On the Way Oot

I`m an orphan, an empty nester,
a menopausal mobster
I get murderous when I clean
The oven, the duvet and the toaster
I clean my teeth
They`re still yella
No chance I`ll get a fella
Unless I go to singles nights
Where I`ll meet the creeps
And the clever shites
I get to the top of the stair
I forget why I`m there
I lock the door
Go down the street
Takes me half an hour
Gassing to the folks I meet
Then I think, Did I shut the door
Best go back to check some more
Did I tell you I`m an orphan
An empty nester
A menopausal mobster
......Have I said this before
I`d best go and check that door.

This one will be included in the new Pinklane Poetry and Performance book due out soon.

I just love to watch the clips of people on the Anthony Gormley plinth. My favourite is the guy dancing to Pokerface by Lady Ga Ga. Love his style. When he comments that the street is completely empty "And it`s NOT because of my dancing!!" Keep gannin kidda you`re a diamond.

Visiting Des today to take him a disc of his 90th party then on to town for a coffee. I should be at home today making an easter bonnet for the competition at the club tomorrow but D is out on a works leaving do "I wish it was me" I`ve heard him mutter more than six times, poor bugger. Says me who is doing as she pleases. I have a huge white affair from Matalan for £5 which I intend to spend tonight painting with gouache and then plastering it with flowers and little chicken. I know, not very original, but I haven`t had time, too busy holding interview word checks with the contributors and making my pair of parrots for the arc project. I have the wings on one bird but they are both minus legs. They are so top heavy that I will have problems getting them to stand. I have three options

1 Tell the others that the birds heave eaten windfall apples and are drunk
2 Make a plaited felt nest
3 Hunt the woods for an appropriately sized branch

Or...I could blame the menopause and say I forgot.

Lamplight Centre

Kevin Cadwallender
appearing at
Poetry Jam
Waddington Street Centre
Durham City
Thursday 1st April 2010
See attached pdf flyer for details

new book "Sagrada Familia"
www.redsquirrelpress.com

"His poems have teeth and bedclothes."
- John Hegley


This is a great venue. Steve Urwin holds regular poetry slams and spoken word events here

Good Causes TV

http://goodcausetv.posterous.com/yvonne-young-talks-about-her-life-and-her-sto

Slam Winners Slam

This will be a night not to miss. Fantastic performers.

At the Jazz Cafe` last night to celebrate the first birthday of the show. It was packed and the line up was amazing as usual. I read a few old piecs and a new one, but I must get down to writing new work.


David Woods interviewed some of us from Her Story at Benwell Library. The link is
http://goodcausestv.com



Kate Fox Won the slam

The Arc

This is the first felt parrot body for The Arc project. I have the brightly coloured wings feathers cut out, but need time to fit them on. Then I`ll start on the other bugger.

Taking part in Her Story project with artists and writer Ellen Phethean at West End Library. We have made a book each, decorated with collage materials and answering questions about our lives and creative writing about objects which we brought with us. We were given a wooden mirror each to decorate and questions to answer written on fabric. I really love being involved in this. The display of finished work will be in the Grainger Market, Saturday 24th April.

I was interviewed on ne1fm last Friday and met some great people who are on the Elders Council doing good work in the community. Also recorded a grisly story for Westgate Past. A murder at Windy Nook Co-op in 1907. A fella was stealing from the butcher`s department, they set a trap by putting fresh sawdust down in the shop. Four of them lay in wait, grabbed him, hit him over the head with various sharp and blunt instruments. He still managed to kill one, wound another and escape. He was suspected and interviewed at his place of work and tried to explain all of his injuries away as having fallen, bumped into things etc, but they rounded him up and searched his flat. There were 114 pairs of shoes, Co-op butter, soap, fabric among lots more things, the meat he gave away to local people. I bet that was the only drama that Windy Nook Co-op ever saw in it`s whole lifetime.

Westerhope History Day will be held at the Old Miner`s Institute building on Hillhead Road between 10.45 and 12.45 on Wednesday 14th April. Anyone born, brought up there or lived there and has photos, they can bring them along to be scanned and added to the archive.

Called to Des`s house. He opened the door and when he saw me standing there he said "Good, I`ve got a problem." I went into his sitting room, a starling was looking down at me from the curtain pole. As I approached the window it flew to the back of the curtain. I tried to curl the fabric around the bird, but it came out at the bottom and scuttled along the floor to the other side of the room. I moved two chairs to block it in while looming over the top so it couldn`t fly out. There were a couple of cardboard boxes nearby, so I lay one on it`s side and coaxed the bird inside by buffeting a cushion in front of it. Des stood at the front door and was thrilled to see it fly away. He was 90 yesterday and I`m looking forward to his party this week. Only trouble is I`m invited to a 70th on the same day, so 7-9 then 9-11 will be the only way I can do it. Can`t miss either.