All Comments on 'The Colour Of Black'

This feels very auto biographical - 50's or 60's. I find it hard to critique because I experienced something similar on first going to University .A country boy from Gloucestershire who had never been north of Worcester My journey was first with a friend to Manchester then over the Pennines to Sheffield before heading a couple of days later through Wakefield to Leeds. The first 3 months a massive culture shock which your poem brought back with great clarity.

I could carp about a few weaknesses but in truth this poem is almost too personal for me to be objective. I'll leave it there.Thanks.

I can imagine the little boy living the memories you flash to and attempt to reconcile as an adult. I like how black is tied to daily life and survival. I can see the coal dust, the night bombing, the funeral clothes and the Guinness, however; I can't tie the Irishman in with any importance to the poem apart from his endless offering of beer. This is a really good piece, there's a real train voice in the rhythm and just enough sophistication in the language to impart the maturity of a man looking backward. Mentioned on the New Poems Review thread in Literotica's Poetry Feedback and Discussion Forum.

Yes, I did become totally absorbed in the world of the poem, in the backside of wealth-generation for those that live in the White. Yes, I did have a problem placing the Irish fellow, though his Guinness suited the black theme perfectly. Yes, I was absolutely delighted to find that the copious repetition of black worked like a charm rather than becoming a self-conscious artifact. Yes, I'm sure I will find fault after I've read it a few times, but after the first reading: Mwaa!

I shamelessly idolize the numerous story tellers and poets, Irish as English, which those Islands seem to produce in abundance. Some suffering maybe indeed be a necessary irritant for the muse to be invited (I heard it on NPR of course), but not sufficient for the poetic muse to be so effective. Such a strong sense of time and place, it allows anyone in.

and why did God create Liverpool? So the Manchunians wouldn't know they were in hell. Hence the Red jackets, eh? A hearty fan 100, without the lecture about the edit. Did you go back for the annivserary?