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Julian (Hool)

@hool415.bsky.social

790 followers 640 following 2.9K posts

Nominated for a Forward Prize, Best Of The Net (Twice) and Two Pushcart Awards. Black Bough (Silver Branch Poet), East Ridge Review (Featured Poet), Frogmore Papers, Full House Literary, Dream Catcher, Starbeck Orion, Dreich, Broken Spine, Frazzled Lit.

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 2d

Hullo. Put this up on the shady side for a TTT theme of mystery. Trigger warning. The impact of grave illness on belief.

The Closest I Ever Got To God Was (Honestly) Leaving The Thornhill Farm Shop

I squeeze my brain like a sodden-mop to seek-up God:
cowering nowhere
unless those darkest, dirtiest, skull-corners;
having jabbered much in disappointed tongues,
allowed neck-drop
for flowery prayer-chains,
beautiful but useless
as Hawaiian-garlands.

Life’s white noise falling silent
once:
revelations coming in the side-chapel
of my car,
nothing divine,
just a minute’s unalloyed clarity
elbowing-in.

Maybe cancer’s grubby-hands (should they ever reach)
will help me
finally,
to cross the enchantment-line.

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1h

Yes!
Thanks for those kind words! I really appreciate it!

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 3h

Like the discotheque sandwiched in the middle of this cake!

Reposted by Julian (Hool)

Gary Legg @poetryman1.bsky.social · 4h

Here for #promptcombo #visitor @hool415.bsky.social

One from the archives published in The Frogmore Papers c1988 I think! 🤔🤔

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 4h

Nice one Gary! Loved the pivot of ‘an interruption shifted roles’ then that tentative burst of sunlight at the end navigating the motes!
Perfect!

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 6h

Thanks Devil! Much appreciated as always!🙌

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 7h

Hullo #vss365 and to #libertine

Libertine

This word can be pegged-down with mild frowns,
hooks
from tense lips
tying it firmly to mucky ground;
for non-libertines
there can be nothing worse
than an aimless amble
round sun-dappled meadows
of pure hedonistic
pleasure.

Personally,
I admire such unshackled folk,
who find a life of sugary lemonade
without any necessity
to even dabble
with an alchemy of lemons
first.

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 8h

👌👌👌

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 10h

🥳🥳🥳

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 10h

Put me down for a signed copy Paul!
And keep the street cleaner one in if you can…please!!!

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Reposted by Julian (Hool)

Paul Brookes @thewombwellrainbow.bsky.social · 11h

Hi @hool415.bsky.social Ju, here's my fourth response to your excellent #promptcombo #Visitor. It's the first poem of three called "Old Gent Trio" from my collection "Please Take Change:

OLD GENT TRIO
1. OLD GENT
Regular old gent works his stick
buys a loaf of bread, his stutterful
fingers offer a palmside up
full of change for me to focus
upon and pick out the correct change
whilst his uncut nails tremble.
On one occasion he told me,
Never get to ninety, lad.
As usual I loudly and clearly
wish him a grand day.
He pauses then says I was woken
up this morning to hear my wife had died
in old folks home.
I say I’m sorry to hear that
give condolences as he pauses
and the queue at my till grows.
The next customer who overheard
says He needed to tell someone.

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 11h

That’s an absolute scalpel of a poem Paul. The ‘never get to 90’ so weighted with unspoken meaning. Your bare bones of the reported conversation perfect for this befuddled old man. That sweep-up in the last line just majestic. Really, as if you needed a stranger’s prompt! Another of your very best!🏆

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 11h

Yay!🥳

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Reposted by Julian (Hool)

Paul Brookes @thewombwellrainbow.bsky.social · 21h

Hi @hool415.bsky.social Ju, here's my third response to your inspirational #promptcombo #Visitors:

Our Window Cleaner

speaks nine languages fluently.
Translates documents
for the university.

Someone stole his ladders
and his bucket, and trashed
his car.

Jehovah's Witness, his church
financed his visit to Hungary,
to speak to refugees
in Iranian and Arabic.

He bunked with a Japanese,
and says he could only speak
odd phrases to him.

Thoroughly polished
our windows gleam.

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 20h

Where do you find these people Paul. They are real, whether they exist or not. There’s a few life lessons buried in there as well!
Lovely pre log off thoughts! Good night!👏👏

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 23h

Sorry, I was having tea so forget to say thank you as well for that Devil!

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 23h

Stylish as always!

Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

👌

Reposted by Julian (Hool)

Rob Galpin @robgalpin.bsky.social · 1d

My first attempt at #promptcombo with the prompt #visitor. Written just now on the train, heading south. @hool415.bsky.social
write.as/robgalpin/vi...

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

You must visit again Rob.This is a very powerful write. As much about what we don’t directly see.Brilliant!

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

Hullo #vss365 and to #ash
An old one, first in Envoi.

Speaking To My Son, From Slebech, Pembrokeshire

It was the day of far away things.

Earlier, I had seen distant gulls
wheel over a plated estuary,
like indecisive flecks of ash.

Then later, facing that March night,
I telephoned you with the blind lasso of a poor signal.

As we spoke,
a stained-glass moon was mishandled,
slipping the grasp of incomplete lead branches.

Never so close as in that call,
hearing the crinkled translation of your day,
and between each breathy, considered pause,
all of my love
was wrung out of me.

I delayed afterwards on the cobbled yard,
watching shifting hefts of cloud;
each soundlessly obeying stage directions,
readying themselves
for as yet uncast
morning scenes.

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Reposted by Julian (Hool)

Dave Ashley @daveashleypoet.bsky.social · 1d

@hool415.bsky.social
#promptcombo #visitor #madrigal #poem

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

Great poem and worthy life lesson Dave! Love how you weave the repetition here to reinforce the message!
Ever timely!

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

Post morning chores, I’m on it. Cheers James!

Reposted by Julian (Hool)

James Mcconachie @jamesmcconachie1.bsky.social · 1d

For @hool415.bsky.social and this week's #promptcombo #visitor from a ‘heroic’ crown of sonnets..about 👽..in this case the Ariel School incident. Look it up..😳

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Julian (Hool) @hool415.bsky.social · 1d

Really nice to cross paths with you again James. Courtesy of a Wiki delve: a mass of schoolchildren encountering a landing flying saucer in Zimbabwe! (As you do!) Nothing comic book about the write though! Love the deft ‘humming plainsong’ and that final, grounding ‘second cousins’.
Superb 👌

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