The Ship Inn

“Next to mine own shippe I do most loveThat old “shippe” in Exon, a tavern in St. Martin’s Lane.” (Francis Drake, 1587) Sir Francis Drake suppedWith sixteenth century swankAs his naval ship-mates tottered with rum-totsOn oaken floor-boards, walking the plank. I wonder whether he boozed harderAs his Elizabethan world view blurred;Head spinning, he spun the …

Gargoyles and Gubbio

Hunchbacks give hunchback ridesround la fontana dei mattias round the cloisters st francis goes battytalking to birds of the feathered variety. You can easily vanish off the face of the earthwhere you’re lucky to be born with your date of birth;godfearers in umbria in unforeseen troubleget gobbled up by earthquake rubble. Gargoyles at the churchsidecome …

Entrenched Madness

Darkness is very blackwith eyes open or closed.100 years after an attackwhere dead men marching wearily dozed. You’re going to have to take that backor else there’ll be hell to pay!You’re going to have to take that back!It misfires and could blow your head off one day! Ah, sod this for a game of soldiers. …

‘A Pretty Kettle of Poetry’ by John Di Girolamo in Top 100 poetry blogs

My blog with original poems, illustrations and songs was put in at number 16 of Top 100 Poetry Blogs at https://blog.feedspot.com/poetry_blogs/ in December 2019. Why? Feedspot explain; “Feedspot editorial team extensively searched on Google and social media websites to find the best Poetry blogs and ranked them based on several factors such as.  Blog content …

Flighty

Buoying up what should only be anchored on a seabed,launching horizon thoughts from a beachy head,polishing off planks running red in gallons on bloody Mary galleons,mutinying off bilious dream decks into wavy waters off Albion;a pirate seagull takes a selfie from a cliff ledge. Out-of-breath knee-rug centenarians in their Sunday bestblowing out as many candles …