Inked Girls Write

2/30 INTO THE FIRE

2011-04-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here be number 2 my lovelies :)

INTO THE FIRE

You keep the kind of secrets
that only ex's can possess
that sets friendships apart
and with no line ever set to cross
that distance is fine with all involved
but sometimes, just sometimes
a coldness drifts through the distance
like a cool winter breeze
through bare, lonesome trees
surrounded in groups
but standing alone
the way wood is raised
from the cradle of the ground to do
knowing that to be part
of one as a whole
is the full stop of a fire in heat
labelled the end
in the embers and ash
no one looks through
for any remaining sign of life
cause when the wood is cut
and roots severed
no worthwhile life will ever roam
through layers of crisp, wooden skin
hard and tight,
tired and worn,
weathered by more than just winter storms
the axe plays white knight to
or more accurately
through the flickering fizz of flames
you whail
frying pan (, oh frying pan you bastard you into the fire I go from you.)

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Happy Belated 1/30- THE DISTANCE BETWEEN

2011-04-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Better late than never so they say :)
So fashionably late to the party here I come people :)
30/30, it is ooooon! :)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN

My soles are as pitch black as the rocks you hide under
since every step I took was after you,
spur of the moment,
called to action
no time to think or wait,
or for proper, appropriate footwear.
No, only time to tentatively, hurriedly
follow at a distance
behind the unknowing
in search of truth
you felt the need to change
with distance
moving hearts away from home.
You got your reasons I'm as sure as night follows day
but I can't understand them,
don't know their form or shape,
nor sound
cause you won't speak them to me.
A mothers bond and will and way
that's all I have to go on
and she can travel the distance
when a space needs to be made
and boundaries placed and kept
between the hand that feeds
and the heart that beats.

-----------------------------------------------------

...And so it begins...
Stay tuned, more tomorrow.... :) x

INKED GIRLS WRITE FOR FREE COMP NOW OPEN. 10-15th FEB

2011-02-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

Hello people this is a short post to announce the beginning of a new project-

INKED GIRLS WRITE FOR FREE.

Here's the skinny-

EVERY 3 MONTHS

I will announce it has begun and then you have

5 DAYS

to email me at HTROACH@AOL.COM with INKED GIRLS WRITE FOR FREE in the subject please to ask to win (or indeed you can put anything you want in the email)

I will then pick ONLY 5 WINNERS

But what's the prize hey!?!??!

A ONE OF A KIND, HAND DEVELOPED black and white photograph by my very own hands from my makeshift darkroom.

Each print will include a poem in some way, shape or form.

Each of the 5 winners will get a different, individual print.

Each print will be signed, dated and titled.

Let the madness commence............................

*** Just look how freaked out my little niece is by the awesomness of this project! :)

----------------------
P.S IN OTHER NEWS Holly is working on bashing out some projects for the next year and beyond.... I will keep you updated my lovelies :)

x

1st Poem of The New Year, from January 9th

2011-01-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

After a friend shared a link to a YouTube video this poem happened :-

Minus The Age Limit of Bones

I've been called a lot of things
and Miss Misery is nothing new
my friend.
Through the words
smiles don't shine through
and I get labelled what's easy to define.
Teenage angst,
minus the age limit of bones
that have long past their prime
maybe so
but here's to proving them wrong
all the way.
Turning a new page
just for your view
so you know what I wish to show,
something better than old fodder
for stories of a girl they used to know.
I've been all sugar and spice
for you dear.
Smiles and similes
all the way to the grave,
even if a little sporadically.
Yeah I've been called a lot of things
but Miss Misery is something new
from you
and it kinda hurts
for you to prove them right
all these years
when you should have always known
I've meant every thing I've ever said
and every word you've ever read
honestly.

(c) HOLLY ROACH 2011
--------------------------------------------------------------

And yes the lovely Mister Elliot Smith had a hand in helping that poem come to be :)

Bearkat Review of 'The Happy' EP: OUT NOW

2011-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

‘A Feisty, Feisty Piece of Little Heaven’

By Holly Roach

For some reason I have managed to hide under a rock over Bearkat’s The Happy EP birth into the world which does not make for a Happy Holly…Not till now that is…I may be 2 months behind the times but hey I’m fashionably late me.
I have to say that downloading and listening to the EP for the first time at 3:30 in the morning, strangely awake, wrapped up in a duvet cocoon with headphones on and eyes peacefully closed makes for an excellent introduction. Not that we were all completely strangers you must understand though. Thanks to the powers of youtube some of the songs I had already had the pleasure of hearing and indeed seeing from videos of the lady herself performing live on tour with her travelling band of merry men (minus the tights…I think…) aka Paul Starling on guitar and vocals, Kent Arnold on drums and Nick Sweet returning from Bearkat’s last album tour on trombone and other brassy goodness (though it has to be said they all do seem to know how to turn their hand to any needed instrument.)

With my review of Bearkat’s last, and début cd ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ 2 years ago I think I made it pretty well clear I love the ladies lilt so what of the distance of years? Well plainly put- Their is none.
The Happy is indeed an altogether briefer affair than its predecessor but stop right there if you think that makes for anything bad (other than in an Oliver ‘Please Bearkat can I have some more’ kind of a way.)
The classic points of delight from any knowledge of Bearkat’s back catalogue remain- The handclaps (Lord do I love a good handclap!), the glockenspiel, the pleasantly sombre lyrics, the ukulele of course, the folk spirit, did I mention the handclaps? A good old bit of tambourine and of course that voice of Miss Katy Pearson’s.

In my humble opinion the highlights of the album, that frankly is all one mass of different hues has to go to the 60’s beauty of ‘Through Loving You’ which after a listen or two I defy you to not sing along to! Also hats off to ‘Girl with the Broken Heart’ from its independent start to its metaly end, and hello do I hear spoons? My granddaddy would be so happy, god rest his soul!

On ‘Sugar and the Sea’ Bearkat also gets a little delightfully manly company from her touring buddy Mister Paul Starling halving the responsibilities of the song and making for a great number. (Note Holly does have a huge soft spot for male/lady vocal mixes in songs.)
I honestly am waiting (and it’s been around 5 years so far) to hear a song from this girl that I don’t like…Wait, well actually no I don’t want to hear such a thing but you get my point I am sure. Everything I have ever heard from her I have been sold on from the start, in a musical Jerry Maguire style. Holly is just patiently waiting for the day I can beam about how amazing ’Marie’ is on an album to you. Seriously. And for those impatient ones amongst you don’t even wait for the album, and indeed its review get watching this youtube video of it live off her last tour. It will rock your heart, if you have one!

http://www.youtube.com/user/merstone20#p/u/7/dSnybvS8nrk

P.S How beautifully lit/shot is that thing hey! I do love a bit of black and white :)

As a writer, and more so as a lover of writing and words in general as good as the songs sound I always appreciate the poetry of Bearkat’s songs. (Yes I am one of those people who think song lyrics can be poetry. Not you know a Kylie song probably but please try and argue that Lenard Cohen and the such is not poetry to music, go on try it, I will laugh in your face, possibly poke you in the eye and then disown you…probably…) Pearson studied song writing at Berklee College of Music so I‘m sure that helps her out on the lyrical front. A song needs to and should sound good of course but a well thought out quality lyric behind the music packed with a good story to it just makes the whole thing a million times better, and Bearkat is frankly a f*ing rich millionaire in that respect, with very deep pockets still to fill.

The girl could probably frankly sing the phonebook, or heavens even a Madonna song and make them sound good for once. The girl has talent. The girl has style (and not just cause of that lovely dress!). The girl has a great EP in The Happy and has a very happy customer/ fan in me. So do yourself a favour and get those fingers working and head on over to http://www.bearkatbandcamp.com/ to get yourself a copy of the album.

For a measly $10 (roughly £6, any other currency sorry but you’ll have to do your own maths, Holly‘s brain can only do so much you know!) you can download yourself a copy of the cd and indeed listen to all the tracks in their beautiful entirety, you know if you are an untrusting fool who doesn’t believe a word I say or something! If you see the lady herself on tour you can even get your very own physical copy too so you can point and prod at the cutest cover artwork ever.

Track Listings
           1. The Happy
           2. Through Loving You
           3. Sugar and the Sea
           4. The Happy II
           5. Cocaine in All of Our Eyes
           6. Girl With The Broken Heart
           7. The Happy III
           8. Oh Henry

Websites to check out for Bearkat goodness-

Katy Pearson (aka Bearkat)
        - For The Happy- http://www.bearkatbandcamp.com/
        - Blog extravaganza (including fab song covers & delicious Bearkat cookie recipe) -
           http://www.bearkat.blogspot.com/
        - Invade her space- www.myspace.com/bearkatmusic
        - And even get up in her face on Facebook too on the fan page

Mister Paul Starling’s details-
        - http://www.paulstarling.blogspot.com/
        - http://www.paulstarling.bandcamp.com/ (including some swell tracks free to download)

Nick Sweet land-
        - www.myspace.com/nicksprojects

Note: All photographs from Bearkat’s Facebook page by her friend and 2010 tour photographer Meredith Stone (The video is also from Meredith’s youtube channel).

http://www.meredithstonephotography.com/

The End.

Update- Blog & Poppyrock

2011-01-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the improved world of Holly's thoughts & words, formely known as HollyRoachWordAndSight but taking a leaf out of Prince's book it now goes by the name of Inked Girls Write... If you've ever got yourself a copy of any of my handmade poetry merch the name will not be a stranger to you :) Speaking of which I noticed looking over my old posts in the revamp 2 things- I haven't posted anything for ages and also I didn't update you on the Poppy situation. In a nutshell Poppy had not been hit by a car at all, as thought. She had a couple of weeks of antibiotics & a couple of overnight stays at the vets. She had to have the x-ray in the end & surgery to remove the growth on her back, which was dead tissue from an old wound and not Cancer thankfully- some of the tissue had to be sent away for testing to check it wasn't cancerous. After being under house arrest for a month, & doing fine after her many stitches were removed & the hair had grown back a bit I let her out again. She loved it & was climbing up every tree in sight! :) A few months later now and she is doing fine. You can hardly even tell where she had her stylish haircut! :)

The Poppyrock range is still avaliable if you would like any of the items listed in the last post. I had a few sales but still had to shell out a lot from my savings. Good job I didn't go to Aldeburgh Poetry Festival in November like I normally do cause frankly I wouldn't have had the money for Poppy then!

Here are a couple of pics of the Poppyrock book.

Doesn't it look lovely and homemade, all by hand. Don't you just want yourself a copy? And 1 for all your friends too!... :) Visit http://www.hollyroach.com/ or http://www.etsy.com/shop/hollyroachpoetry to get yourself in possession of lovely wordyness. With time I should be getting all the Poppyrock range up on Etsy.
Etsy is a fantastic site full of handmade, vintage and crafty things. It's like Ebay's crafty, cooler cousin. And no competative bidding you just buy the items out straight. I love it :)

All new items for sale to pay for cat vet bill, including POPPYROCK COLLECTION

2010-09-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

POPPYROCK COLLECTION AND A HOST OF NEW ITEMS NOW FOR SAAAALE PEOPLE :)
LIST OF ITEMS AND PRICES BELOW.

Simply take your pick, use your lovely brains to add it all up and either use PAYPAL to give me the dosh to HOLLYTROACH@AOL.COM
or IF YOU HAVE A UK BANK ACCOUNT send a cheque or postal order through the post :)

Their may be a bit of a delay between you paying for your goods & getting them, but fear not I am a 1 woman show & I will be making them from scratch so it takes a little time.
If I email you back to confirm your order have no doubt you WILL get your goods,
(I'll also include an estimated delivery date, please let me know if you need it for a certain date/ event & I will do everything I can to get it to you in time)
Patience people, it's a beautiful thing :)

What is POPPYROCK (as in Poppycock) I hear you ask?
Well on Monday I went to feed my kitty- Poppy only to find her dragging her back legs, unable to walk on them & with a bad cut on her back. I thought she might have been hit by a car. The vets tell me no, she actually has some kind of growth on her back that has got infected & is affecting her legs. She is currently at home on strict rest & antibiotics till Monday when she will be off back to the vets.
When I started thinking up things to sell in general & the POPPYROCK collection it was thinking I would have a big car vs cat vet bill to pay for, although she wasn't hit she could still need x-rays & surgery for the 'growth' so the bill could be as steep if not a lot more!

I do not wish to use Poppy, or any animal's poorlyness to make a buck I am just simply trying to find ways to gather money to pay for her care.

Some of the items listed I had planned to do anyway but Poppy's situation has made me bring them forward.

Pictures for some of the items will be up in the next few days.

If you have been umming & ahhing about getting a book then PLEASE buy one now, at their sale price
& you could always stock up on christmas presents! :)

Anything you buy will be much appreciated and I guarentee your good karma points will be racked up and coming back at you at some point! :)

To repeat-
Simply pick the items, add it up & send me the money through Paypal to HOLLYTROACH@AOL.COM & either write in the note what you have ordered & how many (& if you need them for/by a certain date/event) or drop me an email to say, with POPPYROCK in the subject heading.
If you have a UK bank account you can send me a cheque through the post or a postal order
Thank you :)

COMPLETE LIST OF ITEMS, including POPPYROCK COLLECTION

1. Plans To Change & Other Fables poetry book, on sale £5.50
2. Hand illustrated Plans To Change & Other Fables poetry book £8
3. Spoken word cd (10 tracks) £5
4. Handbound 'POPPYROCK' book of 10-15 poems £5
5. Poem print, an A4 print of a poem with illustration on thick paper/card, any poem from Plans or from my Poetry month poems, please say which £3.50
6. Limited edition poem print, same as above but only 1 of 50, numbered and signed £5
7. Personalised poem print, same as above but poem will be one individual to you £8
8. Hand made greetings card, any occasion (specifie), even usual ones with illustration & hand writen verse, single £2.50
9. Pack of 5 £8
10. Pack of 10 £15
11. Vouchor for wesbite for future use if you can't decide on what to get or for a gift of any £pound value from £1 to sky's the limit! :)
12. Hand knitted Poppyrock vegan scarf (choice of colours) £10
13. 2011 Poem calendar, a poem a day, with illustrations £5
14. Poetry postcards, with short poem and illustrations each £2 (which an additional £1 if you would like it addressed & sent to the person)
15. Pack of 5 £7
16. Pack of 10 £13
17. Paper boats Poppyrock mobil, made from vegan wool and coloured paper with lines from a poem written on each boat, or can write your own message on them for no extra fee £10
18. Individual Poppyrock paper boat, small £1.50
19. Large £3
20. Christmas cards, single £2.50
21. Pack of 10 £13
22. Personalised wedding poem, to read at a wedding £5
23. Personalised celebration poem, birthday, funeral, christening, etc £5
25. Donation, if you're feeling REALLY super swell and kind and want complete guarentee in some good karma :D

THANK YOU from me & Poppy :)

x

p.s You don't have to buy anything of course but it would be swell of ya! :) x

CRIMINAL MINDS SAVE THE SISTERHOOD POEMS :)

2010-06-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

CRIMINAL MINDS SAVE THE SISTERHOOD TRIO OF POEMS

Photo posted by @Vangsness on Twitter (aka Kirsten Vangsness aka Garcia on the show) of Paget Brewster, A.J Cook and Kirsten

-------------------------

Hello people.

Okay so I am a biiiiiiiig fan of the American crime solving TV show 'Criminal Minds' & at the moment their is a bit of hoopla going on about the powers that be of it cutting out a character- J.J (Played by A.J 'PIGEONS!' Cook) completly & vastly decreasing the amount of screen time of another- Emily Printiss (aka the fantastically named Paget Brewster).

There are petitions and blogs complaining about this & the fact it seems to be a little 1 sided on the gender front! Their is talk of a spin off show with Forest Whitaker & a new female character joining the team on CM but most people seem to be saying they would rather no change.

this is 1 such ranting blog

http://criminalmindsfanatic.blogspot.com/2010/06/criminal-minds-anyone-have-opinion.html

and the petition if you are so inclined to sign that wouldn't let me sign it due to an issue with my email address or something darn thing is below!

http://www.petitiononline.com/cmwomen/

How does Holly deal with showing her solidarity to the sisterhood of Criminal Minds (especially when guiltily her favourite character is 1 of the men, yep I'm a Reidian) you may ask, well aside from posting many 'hell yeah' like posts in support on Twitter & Facebook I spent my afternoon off work today writing some poems about it. Hey it's what I do :) So I share with you in this post 3 poems that some up mine & many other folks sour taste over it all :)
They do say the pen is mightier than the sword...lets give it a go.... :)

Feel free to distruibute how you see fit, but be so kind as to put my name to it please- Holly Roach or/& where you got it from- http://www.htlroach.blogspot.com/ or http://www.hollyroach.com/ Cheers muchly my lovlies :)

I don't do a lot of rhyming (as you might be able to tell in a minute or 2! :) ) but I think the last 1 might be my favourite :)

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CREATIVE REASONS

I've been given some reasons
for things that couldn't be,
or would never be
and that just have to happen 1 way.

Truth running through the core
like seaside place names on a stick of rock,
though bitter to taste
I have swallowed

but when a lie, like a maggot
lingers at the centre
of the fruit of words spoken
the rot can not be disguised,

will not go un-missed,
you can bet your bottom dollar
just like Annie
and tomorrow will suffer your fate

cause the apple pie you bake
will not be devoured hook, line and sink.
We are not all starving fish
waiting for anything we can get.

We know the creative reason worm
you try to feed us with
is a rotten maggot honestly,
and frankly you dissapoint our intellect

with such disshonesty to actions
unneeded and unwanted.
Put down and back away from those scissors and red pen,
no alterations needed.

As Jane Lynch once said in some American crime show
"Why mess with perfection?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

TARGET MARKET

25 years old.
Female.
English.
Single.
Red head.

Maybe that's not your target market
but it's what you've got in me.
Loyal and devoted,
a little quick to rebel with a boycott prehaps,
you may know well 1 day.

The F.B.I is a male field.
Cat and mouse a man's game,
maybe so but we are not talking football here.
A crime solving T.V show
is what we are dealing with.

A balance is needed,
wanted and demanded.
Names already lost even the scores
but carnage is set for gender divisions
that will stoke endless wars

can you not see that?
You shelve a mother,
restrict a Brewster from flight
and your side of the fight
is set to be the losing team,
hate to break it to you

but haven't you learned already,
the viewer, like the customer is always right.

---------------------------------------------------------

and finally a bit more rhymey and fun, yet kick assey :)

PRINT THIS.

J.J,
rhymes with
Step the hell off fellars hey!

A mother and wife
with a strong heart for life
and a level head
through all she sees of the dead.

Creative reasons,
rhymes with
"A plague on both your houses" i.e Measles.

A choice is 1 thing
but don't bring us a lie and expect a bell not to ring.
We are not dumb fools.
If you want to keep a fanbase you have to follow rules

and Criminal Minds
rhymes with
If you get rid of 2 strong female roles it's not gonna be a case of nobody minds

fool!

It's not the way to play ball,
unless you want it hit back square in the groin to make you fall
cause a lady learns with time to swallow a lot of things
but not mislabelled lies darlings

and Printiss
rhymes with
PRINT THIS!

Criminal Minds is made up of many things,
uneven Queens and Kings
but if you start playing past royalty
they'll be a harsh word a plently,

and don't be so dumbly cocky as to think that'll be where it ends.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Much love to the Criminal Minds ladies
and the Criminal Minds fellars too
I love you all :)
What ever happens, ever with the cast I'm sure non of them would find it hard to get new work anyway they all rock
Take care and
Over and out :)
x

P.S Feel free to spread these Criminal Minds poems anyway you wish to, for the cause and all :) Just be so kind as to give credit where credits due yeah?

Cheers and bye :)
x

6/ 30 Memory and Sight

2010-04-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today's poem in the 30/30 task
Born from the sight out a young girl with a home made kite I saw on my driving lesson today :) and fear not she still lives :)

6/ 30

MEMORY AND SIGHT

You remind me of a little kite
I once saw.
Home made
with simple care
and much love.
A plastic bag,
some sellotape
and string
turned into a joyus token of youth
that will never diminish
or destroy,
for hundreds of years,
past the life expectancy
of anyone roaming your world now.

Every time I face you
I become that little girl
I saw
and you become a kite of humble origin.

I hold the string tight
to keep a connection
as strong as bone
but without the fit of a noose,
or the constriction of a ball and chain
to keep you cemented to the earth
or weigh you down
with regret or experiences
and the consequences they give birth to
like women on fertility treatments
that become mothers of quadruplets.

I just watch you soar
above me
and come to familiarise the crick in my neck
with fondness
like a favourite word
or the scent of aloe vera

and you know I'm there,
even without sight
as cloudes fill your ambitious view
you feel me gently holding your little toe,
wrapping it around my hard working as emigrants fingers
offering all the support I can
without trying to set your course.

The wind can take you
where it wants you
and I will follow after,
in word or footstep.

So good luck,
I wish you well dear friend
in everything

and if you flew away upon the wind today
I'd be thankful always
for the youth you returned to me
like a damaged or faulty good
still perfectly usable

and you will always smell like plastic
not a manly musk
in memories to me
and I will think of you
when I buy weekly the things that replenish me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

In Word and Sight

2010-04-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Just a short note to say that there are some photos from the launch night for the Hull Truck exhibition up on line from the folks from The Journal who came along and did some snapping. They're not the best quality, but you can order copies if you so wish that of course would be good quality!
I'm only in a couple- a big 1 of all the writers & 1 with my sisters & fellow poet in the exhibition Ian Parks but there's plenty of others of folks :)

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/galleries/Writing-Wall-exhibition-gallery-1982387-detail/gallery.html

5/ 30 Re-edit In Rose

2010-04-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

I wrote this yesterday after I got home after the excellent
'Writing on The Wall' exhibition launch I was a part of.
( http://www.hulltruck.co.uk/the-venue/exhibition-space )
Somewhat influenced a little, well the first and second to last line anyway from chattiing to Mister Mike Rouse- Deane I think since his book is called 'Last' about a man alone. :)
Here it is enjoy...hopefully :)

5/30

RE-EDIT IN ROSE

You are the last man standing
in a room of crowded foes,
all fallen by the wayside,
sliced by the bitter blow
of a perfectly timed comeback
and harsh remark
no amount of confidence
and self love can come back from.

While you reign supreme
throughout all the days
passing by
like faces on missed trains
you will never see
but can only imagine
with imagery to rival Picasso or Monet

cause what you invisage unfolding
is different entirely
cause you're laid by the wayside
like all the other fallen.
There was no escape for anyone.
You suffered the bitterest of blows,
just like they all did
that you re-edit in rose to suit your desires

to be the last man standing,
not just one more lost soul.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

4/30 Night Falls and Then...

2010-04-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

4/30

NIGHT FALLS AND THEN...

Night falls
and then day rises again.
This goes on for months
while you know the sound of my name
and practise your pronunciation
every chance you get.

The mundane mixes with the magical,
for a time
and it sounds just like the twinkling of a glockenspiel
as our worlds set on fire
and bury the past in ash
no amount of urn's can hold.

Winter turns to spring,
summer to autumn.
Nothing changes what has to be
but your voice fell away with the wind
like a leaf leaving my tree.
I had no way to make you stay
cause I kind of wished you away
with each passing day and gentle breeze.

Time is meant to pass
and things can only exist for a time
so everythings destined to end,
eventually.
Do not lose heart in that.
Forever is unlikely
but the best experiences don't have to be,
including you and me,
so night falls
and day follows on

---------------------------------------------

3/ 30 Between Mouthfulls

2010-04-07T06:54:00.001-07:00

3/30

BETWEEN MOUTHFULLS

The labels on alcohol bottles become gnashing jaws
of what the neighbours would say
as you wade through the darkness of a solitary night
like a stranger on foreign soil,
cause you're not use to independence.
Not one for your own company
so you try to make a crowd of bottles
at your Tom Cruiseless bar.
No showmanship.
No extravagance.
No hippy, hippy shake,
just the intimacey of the honesty
of a self poured shot of 4.
Playing truth or dare
with yourself
when the bottle falls and spins,
a drunken ballarina
pirouetting without balance.
As definate as glass
you profess your deepest secret to the air
your teeth never knew of your confessional tongue.
It always sounds different out loud.
Less scary but stronger
and definate as hell,
like a death sentenced switch flipped between mouthfulls of gin
you'll gladly forever plead guilty to.

----------------------------------------------------

2/ 30 My Best Robin Williams Impression

2010-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

2/30

My Best Robin Williams Impression

I wish you hyphenates and hippos.
The warmth of igloos in snow storms.
The fluidty of a Spanish tongue
to request 2 coffees
and romance about the sun
and rain
in equal love
that only a bilingual English man could honestly posses
that remembers the foreign shores of a lost youth now.

I wish you sandwichs and knuckle dusting memories,
to the point and bruising.
The luck of the draw
your Russian ancestors keep itching for
when there's any talk of casinos,
and you could do with more
than your fair share
of luck.

I wish you magpies and dietry stability.
The stars, whether shooting or otherwise
to remind you that when life sucks
it is only a tiny blip of a zit
on the amazing beauty of the face
of the universe.
Give it time,
it will pass.
You will survive.

But most of all I wish you the ability to know
when a shoulder to cry on
is a heart beating only for you.
I wish you love
as I know that it's the one thing
you'vbe been praying for most.
So fetch me a lamp
and some blue paint
and I'll play genie tonight.

_----------------------------------------------------------------------

1/ 30 Delicates

2010-04-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

30/30 is a poetry challenge to write and post a poem a day for the whole of April with no editing in honour of it being National Poetry Month in America.
I have been posting them in the note section on my fan page on Facebook but have decided to post them on here too so I shall be posting the 1st 5 one after another now but do not fret I haven't just written them all today, honest :)

Enjoy :)

1/30

DELICATES

You set yourself the challenge of being the perfect little housewife
and your heart gets lost in there somewhere
within months,
like that missing sock
that never lives to see the light of day again
after the close of the door
and the gathering of water
to clean the dirt away
in the privacy of a normal, any other day
too soiled to make it back from.
The sock will not re-enter your world,
your room.
Will not touch your skin again.
It suffers the consequences he will never face
as you delicately hand wash;
like the label to your heart reads
but you don't follow;
the dirt of his sins away
with the sweat and salt of your own efforts

Things That Be...

2010-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have finished the 'Vacancy' screenplay adaption from my novel yeeey :)

Just need to finish the 2nd draft of the novel & I will be entering it into a competition at the end of the month. So cross your fingers for me there :)

Next I will be adapting my 'Number 1 Fan' novel into a screenplay. Really looking forward to that, lots of shabangs go on in that :)

Also in March I will be selling some Limited Edition's of 'Plans To Change and Other Fables' with hand drawn 'illustrations' by my own fair hands for the same price as the regular copies so stay tuned for that.
I will let you know when their all graffitied nicely :)

Vacancy Finished, 1st Draft :D

2010-01-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

My new novel I have been working on this month is finished woohoo! I finished it yesterday at 25 chapters of 80,529 wordy goodness :)
I will be starting the second draft of it on Saturday. :) I can't wait... possibly literally... :)
If it gets done in time (which it should) I plan on submitting it into a competition in Feburary so hopefully that'll go well.... :)
It is currently called 'Vacancy' but am not sure if it will do a Norma Jean Baker and get itself a new name (not Marilyn Monroe though) :)
And I just have to think up 25 titles for the chapters now too! :) It should be fun, I like titles, a lot :)
Speak again soon I'm sure.

P.S

Spent some of last night & this morning working on my second collection of poetry 'Margaritas And The Madness' I did some (at least a little) ruthless cutting of poems. Kicked out 23 poems. Still have 110 in though...Might have to go through another round of elimination... :)

But for the rest of the day I shall be planning out a collection of short stories called 'The Alternative To Love' ....

x x

I'll have no P Please Bob

2010-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just a little poetry to prove you are in the right or indeed write place for Holly Roach, the *ahem, clear throat* poet & writer in general! :)

PLANS

Plans, plans, plans
have all been made,
revised, reshaped and put away
to brighten up another day
when gone I am from you.

That is the first poem in my debute poetry collection

'Plans To Change and Other Fables'

Avaliable to buy online at

www.Amazon.co.uk

and from myself- if you send a paypal money payment to hollytroach@aol.com and include your name & address in the note please and thankyou.

On my (lazy inactive at the moment) website-

www.HollyRoach.com

it lists the book as £10 for the uk & £12 elsewhere including postage and packaging but you will be happy to know folks...possibly that that old P & P is now freeeeeeee.
Yes folks cause I love you so darn much you can now get your own personal copy of the book for a p & p free rate of £8 no matter where you be.
Full stop.
Period.
The end.

:)

Happy Saturday! :)

x

2010-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Okay people this is just a little explanation post.

Due to Holly's forgetfull ways I have lost the password to my offical website (It has in fact been lost to me for quite some time now!)

www.hollyroach.com

So until I can find it to update and do anything at all with my website I will be using this blog as my main go to site for my writing.

If you don't read it on here or my fanpage on facebook (or even my myspace page, though I don't use that all that much these days) then it ain't going on, in regardes to stuff to do with me and my writing :)

That is all

:)

Take care my pretties :)

X

Bearkat Review of New Album OUT NOW

2008-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

okay so I have missed the deadline of a post a day by 2 minutes but the computer/internet is going as fast as a turtle with no legs tonight so!
but anyway here is the post and folks it's one to wait for.
it's my overdue but finally here review of the debut album 'Suitcase Swimmers' by Bearkat.
enjoy
and if you dont- whatever! you are a fool! :)
take care and good night
and go buy the album already! :)

BEARKAT ‘SUITCASE SWIMMERS’ ALBUM REVIEW 2008

‘STARS AND BIRDS MUDDLED INTO SOUND’

By Holly Roach

My words are not officially an authority in the musical/ review world but in my little world of my head what they say goes!
After reading this review and listening to the music speak for itself I hope you will at least lean on my side of the fence in regards to Bearkat if not full blown back me up.
I cannot actually remember honestly the first time I heard the soft, tender haunting lilt of the now 23 year old American Katy Pearson (now known more fiercely and cuddly as Bearkat) however with the power of myspace inbox memory technology I can reveal, even to myself it was around mid April 2006.
It was a fair few years ago when I received a friend request on myspace (we both now know a fair few years it turns out is 2 and half years-exactly actually the message is dated the 23rd how strange!)
Now I have found on the whole either a band or musician either in a delusional or optimistic attempt to spread the word of their music send such requests out willy nilly to every Tom, Dick and Harry and Holly to result usually in an eye roll after a quick listen from me and a back click of the mouse but occasionally you discover a gem, Katy Pearson was and still is one such gem and a precious, gleaming, lovely voiced little one at that.
At the time and still now she does not sound like anyone else I have heard (though lately I have discovered what could possibly be described as her English equivalent in one of the new mainstream folk stars coming through- Emmy the Great, who I also highly recommend a listen of.)
A big success with Katy’s/Bearkat’s songs I strongly feel from my word loving stand is that the songs are very well crafted lyrically. Her sometimes sad and melancholy subject matters, for instance the death of a mother or infidelities committed by herself, or even being on the run from ‘whiskey sinners who are hunting down are innards and trying to put `em on display’ are sung with such a softness and sweetness to the voice that they really do take on a haunting quality to them that stick in your mind and your heart. Sort of like picking a pretty little flower from the roadside only for it to try and bite your hand off, but it doesn’t actually hurt and no blood is shed…or something….or Bambi, all sweet and lovely but with a horrid tale to tell…or something, you get the jist anyway!

Since my first introduction to Miss Pearson she has come a long way and not just by name. In the 2 and a half years since we first said hello through the world wide web of technology she has had many songs up free to download from her myspace page and has constantly gigged it up in her homeland of America at open mics and music nights, recorded this here CD I am reviewing ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ and is in the middle of an extensive DIY maiden tour for the album across the lucky lands of America for ears to hear and hands to clap appreciatively to.
The album was recorded with the help of a few musically inclined friends and particularly co musician Kyle Butz with his enthralling banjo talents to name but one of his musical tendencies.

And what of the CD? Well it’s a steal at only $12 plus shipping it has to be said.
Its physical form fits perfectly with Bearkat as a whole- low key with nothing unnecessary nor wasted with a beautiful cover by Sarah McNeil and additional illustrations by Katy herself adorning the back and the disc itself, the packaging even hints at the friendly, loving nature of the band with it being made from card rather than harsh plastic, it could be a cost issue but shhh I believe its for the huggyness of their nature!
As for the sound itself, well the choice of instruments to accompany the words Katy effortlessly sings are obviously greatly important and they help score the points for Bearkat’s bullseye. Choosing the likes of ukuleles, hazoos, banjos, toy pianos and hand claps, oh yes hand claps to give the feel of modern alternative folk music and just a bunch of musically inclined buddies just getting it on together, through song that is.
In Hollys view hand claps pretty much equal greatness and they definitely do not disappoint in the hands, literally of Bearkat and friends.

The choice of songs that actually ‘make the grade’ is always interesting when there is a bigger back catalogue of 10 choices to chose from and I confess there was a slight sadness to my day not to read the words ‘Paper Bird’ or ‘Nobody Knows’ and especially ‘1 2 3 The End of Me’ one of Katy’s most enthralling and haunting pieces for me but due to the kindness of myspace downloads of the past I will forgive especially seeing as pretty much every song that has made it to the finished thing is a hit and here on the CD, polished up and with company from their first solo embodiments the songs do nothing but get better.

From the opening hand claps of ‘Call the Doctor’ to the closing pleas of life and not wanting to die in ‘Whiskey Sinners’ ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ is an exceptional début album from a musical force that cannot fail to go far if there is anything right with the world I tell thee! And I am not the only one to think so, looking at her friends on mspace and facebook the love for Bearkat is clear to all and it is due to great music and great lyrics and a great lady with equally talented friends in Mister Butz (check out his song ‘Woe’ on his myspace page to know how much he rules) and co. (the trumpety goods of Nick Sweet are accompanying them on tour currently and sporting a very cute little bearhat at that)

With comments from lucky, lucky, LUCKY folks in the right country the talent is real and ever clear in live right there and then form of the sometimes intimate and unique gigs they have been doing, including backyards and apartments as venues.
Bearkat is a musical force still only early on but with the talent and heart to go far with nothing but love and hand claps to help them on their way that will see them succeed for sure, if I have anything to do with it I tell ya!
It’s only a matter of time folks, not if but when and I truly believe that even at number 1 as multi award winning record stars they would still be the same old little Bearkats and here’s to finding out if I’m right and how well Holly can predict the future!….And with the little lady only 23 (with Kyle a fresh faced young `un of 21) I can only guess/ hope they have many years ahead to rock out the music world and take it by storm, quietly and politely with Bearhats and hugs and knitted treasures and a sweet sounding song with a banjo or 2.

Musically I am challenged to put it nicely when it comes to playing the noisy things myself so for that reason I cannot gage the technical greatness or badness of Bearkats sounds other than as a listener of music, that I can do and like to do and do a lot and from that stand point Bearkat barley hit’s a bum note.
I can fully appreciate that it won’t be to everyone’s taste, opera fanatics for instance or die hard heavy metalers are pretty much shit out of luck but if you like the sound of ukuleles and banjos with or without the folk label they have been dogged with and if you appreciate a well written well composed soft but strong haunting lady voice with an occasional splash of manliness to back her decibels up then you have come to the right album and right band and quite frankly you are the kind of person I want to hang out with so get the margaritas in and hey lets go to a gig buddy!

Highlights of the album are hard to pin down, as I start to list the good songs I find myself just re-listing the album in a slightly different order! But MAKING myself make choices (this is like Sophie’s Choice or something people!) I’d point you in the directions of tracks 8, 10 and 7- Summertime, Whiskey Sinners and Her, Her, Her respectively. But I would also say while your at it, in the same town and all of Beartkatville you Suitcase Swimmer you why not get full out wet instead of just dipping your toe in and listen to the whole shebang of folkish indish full blown musicalness of the entire album and it certainly won‘t be time wasted.
It’ll rock your socks.
And that’s a promise*

The verdict: in the words of Bearkat its self “Electrify your bones and DO plug in”

The CD is available to get your grubby little mitts on through Bearkats myspace page, paying via paypal, or I’m sure if you go see them out on their tour they will have copies with them for you to posses right there and then you impatient thing you! J

*not a guarantee, if you are musically incapable of knowing a good thing then you won’t like it you nincompoop*

WEBSITES
www.myspace.com/bearkatmusic
http://www.facebook.com/ as a group page
www.sonicbids.com/Bearkat
http://www.bearkattour.blogspot.com/
************
www.last.fm/music/Bootz
www.myspace.com/butzmuse
************
www.myspace.com/nicksprojects

TRACK LISTINGS
1. Call The Doctor
2. Robots and Haircuts
3. Bluebird
4. Alright
5. So Vain
6. Laughing on Your Grave
7. Her, Her, Her
8. Summertime
9. Suitcase Swimmers
10. Whiskey Sinners

ALBUM INFO
Produced by Frank Charlton
Engineered and mixed by Martin Cooke
Additional engineering by Frank Charlton and Kyle Butz
Recorded at Halftone Productions, North Hollywood, CA
http://www.halftoneproductions.com/
and Great Music Studio, Malibu, CA
http://www.greatmusicstudio.com/

That is all.

Over and out.

Bearkats and hand claps to the end.

"if you replay the past year if it doesn't bring you tears of either sadness or joy consider it wasted!" the biscuit, ally mcbeal

2008-10-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on another computer (shhh don't tell my laptop) so I can not leave as great a post as if I had all my madness and mayhem of my own things at my dissposal but here is todays post, vaugley along the lines of creatvity-

a picture to share from nearly a year ago! from my nephews little 1st birthday bash that we did where I decided to make party hats for everyone after they hid from me in shops.

So here is the happiest dog in the world!!!

I'm sure you will agree they clearly rocked!

Though were possibly not the best quality made ones, or at least one anyway that broke-

More 'proper' posts tomorrow but tonight its class telly time- strictly results and then at 9....drum roll please.....sir patrick of swayze wahey in dirty dancing :) 'he was a good dancer, a sexy dancer, a dirty dancer' or wahtever it is :) ahhh steve coogan/ paulin how thee rock! :)

National Poetry Day at Waterstones 2008

2008-10-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Okay so finally I am posting after pulling my finger out and then finally figuring out with all my brain and memory power what my username and password was I am here! :)

On October the 9th, last thursday it was National Poetry Day (with the theme 'Work') and the Waterstones in my local town- Hull had an open mic thing going in the Costa coffee bit of the shop upstairs throughout the day from 2-6, though it really mostly kicked off at 4.

It wasn't a huge event, there was 8 other folks reading, including one of the members of staff- Pete, who had organised the whole thing and only a couple other people sat around listening while they enjoyed their Costa items.

I did a couple of 'sets' and read a mixture of poems from 'Plans...' seeing as it is my book of the moment and the store has copies on sale (hint hint) with some other (slightly) lighter ones from what I am hoping to be my forthcoming collection next year so as not to completely bum everyone out! :)

The poems I read were, from Plans- my 2 fairytale/ childrens nursery rhymes ones- 'Coconuts and Camamile' (aka Humpty Dumpty) and one that is becoming somewhat of a signature poem of mine even though it is one of my more ballsey ones, that I always have to give a parental warning for to begin with for the one use of profenity! :) 'Let Your Hair Down' (aka good ol' Rapunzel).
Also from the book I did 'Love' and due to my fresh discovery, thanks to celebrity MSN news that I am becoming far too interested in that Sir Billiam, or as you may know him- actor Bill Murray's divorce...in June, yeah I'm a bit slow okay! anyway so I did in honour of him, complete with explanation and dedication :) 'Perception of Knowledge' due to having written it after seeing his movie 'Broken Flowers'.
Not from 'Plans' I read- keeping on the kiddie theme one of my favourites 'Rock, Paper, Scissors and You and Me' and ended my short second set, and the open mic itself trying to not seem completley depressive and crazy with the poem I wrote for my sister to read at a friends wedding this year 'Love Like a Tiger' to end on a happy note.
I thought I did more not from the book but they are the only 2 I can remember.

I had a really great time, baring my book launch and the first ever 2 poems I read at an open mic at last years Aldeburgh Poetry Festival (the Rapunzel one and the Rock, Paper, Scissors one actually) and I think I read poems in asembley (at least once) at primary school but since going all proper like and getting a book together and declaring myself a poet/writer and all it was the first reading I had done and I'm not great with the public speaking thing so despite some little nerves at the beginning, that possibly would have stopped me had I not been meeting my sister there to hear me (though I doubt it/ hope not in the end), but once in the place and my sister there and talking to people and knowing what was going to go on I was okay, still a bit shy when reading (it certainly got hotter in the already schorcio Waterstones!)
but yeah it was good, and it was nice to hear other folks from Hull and a couple of people a little further afield.
As Pete did mention on the day, their were a lot of different styles to peoples words, and their were some nice interlinking with people doing poems based on similar or exact themes as ones that others had done, specifically earthquakes.
One of the guys- Philip Wincolmlee Barnes had a free little leaflet he'd done a bit back of a few poems which I took away with me, I have yet to read it but I will comment upon here, the pieces he did at the open mic were good, particularly his Roofing poem so I'm sure it'll be grand.

I was invited out with some of the guys afterwards but sadly I had to run off home but I'm hoping to do some more open mic things, after a little research and get myself a little more immersied into 'the scene' I guess you'd call it (but not in a bad way, only the good way, always!) :)

While I was at Waterstones I bought yet another book- 'Lip' by Catherine Smith. I don't know her stuff but the bit I've started reading seems good, as always patience people- I will say what I think upon it in a wee little while in a post all of its ownsome.

I shall schidaddle now and just say thankyou to my sister for chaperoning me at least half the way through all the wordy madness and to the folks that were friendly and chatty to me- mostly Mark and Chaz and Philip for the book leaflet thingymebob, grazias.

And just a little gleeing happiness to say only 3 weeks to this years Aldeburgh Poetry Festival! and Hollys entire week long hoilday in the Suffokey place- Holly doesn't really do hoildays, her last one was 2 weeks in Berlin when she was 19 i think it was! I'm now 23! :)

Anyway yes toodles and oodles of love :)

X