Tag: relationships

New music! (Also, sorry for not posting anything for a year)

Hi! I’ve been quiet! I’m so sorry! It’s been a hell of a year and being creative has been hard. I miss being able to be routinely creative but I’m happy to just take it as it comes just now, especially when it’s something I’m as proud of as this!

Tigress is a love poem I wrote a while back, and I’ve always wanted to do more spoken word and music stuff and this has slowly evolved from loose ideas over the last few months, and I’m super happy to share it!

Is it perfect? No.

Is perfection overrated? Yes, 100%

I’m not putting the pressure on myself to create perfect art, I’m just wanting to create and share and do things again, and that’s enough for now. The important thing is not to put pressure on yourself, this is a weird time for us all and “normal” is still a very long time away, we’re learning what normal has to mean for us as individuals and learn what we need to do for ourselves. With time, practice, routine, and positive mental health, we’ll all have even more Things to share, and I’ll be back posting weird stuff on here more often!

Hope you like the track. Take it easy and look after yourself.

A Day to Celebrate!

Today is a special day that I didn’t expect to see: today marks two years of doing this poetry malarkey! And what an amazing two years it’s been.

I’ve gotten to perform with some of the greatest poets in the world and some of my spoken word heroes in some of the most fantastic venues in Scotland and made some amazing friends on the circuit.

Thanks for all your likes, comments and subscriptions over the last two years. Here’s to many more years to come!

Dear Ms Pacman

This scares me. Not the poem or Ms Pacman, but the fact that I have a live recording of my work that I can share on the internet.

So, this was a poem I wrote for a special Geek-themed variety night I was part of last year. It’s one of the few poems I’ve memorised, and a bit of a staple in my sets. Does this mean I’m going to retire it any time soon? No, it’s comedy gold (I’m not up myself, I swear). I hope you enjoy!

Machine

(This is the first poem I ever wrote all the way back in August 2016, written in a combination of rage at the ever breaking printer in the office and depression. While it’s served me well, I’m deciding to retire it from slams and shows, but it’s nice to look back and see how far I’ve come)

If I was a machine
I would be the office printer;

Trying to connect to people
But I get that pop-up message that says
“Would you like to add this device to your trusted network”
And I say “I don’t know”.

I churn out work day after day
I do work for other people who then
Don’t give thanks or
Recognition.

I spend the days overused and underappreciated
And I’m walked past every day
And the most interaction I get
Is someone pushing my buttons to get a reaction.

And I copy the same things,
Going through the same motions,
And I wear out and no one seems to notice
That more than once a day I’m running on empty.

And no one notices the marks on the paper
That shouldn’t be there.
The vertical and horizontal lines and random ink spots
That look like nothing until you really start to stare.

It took a while before someone even noticed.
It wasn’t until the the paper was wrapped in
Red, blue and black ink that someone
Thought about calling technical support and didn’t.

Because it was beyond anyone else on how to try to fix it.
No one wanted to fix it.
“It’s not my job”.
But that wasn’t the point.

It shouldn’t have gotten that bad.
A printer can’t speak.
A printer isn’t heard.
It’s pushed until it jams and freezes and angry ink
Erupts across the paper.
You keep pushing the buttons and complain that
“It’s just not working”.

But that can’t stop you from troubleshooting the problem.
Ask the questions,
Find the fault,
Stop a problem before it gets worse.

Have you ever seen an inanimate object
Book itself into technical support?
It can’t be done.
It’s so paralyzed with
Confusion and fear and
Plastic.

But it cries into the fax machine,
Desperately hoping to make a connection,
Desperately hoping to call metaphysical technical support
To finally get the help I need but
I’m rooted to the ground
and routed through the ground.
Going through the motions,
Breaking a little more each day.

#MentalHealthAwarenessDay

Today is World Mental Health Day. I could take the time to talk about my struggles but that wouldn’t help anything or change the following:

One in four people will experience a diagnosable mental health problems at some point in their life.

615 million people suffer from anxiety and depression.

Sometimes, it’s not easy to know how to be there for someone struggling with mental health. It’s not the same for everyone. But you shouldn’t let that stop you from helping someone.

❤

“What Can I Do To Make The Situation Better?”

Text, call,
Pick up the phone,
Be there however you can.

Make sure they’re safe
Ask a question,
Take a breath.

Move the pills,
Move the drink,
Move the knives.

Keep 999 on speed dial
Distract,
React,

Be appropriate,
Cool them down,
Keep them warm.

Let them be human,
Let them breathe,
Let them cry,

Remember this isn’t about you.
Hold them close, give them space,
Give them what they need that makes them feel safe.

Remind them someone is always there.
If you can’t be present, be a presence.
Let them know they’re never alone.

Craig A. Black

#PoeticAnswers 98 – What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?

I wish I could say
I would take the time to
Do something sensible, like

Resit that maths exam
Or ask you out or
Wish for peace,

But the gravity and
The bitter reality
Is this:

I would stop trying,
I would stop learning,
I would stop being me.

I would become bored,
I would become complacent,
I would become a failure to myself.

I would probably become depressed,
I would probably stop caring,
I would probably kill myself.

Question from Michael Clark from Facebook

#PoeticAnswers 96 – How Do You Say “I Love You”?

Sometimes.”I love you”
Isn’t something I can say.
Sometimes it’s just an
Outstretched hand in an awkward silence
Or a look of admiration in a moment of pride.

I say “I love you” in
Early morning cups of coffee and
Unexpectedly ironed bedclothes.
In unsolicited text messages and
Midnight instant messenger conversations
And emails of kittens at work.

I say “I love you” in
Long walks in the sunset
And sacrificed jackets in the rain.
In shared tears and
Inappropriate laughter at
Inappropriate jokes.

But most of all,
I say “I love you” with meaning
And without speaking.
By showing you my hands
As I gesture “I love you”
In a language that
Only we understand.

Question from Sarah P. from Facebook

#PoeticAnswers 93 – Would You Memorise This Poem If Your True Love’s Life Depended On It?

If it meant that
Every word I had to say
Was another pulse of your
Heartbeat then I would talk until
My lungs gave out and my voice box breaks
Until all I can do is whisper a prayer on repeat
Because the only way I could let you die is if words themselves ran out.

If I had to
Memorise a poem to
Keep you safe and warm
Then I would write the most
Simple, precious and beautiful poem
With the most precious and beautiful words I know on repeat;
Your name.

Question from Michael Clark from Facebook

#PoeticAnswers 85 – Why Do You Think They Call Them Trash?

The kings and queens of the hill,
The top of the trash heap
Have nowhere else to look
But down.
And they’re only happy
When they’re frowning down upon
Anyone or anything else,
As if they were some
Creature from hell
Trying to crawl and claw
Their way to the top.

Because they’re better,
Based on their opinions that
They’ve dressed up as fact to
Discriminate and separate the
Weak from the pack
So they can launch an attack
And call it defence.

But even being top of the heap
Still means you’re part of the heap.

Question from Michael Clark from Facebook