unleash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In opalescing, they grew strong and bright.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The words flew out from right inside my mouth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to form a hummingbird of pure desire</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that colours now our every waking hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We do not cage its brightened, yearning fire;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">our utterances now are ever freed,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and their true flight we never will impede.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-84233954771183747932018-10-25T13:54:00.003+02:002018-10-25T13:54:32.128+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 25: the door goes both ways<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We longed for</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that day when your office</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">door would lock from the inside. This is</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">what I wrote to you, or words to that effect. I</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">held my breath; pressed send. To which you said:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">hope your heart opens from</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the outside.</span></i></div>
BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-16909594759465125932018-10-24T14:54:00.000+02:002018-10-24T14:54:57.847+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 24: opening<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The door would open</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and I'd flourish there, growing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">from your glow with every breath.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the door closed we'd</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">open up our souls; harness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">light for later growth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opening our eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that morning we let love's light</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">stream in forever.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-2080055206340061972018-10-23T18:58:00.002+02:002018-10-23T18:58:32.379+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 23: see me<i>In my blue eyes, your brown ones, my blonde hair, and again your brown, we create a visual yin and yang. We make striking soulmates: like photographic negatives, we could say we are two bodies for one person, except that arguably you are the better person. Nevertheless, the paradox is that each of us makes the other feel like the very best version of themselves. Because of being the better person, we make the other into a better person; we make them see that they <u>are</u> better. Indeed, the best, as far as we're concerned. Perhaps perceptions are unreliable. But when your eyes meet mine, your perception is the only one of value, that I can rely on, which makes the world around me disappear, save you.</i><br />
<br />
My blue pools meet your<br />
dark midnight brown; in them, I<br />
see my best version.BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-6532711248281480512018-10-22T17:59:00.004+02:002018-10-22T17:59:57.950+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 22: betrayed<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By creeping up with him to the garret room I borrowed from you,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">each year of friendship creaked with every stair.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The neighbour complained about the creaking of the bed, and other noise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Right away you phoned to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ask me for the truth, and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">yes, I lied to you. Did my voice creak with the weight of the lie?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Each year of friendship creaked with every stair. For all my life, I'll wonder how I</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">dared.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-45287417986615468192018-10-21T16:53:00.004+02:002018-10-21T16:53:42.675+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 21: how will I know <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our tender time transcends what we can tell,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">but we still will know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">what we think to be true,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we try to sight eternity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">through narrow slivers of rain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We absorb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we awake above,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">then dive for jewels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We now discover</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">truly where we dwell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we plunge into our place,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">mesmerised by mirrory mists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now open, we brightly fly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Soaring within a shimmering sky,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">we shine divinely,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">knowing the joy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of being beloved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Azurely, surely,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">we reflect on stagnant hazes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in our distant past</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we wallow, surge, then flow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now we sail in the sea of what we need,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">no longer whispering why</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">thanks to clear, crystal bliss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The answers flood, radiate.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-45681251241103636302018-10-20T14:03:00.001+02:002018-10-20T14:03:37.398+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 20: time stands still<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You bring me to a standstill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with your wit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that leaves me wondering why</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">you give me the time of day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That same time</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">stands still when you whisper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">words of wonder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that wander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">within our shared space.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I stand still in front of your shared office,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">making a memory of my</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">hand on yours,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in a moment</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that will become love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In love unending</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">we stand, still.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-32351508130508968282018-10-19T19:37:00.003+02:002018-10-19T19:37:38.087+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 19: what do you want<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In wanting me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">you wanted anew,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">desire requickening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">all that you thought to be dead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In wanting you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wanted to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love was flickering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">but steadied when we met.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In wanting us, we knew;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">wanted the world to set</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">around us, glittering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with the shine of infinite possibility.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-78585798647949847272018-10-18T19:03:00.002+02:002018-10-18T19:06:24.987+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 18: Once upon a time<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon a time</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I didn't dream of you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You were solid background only.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon your time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you say,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you dreamed of me:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I flickered,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">floating,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in fairytale fashion,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">finding fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">the only foothold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in our day-to-day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon my time</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I found myself flirting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not just with the fricative <i>fuck</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">but fluttering from</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">friendship</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">to finding myself fixated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and fumbling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">through depths of thought</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">with you;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">seeking solace in secret smiles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">with you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and knowing that we knew:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that I could be your princess,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and you my handsome prince.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon our time</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">we did become enchanted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">by our fine sublime whispers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">as bells rang out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We follow our future at last,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">flying ever afterly,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">foreverly.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-66621682785301696862018-10-17T18:07:00.003+02:002018-10-17T18:07:29.497+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 17: madness reigns/rains/reins<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Madness rains</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">down around us</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and fades into blue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our own insanity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">reigns, yet makes perfect</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We take life's</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">reins, heliacally</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">mastering mania.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We barely</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">notice chaos;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I fade into you.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-91520409232110677122018-10-16T16:56:00.002+02:002018-10-16T16:56:35.626+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 16: catch me when I fall<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Neither of us knew we were falling,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">so it was a good job that the other was paying</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">attention.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Falling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">turned to floating</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with the spreading</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of wings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we caught each other spiralling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">like sycamore seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">singing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and gently landing.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-16348371132209747332018-10-15T11:01:00.000+02:002018-10-15T11:01:04.934+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 15: If _______ were an umbrellaYou rise above me,<br />
shielding clouds<br />
while letting through sunshine.<br />
<br />
Together we shake off raindrops<br />
with laughter that echoes<br />
off gleaming pavements.<br />
<br />
Your robust silvery skeleton<br />
sees me through showers.<br />
<br />
Faithfully folded beside me always,<br />
you flourish magnificently<br />
when needed<br />
(which is to say,<br />
in the Netherlands,<br />
often).<br />
<br />
You come in a variety of colours<br />
to suit my every mood:<br />
fierce leopard-print,<br />
iconic bright violet,<br />
Monarch butterfly on blue.<br />
<br />
In short, you are my rainbow<br />
for after storms have passed.<br />
<br />
You don't even need to be<br />
my umbrella for that.BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-33731223511651058612018-10-14T13:27:00.004+02:002018-10-14T13:27:57.704+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 14: if I were me<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The unfurling</span><div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">took time.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There was a fear</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of the sunlight</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">juxtaposed</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with the knowledge</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that you had to go there</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">if you wanted to live.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were to be me</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had to go there,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tendrils tentatively</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">touching the tops</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of the houses and trees,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">even if I were</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to go there alone.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My leaves stretched into sun</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at a moment</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">not even I can pin down;</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">perhaps it was your watering</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that charged my sap</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with the energy needed for life.</span></div>
BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-20073062119942483822018-10-13T19:13:00.000+02:002018-10-13T19:13:05.357+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 13: if I were you<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Letter from 2018 to 1998</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were you I'd keep at it </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">because a lot changes in 20 years</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and though you'll never believe it, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it'll all be fine in the end. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were you I'd remember</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that all of this will pass like a breeze that</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">somehow will sometimes still chill you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in between the glints of the sun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were you I'd take a scarf,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or perhaps a towel, to discreetly wipe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">away the odd tear, or just to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">wrap your soul in, when you are out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were you, I would do that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not just for the breeze that strikes you alone,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">but also to wrap others in, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to bring them closer to your heart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I were you, I would share more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let your feelings flutter from the scarf to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">meet others, who will love you. Then</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">you can wrap you both, in cashmere.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2103344489559813335.post-33781704513774122142018-10-12T12:43:00.003+02:002018-10-12T12:47:09.204+02:00OctPoWriMo 2018! Day 12: tortured<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3b3630; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><u>Calystegia sepium</u></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tortured by myself</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">for years,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I tried to wring</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">inadequacy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hard to remove.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Torments had twisted</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">around me like vines,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">or bindweed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">without the flowers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I barely felt you snip away</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">at the tightness of the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">light green twine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The warmth of sunlit relief</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">came in floods,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">basking me in love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now we flower together,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">uniting our heart-shaped leaves</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">as we s</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">piral up </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">into the newest of shoots,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">our joint rhizomes rooting us</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">to our new-found freedom,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">viable for many years.</span>BiancaPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04701757541161509783noreply@blogger.com6