The Poetic Manifesto
Ursula Pitt
‘We are making birds
not birdcages’
Dean Young
The history of all hitherto existing poetry society is the history of word struggles
Squeeze words until they spurt their sweetest bitterest
Write the ejaculation of your heart not the grind of your brain
Reach out, gently pull people towards words
Enjoy people, celebrate motivation
Do not make lists
There is no right or wrong
Don’t give up, try it different
Subvert the normal, pervert words, curdle expectations
Share love of the fantastic
Meet to talk words not fill boxes
Spread word wherever it can fly
Whim draws the map
Startle straight faces
Be you
Encourage, develop, inspire, confuse
Ugly beautiful wins
Beautiful ugly wins
Choose fun over fundamentalism
Words are not dictated by money
Walk towards strange, run from safe
Add ideas to ideology
Only you know the answer
Enjoy all ages, colours, backgrounds, seek out poetic humans
Try it you might like it
Never pretend
To be a unicorn
By sticking a plunger on your head
Martin Espada
POETS OF ALL SWINDON,
UNITE!
