<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Opposite of the Blues It may be a solar flare but optimism, The evidence is stacking up; I was called Sir without I don\u2019t know what it all means but I\u2019m trying not to panic, the good table by the window Those close start to notice and come with sound effects. you are this week\u2019s Your best friend\u2019s wife\u2019s kiss <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mark Niel<\/strong> writes for the page and performance and is Poet Laureate for his home town, Milton Keynes. Full-time since 2012,\u00a0Mark\u00a0conducts workshops and poetry slams\u00a0in schools and other organisations. Mark\u00a0is a multiple\u00a0slam champion and earlier this years made the showcase final of the New Act of the Year competition.\u00a0\u00a0His first collection Somewhere South of Normal <\/em>was launched in March. Website: www.akickinthearts.co.uk<\/a> Blog: http:\/\/www.pawhouseboy.blogspot.co.uk <\/a><\/span>Twitter: @MKPoetLaureate<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Opposite of the Blues Perhaps magnetic north has shifted or el nino is benevolent now. It may be a solar flare firing rogue positively charged neutrinos but optimism, the natural prey of the English keeps finding\u00a0 toeholds. The evidence is stacking up; the car starts first time and on some mornings, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prose-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5221"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5223,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221\/revisions\/5223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>
\nPerhaps magnetic north has shifted
\nor el nino
\nis benevolent now.<\/p>\n
\nfiring rogue positively
\ncharged neutrinos<\/p>\n
\nthe natural prey of the English
\nkeeps finding\u00a0 toeholds.<\/p>\n
\nthe car starts first time
\nand on some mornings, so do I.<\/p>\n
\nsarcasm or malice,
\nwon a raffle, the ticket bought with guilt.<\/p>\n
\nknow enough not to question, but savour
\nwhen winds of fortune change.<\/p>\n
\nto give any hint this is anything
\nless than normal<\/p>\n
\nan upgrade accepted with practised courtesy
\ndessert on the house.<\/p>\n
\nbut don\u2019t say it straight out.
\nHugs are tighter<\/p>\n
\nYour picture is central
\non the mantelpiece,<\/p>\n
\nfavourite uncle,
\nDad thinks about the word \u201cproud\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nafter years of landing on the cheek
\nmeets you on the lips, and lingers.<\/p>\n