A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT BLOGGING
I got to thinking that perhaps I'd got it wrong
and that we all disagreed about fundamental things.
Who could or would write this? How could we
be any more ignored? I diffused the argument
by justifying all your perverse decisions
and offering myself cut flowers. The world
has changed and we can never know everything.
Meeting places and traditional pubs are thin
on the ground, but who is to say that shouting
out loud doesn't work, or that someone might
notice us even as they look right through us?
Invisibility and self-deprecation are certainly
useful assets to have, and there is something
to be said for the sieving effect of time
but I don't like the idea of counting numbers
or keeping my work locked in the drawer.
Commuter anthems are no longer a reflection
of cultural time and space, just a way
to pass the time as we drive to work each day.
The mark on the bench can be read as a benchmark,
to which we all refer. Meanwhile, I'll continue
to steam envelopes open, hoping for money inside,
looking for mutal attraction and letting myself off
the hook. Love's a disease - why do we need
to read this stuff or roll the credits every time?
I still have the girls, that's the way boys are.
It's obvious to me that this is where you end,
that afterglow and sunburst collide in your heart.
The tree with lights in it isn't up yet, but this year
we should plan well ahead, write a field guide
to confession and how to greet the little gods
who post these inconsistent pages and never
apologise for their lack of principles or dreams.
Fractured then gathered, with nothing substantial
to have or to hold; a little bit of alternative history
makes us feel we're not the only weirdos around.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, who could
or would write this? How could we be any more ignored?
Is this truly wonderland or just a paperless machine?
Bio:
Rupert Loydell is Senior Lecturer in English with Creative Writing at University College Falmouth, and the editor of Stride magazine. He is the author of many volumes, including his books of poems, An Experiment in Navigation and A Conference of Voices, both published by Shearsman, and has edited a forthcoming anthology of manifestos and unmanifestos for Salt. From 1982-2008 he edited the highly regarded Stride Books. He lives, writes, paints and teaches in Cornwall, with his partner, two children, and an over-large collection of music and books. In his spare time he is hyperactive.
