Hi Alan

I have just got round to appreciating your latest poem this morning (in a quiet reflective moment). I am utterly in awe of your ability to summon-up the poetic muse at short notice and create such a thought-provoking and powerful piece of writing in the process ! Astounding. The poems I’ve written in the past tended to be wrenched unwillingly from my soul and sometimes took years to perfect. Some are still in the ‘pending tray’ from my lovesick years as a shy misunderstood teenager. I have had a rather frustrating and tempestuous relationship with the refined muse of poetry and verse which is probably why I prefer the more brazen promiscuous charms of prose !

“On the Beaches” should fit in beautifully with the next issue. Thank you so much for this. It is going to be an exciting issue to work on with Churchill and the World Cup all being commemorated.

Anyway, I’ll be chatting to Paul in a little while so I’ll mention you in my dispatches from the Poet’s Corner frontline !

I am tempted to quote, in the next issue, Baldrick’s classic minimalist poem from Blackadder 3rd (The far superior WWI Series) which goes …. “Boom Boom Boom ….. BOOOOOM BOOOM BOOM ….. Booooooooom Booooooom Boooooooooooooooom” Wonderful stuff !????

I hope your ‘booms’ will continue to resonate !

Thanks again for the poem ….. which certainly ‘takes no prisoners’ !???

Yours in Admiration
JOHN JJ