Minimalist poet, minimalist lifestyle

Dishes must drip dry.

The "Peer Review Statute" prohibits you from finding out details of any written or oral discussion about your medical treatment.

It is illegal to whisper "dirty" things in your lover's ear during sex.

Ice cream may not be eaten on Sundays.

It is illegal to buy or sell marijuana, but it is legal to smoke it on your own property.

One may not bathe without wearing "suitable clothing,"

Canned corn is not to be used as bait for fishing.

I've not been writing much poetry recently; but receiving two magazines this week with five of my poems published in them has encouraged me to write these poems this morning.

FEATHERBEDDING

The giveaway
Of past-purple foxgloves.

Grayslate afternoon;
Rehearsal for
A leafless winter tree.

Hunted copses
In an unwashed night.

A headache:
Pierced by the turning light
- I walk away
Slowly numbed
By your pronunciation.

ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN

The woman in the dark raincoat bargains
"I remember waiting for a daughter."
"What will you do?" I ask. She stares.

She missed the connection, took the wrong train
Swore to be good, but nothing changed
-I still my tongue and struggle to open an umbrella.

OVERLOOKING

A sky,
Waiting for winter.

Fields rolled into seasons
- Tomorrow always comes.

DEPARTURE BOARD

Weeds and long grass
Cover the abandoned railway line.

I know that if I return here again
I will be an old man, still departing on schedule.

The seasons will naturally run their course
And only memories will stay -
Staring into the darkness of silent mobile phone screens.

DEATH & TAXES

Cross-country run
Behind a man and his dog.

First rain in weeks
When the slaughterman halts.

1. This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly age 6)

2. Whales are animals, not fish. If they don't get air they can drown, like my brother did last summer. (David age 7)

3. Oysters' balls are called pearls. (James age 6)

4. If you are surrounded by sea you are an Island. If you don't have sea all round you, you are in continent. (Wayne age 7)

5. I think sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend no more. (Kylie age 6)

6. A dolphin breathes through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy age 8)

7. My uncle goes out in his boat with pots, and comes back with crabs. (Millie age 6)

8. When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes, when the wind didn't blow, the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would be better off eating beans. (William age 7)

9. I like mermaids. They are beautiful, and I like their shiny tails. How do mermaids get pregnant? (Helen age 6)

10. I'm not going to write about the sea. My baby brother is always screaming and being sick, my Dad keeps shouting at my Mum, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy age 6)

11. Some fish are dangerous. Jelly fish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher age 7)

12. My mom has fish nets, but doesn't catch any fish (Laura age 5)

13. When you go swimming in the sea, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin age 6)

14. When me and Sarah went to the sea side in the summer holidays, we hid in the sand dunes and watched my big sister doing it with her boy friend. It was fun. (Lauren age 7)

15. A submarine goes under the water like a fish, but it has lots of seamen inside. (Emma age 5)

16. When I grow up, I want to be captain of a big ship, and have lots of sailors. (Valerie age 6)

17. Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Two divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky age 8)

18. On holiday my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water shot up her fanny. (Julie age 7)

Yes, they still exist! Only on shortwave in Europe and North America though, but also on the main broadcasting bands everywhere else...and some of them online, of course.

I didn't come across any of these I've listed when I was listening to shortwave radio back in the 1980s; but I would image there were far fewer stations and opportunities then; just a few hobbyists broadcasting for a few hours at the weekend.

These are my favourite station names that I found on a website - it makes you wonder about the programme content of some of them though.

Betty Boo Radio

Radio Free Euphoria

Grasscutter Radio

The New Dude

Big Thunder Radio

Captain Morgan

Ironman Radio

Voice Of The Pig's Ear

Old Turkey Radio

Shadow Radio

Yukon Jack

Weak Radio

James Bond Radio

Rodent Revolution

Voice Of The Pink Panther

Mystery Radio

The Crystal Ship

Dr. Who Of Hippie Radio

Crystal Radio

Psycho Radio