Melissa Lawrence

Hi everyone. Happy World Poetry Day! According to the “oracle” that is Wikipedia, World Poetry Day has been celebrated every year on 21 March since 1999 when UNESCO set it up with the laudable ambition of “supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be hear.” But of course, you knew that, right? The theme for World Poetry Day 2024 is “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”. It’s intended to remind us how famous poets from the past have helped make poetry important in different cultures and paved the way for others to follow. What do you mean "Poetry doesn't have to rhyme"?! So, just in case you need a gentle reminder as to who some of those famous poets are, here are some opening lines to poems from a few very famous poets (sadly all male but that’s a whole other blog post) although they are all from Western culture and predates anything written since the mid 1960s. This is entirely due to my age, ...

Hi everyone. Did you watch Crufts on TV at the weekend? I must admit to being more of a dog person than a cat person but sometimes I feel sorry for dogs. They seem to have a "ruff" deal compared with cats who, let's face it, often live the life of Riley.  This got me thinking about what it would be like to be a cat or at least behave more like one. Full disclosure: I don't actually own a cat but I have known a few felines in my time.    Who is this Riley dude? I could definitely take him. 10 Ways I Want To Be More Like My Cat 1. Be the master, not the servant. 2. Fall asleep anytime, anywhere, anyhow. 3. Not feel guilty about ending a relationship with someone who thought I was their best friend. 4. Eat when I want to, not when I have to. 5. Rub my head against the legs of a complete stranger without getting arrested. 6. Never lose a staring contest. 7. Sleep all day and stay out all night. 8. Pee in the bath without having to get hammered first. 9. Get free m...