Above: Guest performer Maggie Harris

Write Angle, August review by Chris Sangster

August brought a packed house to the Square Brewery’s newly-decorated room upstairs, boasting mushroom and cream walls.
With Jake and Leah on holiday in the States, Speech Painter compered, keeping things afloat with supporters; Tash Finn, David Stone, Chris Sangster and Jackie Winsor - and of course, the wonderful mix of open mic poets and musicians, plus the brilliant Maggie Harris, Guyanese and Caribbean performance poet (in from Wales).
The evening began with Speech Painter juxtaposing words and music in his rendition of ‘Who Put the Bop’ - a real triumph - from the audience’s reaction. He then asked each poet for their favourite animal and type of music. These became the evening’s themes.
JeanAnne Naumczyk, an ardent fan, paid tribute to Elvis, reading with great feeling; not quite the same ‘positive’ strokes as her one about technology and its associated problems, leading to ‘good old letter writing’.
Sven served up his usual style of intensely written and performed poetry - a powerful poem ‘Shore Leave’, conjuring images of his father drowning his mother - the final image of the family returning home from the seaside (psychologists would love that one!)
Richard Hawtree read ‘’Risk from the Past’, memories of an ominous city he’d known in his life. Graham Brown, newcomer, all the way from the Isle of Wight, presented a monologue ‘You know it’s summer when…’ followed by a clever poem about breeds of dogs, entitled ‘The Rover Dance’, with images of Terrier Tango, Pug Jitterbug and Labradors grabbing the floor.
Guest performer Maggie Harris then took the stage, focusing on her Caribbean childhood images - a basic, simple life which she compared with that of her daughter and grandchildren in this country.
In a way, it portrayed a lament for Guyana - tempered with ‘thanks’ for a better life for her family. ‘Alphabet Shanty’ and ‘Dancing the Words’ recreated her early learning experiences at age four, with a ‘patient writing teacher’ - helping her celebrate the use of words through children’s songs - ‘words can shape the destiny’.
Maggie’s lilting Caribbean accent waxed and waned with song-like delivery in ‘Shadows’, a piece she’d written to accompany dancers exploring their ancestry. ‘Onwards’ painted wonderful imagery of the efforts and struggles of fetching water, the beautiful images of walking through the forests - a strong desire of striving for better things, - also depicted in ‘Tourist Market’, - various stall holders and touts (all read in different accents) trying desperately to ply their various trades and goods - one could hear their cry, “please don’t walk away from me”.
She was joined by her 16-year-old grand daughter Kanisia, in an adapted ‘Way down upon the Berbice river’, to celebrate the visual and activities of that river - with over-lying, under-used buildings, and lack of work opportunity. Overall, Maggie painted a fast-moving and multi-faceted word picture of a colourful, if slightly backward world, beautifully expressed.
Speech Painter did a poem about a young man - strongly hoping he get himself sorted out -‘ easier to read when he’s not here’! Dave Allen, always a WA ‘favourite’, expressed his frustrations in the poem ‘Hate Today’ - ‘Don’t tell me who to hate today’, about the ways that bad news, accusations and fluctuating “concern” is fed to us through TV and newspaper news. Audi Maserati sang and perfomed, using his wistful imagination to create vibrant images of nature, sea, rivers and sunsets - “Something special is going down”.
The open mic continued with two newcomers. Stephen Boyce reading ‘Go Figure’, a clever, numerically-based view of the life and death of James Dean - “How does that add up?” Then, ‘Underground Movement’ focusing on sights and sounds of city living - “We try so hard to stink of experience”. Janet Turner, all the way from New Forest, read an amusing poem about clocks ticking in hospital wards - creating growing stress for patients.
Maggie Harris then returned with ‘Through Blue Eyes to Marley’; with granddaughter, Lily, joining in for ‘Dylan is playing the Djembe’. These conjured memories of her father playing guitar, ‘singing the old songs’. She then read from her latest book, “60 Years of Loving”: ‘Cleopatra in All her Glory’, ‘I Had a Lover Once’ and ‘60 Shades’ – “There’s something about an Affair”, (wondering if it was wise with her granddaughter in the audience). Then, ‘Changing times’, (highly visual) -‘ Stop All the Clocks’ and ‘Time line - Winstable’ - reviewing traditions and changing lifestyles in Wales. Maggie proved herself a unique performer with a varied programme.
Open mic continued with Maria Hewitt’s, ‘I Wish’ following the stages of growing up. Then, ‘His Wish’, a war destroyed city wishing for the future as “his golden city”. Then, how her garden was threatening to take over her life in ‘The Tyranny of the Garden’ - “I do love my garden but does it really love me?”
Sorrel Wood, third new comer, did a real report of the theft of a snowman, and ‘An Accidental Armchair Anarchist’ “they’re Eton clones!’ - two hilarious poems. Chris Sangster then did ‘Teaching an Old Dog’ and ‘Hear the Sound of the Drum’.
Bruce Parry added beautiful music on a hammered dulcimer., as well as sharing a thought-provoking poem about a couple drifting apart. Speech Painter returned with guitarist Will B to perform songs about The Road - their latest writing project. “There is no Hope in Hell” - The second song, inspired by Didling church near Minstead had some ominous images of scarecrows and burning stubble - “Don’t stop at the crossroads”. The evening ended with an explosive piece of theatre poetry by Carolyn Blackburn entitled ‘The Female Symbol’, which elaborated graphically on the male/female role.
The raffle sponsor was the fabulous Italian restaurant La Piazzetta.
All in all, a varied and fast-moving evening, with a welcome injection of “new poetic blood”, talented regulars and a truly earthy and great guest poet! What more can one want?
Petersfield Write Angle,

www.petersfieldwriteangle.co.uk