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

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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 !