Life in degrees is a personal poetry and occasional short story blog .
Life is seen in many different ways or degrees and with the help of poetry, stories, music and art we may view it from many perspectives.
Poetry is medication for the soul

All contributions and comments will be welcomed Kez


All material on this site is copyright so please ask for permission for use.

Life In degrees ,Poetry and Stories for a different slant on Life

Below Are some Links Of other sites you may be interested in. ( more to be added )


Thursday 29 December 2011

Party Smiles


Party Smiles 

Picture by Bert Stern

The clock struck twelve, 
But no one would delve, 
Behind the smiles, 
Of the party girl with her precious pearls
Sporting coiffured and well groomed curls, 
 As the champagne flowed, 
No sadness showed 
Behind her smiles! 

The clock struck one,
A new year had begun, 
She walked tentatively alone for almost a mile,
Tears threatened and pricked behind the smiles, 
The tears they flowed, 
Her sadness had stewed 
Behind her smiles ! 

And at a quarter to two, 
She knew what she wanted to do. 
She cut her flesh , felt feelings afresh,
The blood seemed comforting as it flowed, 
 Refuse to slow, 
She didn't weep as the blood oozed and seeped, 
She passed away on that brand new day, 
Smiling genuinely at the start of a new year in her morbid decay !


 Submitted toMagpie Tales
 

Monday 26 December 2011

New year,New Beginnings

New Year, New Beginning.

New Year, New beginnings,
 Promises made, yet already thinning,
New Friendships ready to be created, 
Old ones needing nurtured, tended, updated!
 
Brand new goals to reach, set for pursuing,
Yet past disappointments linger, still doing their wooing,
It's a new year and new beginnings are the offering, 
 Tho thoughts in your head persist, constantly wafting!

So you should take note of your dreams, explore the new,
Learn from the lessons of the past,
For
When you least expect
It,
They will come
And
Torment you !!

Friday 23 December 2011

Holiday Love x

Holiday Love x 





The turkeys wrapped, 
The presents roasted, 
Chimney is swept, 
To stop Santa getting toasted !

On the eve of celebrations, 
I write this ditty of felicitations,
To all the friends I have made,
Through various communications.

May your holidays be filled with love and joy ,
My wish for the world at peace never to be destroyed,
So as we wrap our gifts with dedication, 
Think of them as our globe, 
Treat them gently , wrap them for protection!

The gift of love is all I've wrapped for you 
In bright, shiny, smiles and big hugs too, 
Happy Holidays with love !
From me to you x

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Monkey Business

Monkey Business 

Those in charge   
Of the public at large 
In their tailored suits, 
From old Etonian roots, 
Armed with supposed scruples, 
Yet grand masters of dodgy loopholes!
Sit en mass 
Acting totally crass,
In a building oozing history,
Where they decide on our society, 
 To them different to upper class a mystery,   
So they make the rules,
 For us the fools!
Who believe their talk
Alas just like chalk, 
It becomes erased, 
 Resulting in dire days! 
No, not for them! 
We can't call them men,
They don't live our plight, 
Cos they're al right, 
In their pied a terres,
They dine and live sans care,  
Weekends spent in country mansions, 
On enhanced pay and  massive pensions,
So shouldn't we replace 
These evolved men with a different race, 
Go back to base! 
Forgo for a while the rat race, 
Take their blinkers off !
Ignore they're toffs, 
Strip them bare, 
Put them out there, 
With us, The masses, 
Smash their rose tinted glasses, 
Restore empathy to our country
While we re-educate our political Monkeys





Sunday 27 November 2011

A Random Tale

A Random Tale 

Abandoned at random, 
A haven for some! 
Drunks stumble, staggered, pauses! 
 Feet aching collectors taking 5 away from their cause, 
 Harassed, stressed. mothers with their charges, 
Teenagers giving it large,
The mean traffic warden sneaking a rest, 
 An old woman bouncing on the cushions giving it a test !
Unaware of the incidental bloodstains ,soaked through to it's bones, 
Hidden deep within this ruby, red, random throne, 
Abandoned  to hide the damming evidence, 
Now heavily contaminated by weary pedestrians, 
 Hidden out in the open wide,
So the random murder will fester, go untried ! 

photo: Christine Donnier-Valentin


Submitted to : Magpie Tales  where the picture was the prompt 

Saturday 26 November 2011

The Creative Mind

Jean-Michel Basquiat, untitled painting/drawing

The Creative Mind 

Does it take a mangled mind 
To create something new, sublime? 
Is it the cause of something organic 
That makes someone wild or maniac?
Which allows one to 
Shape, Create, Make 
Or
Does the wildness seed 
Spread insidiously like disease? 
 Destroying the brain, 
Making, Creating, Shaping 
Creatures that become insane 
Or
Is it just a passing  fashion ?
That creatives with passion, 
 Dedicate their being 
To what mentally they are seeing, 
Are labelled, dismissed, 
Which exacerbates the red mist, 
Which propagates the wild seed
Allows it more anger to breed, 
To Create, Make, Shape


Submitted dVersepoets Poetics  on the theme of Wild 


Friday 25 November 2011

Tissue Promises

Tissue Promises 

Your tissue promises flit around 
Colouring in my dreams, 
Banishing my frowns, 
Promising me wonders of life extremes, 
 Though tissue promises are all that they are. 
Flitting around like manic sprites, 
Flying ,spinning, acting bizarre, 
Tissue promises just aren't right! 
Don't colour my world, 
I'll take black and white,
Cos tissue promises always get torn,
  Constant disappointments just leaves 
My inner magic, destroyed, forlorn! 

Chelsea Bednar

Submitted to In Tandem  where art and poetry come together ....thanks to Chelsea for the lovely painting which I thought looked very textural and like tissue !

A Time To Love

A Time to Love 

Time it once had a meaning, 
The years had seasons, 
Day and night reigned and waned, 
Love was pure and unstained, 
Before the grains of truth and trust, 
Began to seep out, Began to rush, 
Seeping and lies creeping, 
Insidiously drowning love. 
  Our times have had  meaning 
Our love had its season 
The grains of our love 
Ceased flowing became corrupt 
It stopped!
Times up!
Loves finished! 
Abrupt!  


Submitted for : Bluebell Books where the timer was used as the prompt 

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Angels in Training

Angels In Training 

Angels in training, 
Shed dewdrops like its raining. 
Surveying their future job in hand, 
As Guardian angels mentor them through our lands, 
Across expanses of tortuous war zones, 
And dry desert lands scattered with bones 
In city scapes they observe fat cats, 
While hard working souls live like rats, 
War, greed, poverty and starvation, 
Effecting every country, every nation. 
Even angels can reach point break, 
When their heavenly hearts will hurt and ache 
Dewdrops will flow free like its raining 
For all the little angels still in training .
Banksy

Monday 21 November 2011

Animalistic

Animalistic 

Funny, fuzzy, feelings still niggle inside, 
Of  stolen moments of passion that we have to hide! 
Crumpled, damp, sheets,  
Share  the secrets of our illicit meet 
Our animal attraction and hungry, consuming lust! 
Merely a thirst needing quenching, 
Sated by every touch and passionate thrust, 
Just a physical desire, 
To dampen the fires 
That raged uncontrollable within 
Crumpled sheets the only witness 
To this,
Our
Sin ! 



Submitted for Magpie Tales  who supplied the inspiration 

Thursday 17 November 2011

Sculpted

Sculpted 

Volcanic debris there for all to see, 
Mauve, moody, canyons, 
Carved by a fluid life, flowing free, 
Green carpeted fauna no longer its companion, 
Erode and corroded, starved of warm amber beams 
Old Teutonic plates shifted, wiggled and moved, 
Forcing  lava upwards ,to erupt from it's earthly seams 
Creating wonders of deep valleys and grooves 
Void of human interference or dedication 
Natures has sculpted this masterpiece
 Over centuries of solid dedication!  

Jacqui Binford-Bell

Submitted to : In Tandem  where poetry and Art meet ....also thanks to Jacqui Binford-Bell  for the use of her Picture for this Prompt 

Monday 14 November 2011

Choices





CHOICES 
Choices torment me 
Fat or thin? 
Choices tantalise me, 
Dark or light? 
Choices trick me, 
Sweet or sour? 
Choices threaten me, 
Right or wrong? 
Choices surround me, 
Encroaching, 
Pressurising, 
Choices, 
Define me! 
Choices 
Scream, demanded, 
Choices! 
Choose !!!!!!



Submitted to Magpie Tales

Enduring Love

Enduring Love 

On the horizon where the land meets the sea ,
I see an angel beckon to you and me, 
But my heaven remains on earthly plains, 
I toast you my dear with natures champagne, 
Angels may beckon and call out my name 
Within me though burns a bright, bright flame, 
Burning bright and strong with love for you, 
Delving deep into your eyes of sapphire blue,
I see your memories of me are now diminished, 
But my love for you is never ending, enduring 
Never to be finished !


Margaret Bednar

Submitted to In Tandem  where art and poetry meet. 

Teenage Trend

Teenage Trend 

There you stand, giving just enough! 
Posing, pouting and strutting your stuff, 
Each acoustic sound you make 
Plucks at another teenage heart till it breaks! 
But time moves on ,
So make the most, 
Play your part, act grandiose!   
For fame is fleeting like a bird, 
So sing out now make your self heard, 
 For teenage hearts are quick to mend, 
Tomorrow may bring a brand new trend !


Margaret Bednar

Submitted to In Tandem where art meets poetry 

Childhood Stories

Childhood Stories 

In idyllic innocence 
When the sun was constant with it brilliance 
 Time seemed to stand still 
Imagination running riot and with time to kill, 
The dusty books that smelt of age, 
Became my friends and how I'd engage, 
My dreams and notions, 
Were fuelled by mystery, fantasy and magic potions,
Characters and creatures leapt from every leaf, 
Performing feats beyond belief,
Witches,fairies,treasure islands and gangs of chums,  
Staved of boredom and twiddling thumbs, 
Now ensconced in middle age 
How I wish I could turn back the page, 
When life was idyllic in it's innocence, 
And
 The sun always shone brightly in it's brilliance ! 





 Submitted to : Gooseberry Garden Poetry Picnic  whose theme is Childhood, Dreams, Books, and Role Models

Sunday 6 November 2011

Sepia Memories

Submitted to :dVerse Poets Poetics For today’s prompt, let’s grab our paints and mix up a poetic palette using color. Hosted by Victoria  

Sepia Memories 

Sepia memories are all that's left, 
Since you departed and left us bereft,
Times that were once bright and alive,  
Being drowned out struggling to survive, 
Red's and blues somehow refuse, 
To prick my brain even infuse! 
The things that I see all about, 
Seem muted, dull, nothing shouts out! 
What replays back in my minds eye,
Are memories drained of colour and dye, 
Within my soul tho is my scarlet, scorching love,
As I dream of you in a soft auroral light above,
Sepia memories I will accept and keep, 
Until we're both reunited in heavenly sleep. 


Photo by Bird In Hand





Thursday 3 November 2011

A Social Emergency

 A Social Emergency 

Love and peace within out city, 
Seems to be a real scarcity, 
Its become a social emergency 
Balance needs to be restored, 
Its a matter of the up most urgency 
Societies systems are constantly abused 
Kids left to fend alone, no longer amused 
Love thy neighbour, now just a phrase from the past! 
Innocence of childhood cut too short, not long to last,
 Greed and avarice run amok, run rife!
In this our civilized 21st century life. 

We need to inject some love intervention
If peace and harmony is society intention!



Banksy 


The Juniper Jinx

The Juniper Jinx 

Toulouse Lautrec 1896



War paint Applied 
GIN on the side, 
Ready to dance 
Praying for romance 
Catch the man, 
Another wee dram! 

Cherry taken, 
A love mistaken 
Have a gin, 
Repeat the sin! 
Marry in a flurry, 

DRINK some more. 
Hurry, Hurry !

 Kids scream,
Lost dreams!
Numb the pain, 
Drink again,  
Bills piled, 
Gin SMILES! 

Alone again, 
Except the pain, 
Gin on the side, 
Love denied! 
Have a DRINK, 
Your in the brink! 

Gin soaked, 
Life's a joke! 
Have a glass, 
 Shakes will pass, 
Darkness prevades, 
Comfort for your ALCOHOLIC  slaves, 

DEATH LOOMS !


Monday 31 October 2011

Doolally Doris

Doolally Doris 

We have a haunting 
Its not that daunting 
It's an old dame called Doris 
Who use to live wild in the forest 
She is the craziest  ghost, 
 But unlike most 
She loves to act daft! 
Have a laugh!
So every Halloween 
She has the same old routine, 
She floats in to town, 
Shadows all the children around 
She chuckles and jokes 
Like a very drunken bloke 
This is her treat, 
To all of us in the street, 
BUT 
She is so spookily of her nut 
She bids us farewell 
By Cheekily 
Flashing her butt !





Submitted to :dVerse Poets Open link night where poets share 
And              :Funny Friday at The Purple Tree House

Sunday 30 October 2011

CRACKS !!!

This poem was inspired by this brilliant Pavement art for the theme of  Halloween, submitted to Gooseberry Gardens Poetry Picnic

Cracks !!!


Halloween approaches as autumn encroaches 
The structures of all worlds fractured and torn 
No-one or nothing prepare for what is to be born, 
In the heavens above are gods who are misunderstood 
Us 'twixt between, angry at governments, not good! 
Then there is those way down below, 
Where no mortal man wants or dreams to go.
Awaiting this date to avenge their fate. 
Small cracks which have appeared 
Things needing mending but mere mortals sneer, 
Allowing their societies to riot, spread notoriety, 
The undead seize their chances to walk amongst men 
Hoping their gods may this time pardon them,
They are the undead condemned to fiery hell, 
A peaceful existence would not bode well 
The murders, rapists and all of life's scum 
Become the undead or zombies if they don't succumb
To an ordered pleasant reality 
A human race, loving and respecting community. 
But those cracks that have appeared in our earthly existence, 
Negate our guarantee of evil resistance! 
So if pavement cracks suddenly appear 
Scream loudly scream out in fear 
In hope that your fellow man 
Will help you fight evil if he can 
But the horror of this world 
Is that people's ability for empathy is unfurled 
Evil is not the zombies or the undead 
Fear only those that breathe instead !

Pippa The Posing Penguin ( chids lit )

Pippa The Posing Penguin 
Jinksy

Pippa the penguin dreamt every night
Of little sprites that weren't black or white
They usually danced and pranced
In and around her bed
Sprinkling  stardust occasionally upon her head
Then one very, very, snowy, snowy night
Pippas dream seem different real, somehow bright!
The little sprites who weren't black and white,
Sprinkled the stardust up and down and all around,
      They got all together and made Pippa laugh like a clown,
They tickled her toes,
her tail ,flippers
and then her nose
The stardust stuck and created a sensation
Pippa was a star in her snowy,snowy nation
 In her two tone world of black and white
Pippa was front page news overnight !


Submitted to : In Tandem  where art and poetry meet 

Natures Revenge

Natures Revenge  


Man asked nature 
"What have you done to me 
Mortified my body and turned me into a tree" 
Mother nature answered in her defense, 
Clogging my planet with acidic, Carboniferous, filthy, spew, 
As the planet's mother, what else could I do?
now you can feel the effects of your carelessness 
See all the suffering your greed has caused, all the duress!" 
But man asked Mother Nature "what shall I consume?" 
Mother Nature replied 
with a sigh 
"You my dear will soon become a broom!"  


Submitted to :dVerse Poets Poetics  call and response theme hosted by Claudia 


Wednesday 26 October 2011

Natures Dance

Natures Dance 
Sky Reading by A Chance of Sunshine

MY oh My don't get upset, don't cry, 
Put your bad thoughts in the breeze,
Let them go, let them fly, 
Dance daintily with the leaves,
For when your feeling blue,
Nature will always be there for you


My oh My don't spill your tears, don't cry,
Put all your hurt in the wind,
Sing out loud, don't sigh,
Let the hurt go, let it fly,
For when he's been unkind
Nature is there for you!

My oh my, share your true love,
 Put your heart in his soul,
Dance and soar like a dove,
Let your feelings go, let two become whole,
  For when you've found the one,
Natures tricks have been done !


Thank you to :A Chance of Sunshine  for the lovely picture prompt 






Tuesday 25 October 2011

It's All Relative

It's All Relative 
Street art by Vango Situated In Kilarney Ireland





If Einstein had lived today ,
Could if affect how we live, work and play? 

Would Albert  Einstein felt empowered ,
Or would he have spent hours and hours
Just  surfing and Googling on the internet !
Would he have wasted his capabilities ?
So never discovering the theory of relativity.
Instead maybe he'd have a blog,
Tweeting for hours with caffeine to slog ! 


What would have happened to poor old Einstein
If Cern had existed in his time ?
Those clever bespectacled boffins
Really would have caused him chagrin,
 Finding particles seemingly faster than the speed of light,
Which those boffins keep testing, to check its right
The little blighters that they found
Has stunned the world confused and confounded
 The pesky particles they call neutrinos,
Would surely have driven poor Einstein to vino !

If Albert had been alive today
Not made his scientific in roads, in his way,
Would cyberspace still have been a possibility,
Or is it all just a question of relativity ?


 Submitted to :dVerse Poets for their Open Link Night where poets share 

Thursday 20 October 2011

Dreamy Dragons ( Childs Lit )

Dreamy Dragons 
Natasha Head 

                                       The last two baby dragons 
That roamed the earth, 
Only blew fire of lava for mirth, 
Without big grown up dragons there to help 
They feasted upon only fruits, candy and kelp, 
Every day they frolicked around and jousted, 
Their wickedness diluted, slowly ousted, 
 The red,hot raging, fire that they breathed, 
Diminished daily as they teethed
Their skin that was very, very, dry and glum 
Turned bright, beautiful, rainbow colours that were fun 
So the fire breathing beasties of the past, 
Those bad ones were never ever going to last. 
Now all the dragons in our minds, 
Are now beautiful,colourful and kind!  
Breathing only stardust and moon beams
Popping up only in our fairy tales and favourite dreams! 


 Submitted to : In Tandem  where art inspires !..this weeks picture created by Natasha Head 

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Reach For The Sky


Reach For The Sky 
If we could put our head in the clouds, 
When our world become too loud, 
Could we use this as an escape, 
So our ills could evaporate? 

If we could stand way back, 
Could we cleanse societies plaque,
Clear up the unwanted debris, 
Allow our children to play free?  

If we could reach for the sky, 
Would it dismiss our earthly woes goodbye, 
Release us from financial cuffs, 
  So global markets let us pay just enough? 

So play in the clouds 
Where dreams are allowed, 
For if we lose all hope, 
This world won't cope 
 So Reach for the sky 
 Go on just try !

Submitted to : Dverse Poets  for their Open Link Night check it out a site where writers share 

Monday 17 October 2011

Spiders Beware !


Spiders Beware !
MK Citizen
Halloween approaches, 
 A time of witches and cockroaches, 
But there's a different invasion  
Creepy crawlies of another persuasion 
They've scuttled into Milton Keynes 
Spiders so wicked and so very mean
Occasionally they'd like to munch 
On humans flesh for their Lunch
They hide everywhere 
So on Halloween beware!
Of the black, shiny, creepy, critters, 
That if they bite will surely give you jitters,
Leave the spiders alone to play! 
Quietly leave and sneak away, 
 Tell a grown up what you've seen
Then trick or treat for Halloween ! 


This Story was reported in The Milton Keynes Citizen On October 17th 2011


Saturday 15 October 2011

Fatties


This weekend, I would like for you to choose a taboo topic and pen out your thoughts. Be as open and honest as you possibly can. If what you are writing begins to make you uncomfortable…good. The point of this exercise is to free your mind, expand your voice and challenge yourself to explore new ideas within description. This is an opportunity to learn how to overcome the uncomfortable and teach yourself how to use your words to define those things in a new way so that next time you are faced with one of those “taboo” prompts, you can go forth and be…

FATTIES 

I'm fed up with fashion magazines 
Who fill their pages with trendy diets, 
Purely designed for fat queens 
I know I should whisper this, be quiet, 
But I'm gonna shout it loud! 
Say it proud, 
I'm on a cream cake regime 
Yeah fatties ... go on scream ! 
I'm Not skinny ,just lean, 
Not bitter but wanna be mean 
I've had enough, 
Of scouring shops for clothes, 
That cling in the right places 
So fat people think it's fine 
To carry on stuffing their faces. 
I'm a middle age woman who needs some grace,
I don't want to wear kids t-shirts,
With the latest pop stars face, 
Manufacturer keep making  things
Bigger and bigger!
Fatties continue to binge and binge 
How is that suppose to help the obese figure? 
Those money making supermarket, 
Should make their doors real tight, 
That would surely help the fatties fight their fight, 
Clothes should be fashioned with less fabric,
Perhaps something in the fatties brain would then click 
My life shouldn't be made harder 
Because some people can't stay out of their larder 
I'm On a cream cake regime  
So go on fatties  SCREAM ! 




 Submitted to : dVerse Poetics  for the above prompt