National Poetry Day 2016

National Poetry Day is over
Over two hours on the stage.
That's one hellova long time
For one of my advancing age.
This is the Poetry city.
The talent just abounds,
Mixing in the bars and pubs
With open mic music sounds.

They spruced up the Centre
Just for this event
(I sometimes worry at the wisdom
Of where the money went)
When they've replaced the paving 
The barriers are all gone
When the renovation crews 
Have finished and moved on

Bring in your Year of Culture,
Next year, 2017
Catering for the minority
Ignoring thriving local scene.
But when the Culture Vultures
Have departed as if they'd never been
In  the pubs and clubs and bars 
We'll still have our living culture scene.

With the streets are all repaired and
We're again northern backwater place
I'll be in the pub 
A smile still on my face.
And I'll listen to the music,
Hear the spoken word,
Much of it as good or better
Than any City of Culture heard,

And I'll see the performance list
Every available spot full,
And think look what you've missed
In this Poetry City of Hull.
This is my city
 Chugging quietly away:
A City of northern Culture
Every single vibrant day
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

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Bauer Avatar
November 4, 2022 at 10:00 AM
Wonderful! Wish I could have been there to have heard you read your work, Terry!
Ireland Avatar
November 4, 2022 at 11:10 AM
Thanks Ilene it was good fun. We did 4 different locations
Volumes Avatar
November 3, 2022 at 9:26 PM
Hoity toity, fancy pants, academic clip clap, really leaves me cold, give me a story, a feeling, a beat not one so grand that I cant understand. Love this, its real culture (even if it is 6 years old !)
Ireland Avatar
November 4, 2022 at 12:42 AM
NPD was good because it was locally organised and all local talent - City of Cuture made a point of not doing that, but, as one Academic told me, anybody could write the type of rubbish I did. I was suitably impressed ;-)
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