Wednesday 18 August 2010

Two New Collections from Philistine Press

Two new collections from Philistine Press, available to read online or download for free at http://www.philistinepress.com/.


The Republic of Naught by Jay McLeod

Jay McLeod writes sharp, funny, angry poems about the struggle to resist conformity while working through a string of dead end jobs.

Sample poem:


Don’t Work

There’s no jobs in this town

You need a degree
Just to get past
Dishwasher

The line cooks are bilingual
The sous-chefs have PhDs

There’s no employment in this city

Check the human resources:
Answering phones is available
So is light clerical

You’d also do well
To play the slots
Until hitting the jackpot
Performing stunts for passersby
On King St
Or racing your shitbox down Queen
Until you get to
Indianapolis or Monte Carlo

The local hiring firms
And temp agencies
Have their work cut out for them

I’m going to stand here
Passing out
My phone number
Until the mayor or manager or major himself
Calls
To ask if I can start
At anything
This coming Monday


Read more here.


Happy Fat Children and Protein Enhancers by Tom Duckworth

Composed mainly of anagrams and rearrangements of words, Tom Duckworth's Happy Fat Children and Protein Enhancers creates witty, eccentric poetry out of road signs, bank notes and crisp packets. The author describes his poems as "mathematical problems to which I have found a particular solution for."

Sample poem:


Cut-out hero

The queen stares! Across checked land,
Religious service rechristened at her side

Castles, limbs of stone, advance
soon shatter to ruled ruins

Sixteen hooves fight,
clash, rider spirit fiery

Royalty rooting sacrifice,
cop out & plot over coco


Read more poems, and the explanations about where they come from here.

1 comment:

  1. Both sound fantastic - I especially connect with the McLeod but I know lots of people who will be fascinated by the Duckworth

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