Manifesto!

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!