Five Poems by Christopher Barnes

 

BETSY

 

Mumps puff          Whisked batter            Gnashers fizzle

Dopey face.           De-stresses. Potato      In Steradent

Scratchy quilt        Scrapings heap.           Dreamland reels

Riles.

BRYN

 

Off-key                            Hoarseness on         Cotton wool         

At Butlin’s                       Rugby terrace.         Swabs greyhound’s

Talent show.                    Scarf flourishing.     Eyes. Unhooked

Uneasiness freshened                                       Dungarees.
By applause.

BRONWYN

 

Yelling times        Vacuum whirrs.    Day Centre,

Tables. Bubble      Avon rep              Macaroon, tea.         

Gum pimples        Goads door          Tottering softwood          

Desk.                     Bell.                    Chairs.

CHRISTOPHER

 

Ultramarine nylons     Faint-hearted            Electricity cut.

Remodel as                 Dole queue.              Torch rays

Smurf fancy                Jolted signature.       Stumble upon

Dress. Cloudburst                                        Headboard.

Brick-bats

Greasepoint.

PAULA

 

Floor exercise,      Eye-pencilling       Pared rose

Pliant mat.            On jolty                  Dives. Redwing

Binding scarlet     Double-decker.       Screeches.

Leotard.                Carrier plump

                             With retro

                             Suit.

Christopher Barnes - In 1998 Christopher Barnes won a Northern Arts writers award.  In July 2000 he read at Waterstones bookshop to promote the anthology 'Titles Are Bitches'.  Christmas 2001 he debuted at Newcastle's famous Morden Tower doing a reading of poems.  Each year he read for Proudwords lesbian and gay writing festival and partook in workshops.  2005 saw the publication of his collection LOVEBITES published by Chanticleer Press, 6/1 Jamaica Mews, Edinburgh.

On Saturday 16Th August 2003 he read at the Edinburgh Festival as a Per Verse.

Christmas 2001 The Northern Cultural Skills Partnership sponsored him to be mentored by Andy Croft in conjunction with New Writing North.  He made a radio programme for Web FM community radio about his writing group.  October-November 2005, he entered a poem/visual image into the art exhibition The Art Cafe Project, his piece Post-Mark was shown in Betty's Newcastle.  This event was sponsored by Pride On The Tyne.  He made a digital film with artists Kate Sweeney and Julie Ballands at a film making workshop called Out Of The Picture which was shown at the festival party for Proudwords, it contains his poem The Old Heave-Ho.  He worked on a collaborative art and literature project called How Gay Are Your Genes, facilitated by Lisa Mathews (poet) which exhibited at The Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University, including a film piece by the artist Predrag Pajdic in which he read his poem On Brenkley St.  The event was funded by The Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Institute, Bio-science Centre at Newcastle's Centre for Life.  He was involved in the Five Arts Cities poetry postcard event which exhibited at The Seven Stories children's literature building.  In May he had 2006 a solo art/poetry exhibition at The People's Theatre.