THOM THE WORLD POET:

Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

THE LAST ROCK STAR

FIRST OF OUR MEDIA BARDS (Post-Churchill)

Radio was his true medium-spreading his voice like warm butter on toasted ears.

Live!was his style-reading as if he were Byron ,Yeats,Keats combined with D H Lawrence

Reading other people's words was his style-D M Thomas/Thomas Hood.

He could not read Welsh-all his paychecks were in English.

Pilgrimages to the White Horse Inn for his famous endings.

Dreams do not stop when one dreamer exits or grows dumb/numb to wonder.

Decline is a temporary artform/just as silence only implies wisdom.

Retrospective UNDER MILK WOOD as a Dicken's OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP.

For words took music and grew brave with guitars-Lennon,Cohen

of printed poems made their paycheck sing!Punk poets plastered slogans on stages-

ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER,JOHN COOPER CLARKE-even sweet PAM AYERS.

When poetry refused to pay-each turned to comedy to feed the writer Daemon.

Rap rose with reggae LINTON KWESI JOHNSON,JOHN AGARD et alia

THE LAST POETS boomed from New York.Slam took fire and burned the house of words-

or @least the Bush White House.Sam Hamill(POETS 4 PEACE)-ferocious,brave and continuing.

Translators embraced the ghost of RUMI ,HAFIZ,KABIR-and became famous as Robert Bly.

Everywhere,open mikes fill ears with flowers and weeds.Past has to leave

so your future can find forms to fit.Watch!Listen!DO NOT WAIT!