Predicting the Future

On the night I was brought into this world, the stars were in the sky. They had assumed the usual position for July, that being the way of things and as a result of those positions, I have read a horoscope periodically for almost all of my life.

This year, I haven’t bothered but I can almost guarantee that it will be a year of great positivity and optimism with developments made in my career and probably relationship (subject to the career thing working out). There is sure to be a sickly optimistic fortune teller out there that will guarantee me that. I could be in line for a windfall. Equally, I could be in line for a death.

When I used to work in a papershop, I had a flick through the magazines on almost a daily basis. I would read science magazines, writing magazines, various BBC titles, historical articles, financial articles, newspapers and of course, the weekly assortment aimed at women. Each of these catered for a different audience and within the categories there would be slight differences, though generally around a theme. I learnt in this time that there isn’t a woman alive that wants a bad horoscope read to her- and so I very rarely read one. Instead, they are peddled with positivity and hooks to make a reader come back for the good news the following week.

Surrounding myself with positivity is the way I am choosing to deal with 2014. I cannot predict the future and I wouldn’t claim to but, in the looking at what I plan to do with it, I can ensure that this year is better than all of those before. I have an ambitious novel to write (or plan) and a poem a week to commit to. I have grand plans meaning I just don’t have the time for the tripe I watch.

For the theme of ‘future’ then, I am setting my only resolution- to watch much less TV. And to get my year going, a poem…

Poem on a mindless afternoon off

We hail in the new year, twenty fourteen

New Celebrity Big Brother starts

Again, they’re all famous from ten years before

With a smattering of daft, frilly tarts

This is it, this is what we’ve decided to do

On our evenings and weekends we sloth

It all started when they made an ITV2

Gave us all those free channels to watch

This year, let’s say sod it to Cowell and Co

The future starts now- show them all where to go

Throw the Ant at the Dec and then both off that bridge

Boost the ratings for one final show

 Or one day, we’ll be forced to repeat old QIs

There’ll be no shows of interest at all

Whilst we’re spending our time watching cable or sky

We’re as well banging heads on the wall.

Thanks for reading,
S.

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52 Poems in the Future

As a child the future was something that could be cut out of the Argos catalogue and stuck inside a cardboard dream house. It was wishing to be older so I could play ‘proper’ Scrabble rather than Junior Scrabble. It was longing to be taller so I could ride the bigger rides.  Then, as a teenager, the future became more difficult to define and harder to decide upon. Cardboard boxes and one-dimensional paper objects didn’t seem as important; I was capable of beating my Nan at ‘proper’ Scrabble, and I was tall enough to wish I was shorter.

From those uncertain years of adolescence until now, my relationship with the future has always been a reluctant one – a concept I’d much rather keep at a distance. As a consequence I’m not very fond of New Year’s Eve (everyone looking forward, celebrating) and in response I rarely make resolutions for the year ahead.

However, after experiencing a twelve month drought with my poetry, I started to consider making a writing plan for 2014 – something that meant fewer blank pages, less fear, greater awareness and a rebuilding of confidence. And so when I saw Jo Bell’s latest poetry project  on my news feed yesterday morning it was like an elbow in my side, reminding me I’d failed to create a poetry resolution and that this year could end up being as wordless as the last. Thus, I have decided to attempt the 52 project, where the idea is to write a poem a week (with the aid of weekly blog posts) for a whole year, and hopefully this time next year I’ll have something rather than nothing.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to share your 2014 writing resolutions below.

Lara 

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I’ve got a little list

By Ashley Lister

To my understanding, resolutions fall mainly into two categories: stopping the bad stuff and starting the good stuff.

On New Year’s Day many people will resolve to stop smoking or stop eating chocolate or stop drinking alcohol. On New Year’s Day many others will resolve to start exercising, or start maintaining a healthier lifestyle or start doing things to benefit themselves, society or the world in general.

Personally, my resolutions for 2012 are going to be different from the stopping and starting lists. My resolutions are going to be a promise to carry on doing stuff that I enjoy.

1) I’m going to carry on being brilliant.

2) I’m going to carry on being talented.

3) I’m going to carry on being modest about these traits.

4) I’m going to carry on writing.

5) I’m going to carry on blogging.

The regular contributors to the dead good blog started the pages you’re currently reading back in July of 2011. Shaun posted our inaugural entry on July 4^th. Since then we’ve been posting for twenty-six uninterrupted weeks, touching on subjects as diverse as dragons and dogs and as broad as catharsis and Christmas.

There’s been poetry, prose, pathos, poignancy and plenty of other things beginning with the letter p. 2012 will be even more exciting.

Which is why I’ve made two additional resolutions for 2012:

6) I’m going to write more poetry.

7) I’m going to encourage other people to write more poetry.

How am I going to do the seventh item on my list? Simple. I have four dead good notebooks to give away.

If you want one of these notebooks you only need to do two things:

1) Become a new follower of this blog.

2) Leave a comment below.

If you don’t want to say too much in the comment box, simply wish us (or our readers) a happy New Year. If you want to share your personal goals or resolutions or a piece of poetry you’ve written, I’d urge you to go for it. The team on this blog are nothing if not supportive.

All commentors and new followers will be entered into the draw to stand a chance of being selected to receive one of these notebooks. These dead good notebooks are ideal for storing ideas for poetry and prose and perfect for putting down the beginnings of your next scintillating stanza. The draw will be open until January 15^th 2012, so you have plenty of time to leave a comment.

And, whether you comment or not, on behalf of all the regular bloggers here at the Dead Good Blog, I’d like to wish you a happy and prosperous and poetry-filled New Year.

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Smoke, Stanzas & the Approaching New Year

This week's theme is Resolutions. I don't usually make resolutions, but this year I'm thinking I might...

For me, 2012 will represent 10 years of being a smoker and I'm starting to think that it is time to quit, but I'm a little worried. I'm worried that a lack of nicotine will affect my writing, that by doing away with bad habit I will also do away with poetry...  When I write, I also smoke (a lot). When I struggle to find the next line, I roll another roll-up. When I can't think of the right word, I roll another roll-up. When I reach the end of a stanza, I roll another roll-up...  As the paper and tobacco begin to burn, as my lungs gradually fill with smoke, my mind starts to wander in a manner that is freer and less pressured. And, usually, I discover that missing line, that elusive word, that next stanza.

(I've reached a point in this post where I don't know what to write next so, in typical bad habit style, I have rolled a roll-up.)

Therefore, I'd like to quit smoking without quitting poetry - whether this will happen remains to be seen!

Thank you for reading and wishing you all a happy New Year,

Lar

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