armstrong & the mayor greet limerick bards

happy birthday from bakunin

for mick

ON THE SCROUNGE IN THE EURO LOUNGE
(for Mick Standen)

Here in this dreadful Belgian Pub,
we’re drinking
piss-poor booze.
And the Belgian bar-maid’s Belgian Breasts
reach out
for the Dutch Frontier.

Brussels Airport
plastic sprouts
games amongst it all.
Gates and terminals,
dates and walls,
the Business God grins on.

Abroad, in all this shameless wealth,
there’s a deeply shallow stench.
And we poets
drift
in one Stella stream
of rootless alienation.

Yes, it’s us again
declaiming verse
to all the whoring Nations.
Declaring love poems to the skies,
our words are caught
in flight.

Because we’re on the scrounge
in the Euro Lounge.
We’re just gagging for a quid.
We’re upside down in a screwed-up world,
hanging
on these very words.

Yes, we’re on the scrounge
in the Euro Lounge.
We’re searching for the Lost and Found.
Two old romantics
in a place called ‘Frantic’,
last terminal of dead dreams.

On the scrounge
in the Euro Lounge,
among the jewels and fancy gowns.
We’re dancing over the business types,
we’re tripping
over Stars and Stripes.

Yes, we’re poets on the scrounge
in the Euro Lounge,
with only our poems to lose.
Just cadging grants to fund our rants
and red wine to ease
the pain.


KEITH ARMSTRONG

still round our banners we'll stand

Still round our banners we’ll stand In love and truth combine

And children yet unborn shall sing the lads of Wear and Tyne.

Brave Hepburn and our delegates like rays of virtue shine

Their fame shall long be echoed round the banks of Wear and Tyne.

On Bolden Fell our flags shall wave our victories’ wreaths entwine

That peace shall be the motto still with lads of Wear and Tyne.

We envy not the rich and great whose dazzling greatness shine

While we the hardy sons of toil can labour in the mine.

O happy wives and children now all former cares resign

And sing with joyful mirth and glee the lads of Wear and Tyne.


(ANON)

Tübinger Stocherkahnrennen 2008, Samstag 14.6.2008

swinburne

Lines from ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE


It swells and welters and swings,
The pulse of the tide of the sea.


Let the wind shake our flag like a feather,
Like the plumes of the foam of the sea!


The sea gives her shells to the shingle,
The earth gives her streams to the sea.


The wave’s wing spreads and flutters,
The wave’s heart swells and breaks.


I shall sleep, and move with the moving ships,
Change as the winds change, veer in the tide.


A pulse of the life of thy straits and bays,
A vein in the heart of the streams of the sea.


I will go back to the great sweet mother,
Mother and lover of men, the sea.


Far out with the foam of the present that sweeps to the surf of the past.


Blow thy horn here for us,
Blow the sky clear for us,
Send us the song of the sea to hear.


Sea-tide and river,
And waves that shiver.


Stands a sea-mark in the tides of time.


The twilight hangs half starless: half the sea
Still quivers.


At the sea’s heart all her wrecks lie waste,
Lie deeper than the sea.

sandy bell's in edinburgh

birthday bash

KEITH ARMSTRONG'S BIRTHDAY BASH

Bridge Hotel, Newcastle

19:00 Wed 25 Jun 2008
Keith Armstrong’s birthday bash, with poets from Limerick and the North East (including Katrina Porteous, Trevor Teasdel and Paul Summers) launching a Tyneside/Limerick anthology. Plus: from Cumbria Geraldine Green, from Cork Paul Casey. Plus music from Dave Douglass, Marie Little, Tony Whittle and Ann Sessoms (Northumbrian Pipes).

Admission free
The Bridge Hotel
Castle Square
Newcastle upon Tyne

summer

a blush in staindrop church

A BLUSH IN STAINDROP CHURCH
CHRISTOPHER SMART (1722 - 1771)

‘Let Josiphiah rejoice with Tower-Mustard. God be gracious to Durham School.’

‘For my grounds in New Canaan shall infinitely compensate
for the flats and maynes of Staindrop Moor.’

The poet Christopher Smart was born in Kent, but came to Durham at the age of eleven and lived under the wing of the Barnard family at Raby Castle. He attended Durham School in the 1730s and went to Cambridge University in 1739.
Robert Browning was one of Smart's few nineteenth century fans - in fact, he seemed to regard Smart's as the greatest poetic achievement between Milton and Keats and affirmed that Smart, at least on one occasion, 'Had reached the zenith from his madhouse cell'. This positive assessment would find plenty of support today. Browning compared Smart’s ‘Song to David’ to a great cathedral.
Smart suffered from insanity after 1756, though Dr Johnson did not think he should have been locked up for this: 'His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him and I'd as lief pray with Kit Smart as anyone else. Another charge laid was that he did not love clean linen, and I have no passion for it.'
Smart was committed intermittently to an asylum in London between 1756 and 1763, during which time he wrote his amazing Jubilate Agno. Among much of this work that is vivid and strange, including the charming description of his cat Jeoffrey, there are many references to his Durham youth.

This new Northern Voices publication tells Smart’s story with particular reference to his time in Durham and includes a selection of Smart’s own poetry, along with new poetry by students from the University of Durham and Durham School and older Durham hands like Professor Stephen Regan and Michael Standen.

A NORTHERN VOICES PUBLICATION
ISBN 1 1871536 24 PRICE £5

Supported by Awards for All

marktgasse

at the new beehive inn, bradford

COMMON TOUCH

THE PLAYERS WITH THAT COMMON TOUCH



I love the players with that common touch,
Jinky Jim Smith’s nutmeg in his own box,
Albert Scanlon on the Coast Road bus,
boots wrapped up under his arm,
on his way to the game,
players with that common touch.
John McNamee swinging from a Roker cross-bar,
Mirandhina in his wooly gloves.
Gascoigne chewing on a Mars Bar
before he takes a corner,
I love the players with that common touch.
As a postman, I once delivered packets
to John McGrath’s door,
predicted the score
as he patted my head,
another player with that common touch.
Alan Suddick pulling shorts down
in the wall,
the triumphant leaps of Martins and Lua Lua,
I love the players with that common touch.
Bobby Mitchell smiling behind the Lochside bar,
the human decency of Frank Clark.
They reach your black and white soul they do,
all the players with that common touch.







KEITH ARMSTRONG

a letter from george

MELLY: IN MEMORIAM

Something sad about clowns;
something thin between laughter and tears.
Pity the dignity, the love and the hate,
the twitching wire between body and soul
and you on that stage,
drunk on rum and borrowed blues again;
unique in the balance you keep to yourself -
never quite losing it,
never quite making it;
bawling out between Magritte and Morton,
playing the droopy-drawered clown
with yourself,
you

do the Melly-Belly,
the Ovaltine,
big brash belly-laugh blues.




Keith Armstrong

the gloucester arms, penrith

The Gloucester Arms Hotel can claim to be one of the oldest inns in the country, dating from 1477. It is thought to have been the residence of Richard III, and bears his coat of arms.

long meg and her daughters

the gateshead angel

freedom

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

“Perfect freedom is reserved for the man
who lives by his own work, and in that
work does what he wants to do.”
 
R. G. Collingwood (1889-1943)

northern voices poetry award 2008

NORTHERN VOICES NEWS 24/3/2008



The winner of the Northern Voices Poetry Award for 2008 is Catherine Graham. The trophy was presented to Catherine by last year's winner poet Gordon Hodgeon at the Northern Voices Amnesty International Poetry Benefit at the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle on 19th March 2008.
Previous winners of the Award have been William Martin, Alan C. Brown, Katrina Porteous and Gordon Hodgeon.

Catherine Graham is a Newcastle poet. She is winner of the Northumberland Writers' special award for most promising poet and received great acclaim when she read her work at the recent Tynedale Literary Festival. She was a runner-up in the 06/07 Pulsar Poetry Magazine competition with her poem Watch Light which she wrote in memory of her late father.

Some of her poetry is included in 'Two Rivers Meet', an anthology of poetry from Limerick and Newcastle (Revival Press & Northern Voices), which will be launched in Limerick on 30th April, at a mayoral reception and at the legendary White House pub, and in Newcastle on Wednesday 25th June at the Bridge Hotel, with a reception with Newcastle's Lord Mayor on 26th June.

FURTHER INFORMATION & INTERVIEW: TEL. 0191 2529531.

MORE ON NORTHERN VOICES:

The objectives of Northern Voices are to:

1) Offer a platform for the views and experiences of those people living in the North East of England who are normally denied a voice. Through this, question and subvert established views of culture and the distortions which often surround them and give support to local autonomy and integrity as opposed to centralism and the anti-democractic hierarchies of government and big business, the aristocracy, mass media and ever increasing quangos.

2) Contribute to the culture of the region through a projects and events programme which celebrates its diverse communities, in particular the currently neglected working class, and the area's history and politics and dissenting tradition. Recent projects have involved a touring show in Northumbrian churches, performing poetry on the beaches, working in the community of Spittal, profiling Whitley Bay's Spanish City and the Marsden Rock in South Shields, celebrating the Newcastle writer Jack Common and the Durham links of poet Christopher Smart, performing and recording with folk, pop, classical and jazz musicans and exhibiting with visual artists and photographers. Important events have recently been staged with Amnesty International, the Tyneside Irish Cultural Society and the North East Labour History Society.
Northern Voices attempts to be original and innovative in its programme and to seriously engage with local people and issues rather than indulge in the predictable and unchallenging nature of many cultural events and projects which are often more to do with careerism and the overbearing machinations of cultural bodies which see the arts as a vehicle for commerce and business.

3) Develop links with likeminded people and institutions, locally, nationally and internationally by a commitment to collective action and to engaging in political activity in an historical context. Recently, reciprocal links have been established with Limerick and Cork, Bradford, Liverpool, Lincoln, Sheffield, Penrith, Aberdeen and Edinburgh and there are significant international links with, for example, Groningen in The Netherlands and Tuebingen in Germany, stretching back some twenty years. Further similar links are actively sought in order to avoid literary and publishing activity being presented in overtly institutionalised, centralised and isolated cultural ghettos which merely replicate prevailing establishment and ruling class orthodoxies.

Such links also question overly cosy notions of 'The North' and celebrate North East England's place in the world and particularly in Europe.

4) Offer help and advice to local people seeking to develop a voice. This can be through creative writing, songs, community research or on tape and through the media and new technology.

Membership is open to anyone who shares the objectives of Northern Voices and who wishes to engage in community arts activity in the North East of England.

Northern Voices acknowledges project support from the Community Foundation, Awards for All and North Tyneside Council.

sun over st. james' park

Sun sets on Empire,
a football sinking in the sky.
Dreams are gone,
the kicks we had.
I see their ghosts in The Stawberry night:
Len White and George Eastham,
Gordon Hughes and Liam Tuohy,
Alf McMichael and Jimmy Scoular.
Roaring Boys of one hue or another:
Alan Suddick and Jim Smith,
John McGrath and Dick Keith,
Dave Hilley and Andy Penman.
Stalwart lads from an industrial past,
hold on to those memories.
Golden Balls of light
shine on the surface of The Tyne,
ripple in the mind.
Great times were had
and ‘peanuts tanner a bag’.
Swaying lads on the Popular Side,
Oxo down our throats.
Chuck us a cup,
we’re thirsty.






KEITH ARMSTRONG

amnesty benefit

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL POETRY BENEFIT
Venue:
Bridge Hotel, Newcastle
Organiser:
Amnesty International/Northern Voices
Start time:
19:30 Wed 19 Mar 2008
Poetry and music with Keith Armstrong, Gordon Hodgeon, Katrina Porteous, William Martin, Michael Standen, Trevor Teasdel, Sally Evans (Poetry Scotland), from Sheffield Robin Vaughan Williams, from Lincoln Paul Sutherland (Dream Catcher magazine), from Liverpool Colin Watts, Catherine Graham and music from Tony Morris, & Kiddar's Luck.
Plus the Northern Voices Awards 2008.
Admission: £5/£3
For further information, tel: 0191 2529531
The Bridge Hotel
Castle Garth
Newcastle Upon Tyne

links- stop press

anthology of limerick and newcastle poets to be launched at white house in limerick on wednesday evening 30th april - i'll be there to read with the limerick writers and there's a reception with limerick mayor that afternoon.

limerick poets and newcastle counterparts launch anthology in newcastle at bridge hotel on wednesday evening 25th june with meeting with newcastle lord mayor the following morning. also reading at bridge are elaine feeney from galway and paul casey, poetry organiser from cork.

i'm performing my poetry in cork during jazz festival october 27th at the long valley bar.

you are welcome to all these events - please put the word around.

twinning news

TWINNING NEWS 25/2//2008

Just back from another successful mission to Newcastle's Dutch twin city of Groningen is Geordie poet Keith Armstrong. Armstrong performed 4 readings in one day at the City Hall, Public Library, Werkman College and Cafe Marleen. He was accompanied on this occasion by folk singer Gary Miller and joined during his stay by new Groningen City Poet Rense Sinkgraven who visited Newcastle last year.

Plans are aready afoot for a Groningen cultural delegation to visit Newcastle with a performance at the Bridge Hotel on November 4th and a meeting with Newcastle's Lord Mayor. Already invited for this one are poets Rense Sinkgraven and Tjitse Hofman and Groningen band The Waistcoats, who performed with Keith in the Cafe Marleen.

Armstrong returns to another old haunt Tuebingen in South Germany in early June for performances as part of Kulturnacht in Durham's twin city.

And, in between times, he's in Limerick, Ireland, at the end of April to help launch a new anthology of poetry from Newcastle and Limerick and to meet the city's Mayor. Nine Limerick poets come to Newcastle on June 25th to celebrate the anthology's Tyneside launch and, of course, to be greeted by the city's Lord Mayor.

So the twinning continues!


More info: Northern Voices tel 0191 2529531.

poem from groningen city poet

Newcastle upon Tyne

The Tyne throws us the town when
the pier embraces us. Cranes and forgotten
dockyards shore up the horizon.
The ship throbs through a contented snooze.
Stuffed men breakfast on beer,
women like buffalo stare into unfulfilled dreams.
The casino blows their chances time and again.
Escape the weather in shopping paradises,
visit Grainger Market to buy what you already have.
In the pub nobody’s a stranger,
the solid smell of boundless boozing,
we toast to good fortune and sorrow shared.
Give me a drink, shatter the glasses,
scream the punters awake, knock down the town
with tender phrases, make me feel secure.
When your home has become a road
what then is still a safe place to sleep?
Only memory provides a comfy bed.
The boat ploughs the dark waters.
Newcastle waves its dirty grey plumes.
There’s bingo for the hopeless.


Rense Sinkgraven
[translation Willem Groenewegen, 2007]

remember

I REMEMBER IVOR ALLCHURCH



Golden Boy,
I remember you
made me queue
with all the other Geordie lads
in one straight line
down the car park
for your autograph.
Patiently,
one by one,
you signed for us.
A Swansea son,
footballing gentleman,
all those years ago,
you impressed me
with your calm consideration:
a measured passer
of dignity
through generations.






KEITH ARMSTRONG




*Ivor Allchurch (1929 -1997) played for Newcastle United 143 times between 1958 and 1962 and scored 46 goals.

forever

FOREVER (WELL, IT’S ANOTHER DAY!)

(for Carolyn & Christoph)


Forever
flooded in my heart,
I am bloodlogged
with the flow of you.
Tuebingen,
you gush
with hard-earned smiles
for me;
you are the sum
of all those leaves
I’ve scraped together
to find a little happiness
in this gorgeous day.
It’s the chance meeting
of a fragile poet
and a fleeting Swabian muse;
it’s a beautiful cat
chasing a singing bird;
a flight of fancy,
a dash of hot wine
with warm friends,
whose tasteful photographs
and gleaming laughter
I will treasure
in my sparkling veins
forever.



KEITH ARMSTRONG

wilhelmstrasse days

poetry boat

SONG FOR FRIEDRICH HOLDERLIN

‘The lines of life are various;
they diverge and cease like footpaths
and the mountain’s utmost ends.’

(Extract from a Holderlin poem addressed to Zimmer the carpenter, in whose Tuebingen house Holderlin lived for the last thirty six years of his life).

‘When from the depths spring enters into life,
men marvel and new words aspire out of their intelligence;
joy returns and festively poetry and songs arise.’

(Written on Holderlin’s last birthday, 20th March 1843).


Suddenly, peacefully,
you’re slipping afloat,
your drifting past
in a poetry-boat.

Scaliger Rosa,
Scaliger Rosa.
Buonarotti,
Buonarotti.
Scardinelli,
Scardinelli,
joy returns
and songs arise.

Crafted by Zimmer,
a sculptor of Woods,
your coffin is filled
with magical words.

Scaliger Rosa,
Scaliger Rosa.
Buonarotti,
Buonarotti.
Scardinelli,
Scardinelli,
joy returns
and songs arise.




Keith Armstrong


Note: The chorus is based on pseudonyms used by Holderlin.

wartime groningen

hotel friesland in groningen

twinning in hotel de doelen, groningen