anger, by Britta Benson

I’m still working on my third blackout poetry book, advancing at a brisk pace. I hope to have ‘The confessions of an English opium eater’ finished by the end of the month. Still looking for a blackout title for the project. So what could I make of ‘The confessions of an English opium eater’?. ‘The

Celebrating failures, by Britta Benson

1st May and I’m feeling a little NaPoWriMo blues… I enjoyed the prompts. Now, it’s time to return to my other projects. One of them: a new blackout book. I started ploughing my way through Thomas De Quincey’s ‘Confessions of an English Opium Eater’. Another book that came into my possession decades ago and that

wild, by Britta Benson

A little update on where I am with my blackout poetry. I’ve finished my ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ project, typed it all up, 172 poems, a whole novel blacked out, transformed into a reflection on ‘Love in Time’. Soon, I’ll edit this piece and then, I’ll published it. Still working out the practical

lyricism, by Britta Benson

Another week or so, and I’ll have finished my blackout project! I love the poems I am finding on the pages of ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’. Themes have emerged and it turns out to be a proper collection. So excited about this, even if it is just for my own entertainment. Here’s one

Story of Soul, by Britta Benson

Here’s my response to this week’s W3 poetry challenge. The guidelines, set by Poet of the Week Angela Wilson: Write a golden shovel poem using a haiku written by somebody else. You can find the full guidelines here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2023/02/08/w3-prompt-41-weave-written-weekly/ What did I do? I used a page from Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ to create a haiku

soul, by Britta Benson

In this week’s W3 poetry challenge, Poet of the Week Angela Wilson, asks us to use a haiku (written by somebody other than ourselves) as basis for a golden shovel poem. I came up with an idea. Currently, I’m using Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ as source for blackout poems. So, today, I’ve produced a haiku –

comfortable love, by Britta Benson

Another one of blackout poems from ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’. I’m over halfway through the book by now and I am totally in love with this project. If I continue at this pace, I might be done by the end of February/middle of March. Today’s pick, a little uncomfortable poem about comfortable love.

to know, by Britta Benson

I normally don’t do this. Post the same content on ‘Britta’s Blog – Letters from Scotland’ and ‘Odds & Ends’. This little poem, though, deserves another outing. Here goes: to know to know when to mock ‘must’, to imagine life with joy, to love the eternal rain and sum up bliss

no alternative, by Britta Benson

Ya. Another one of my blackout poems from my ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ project. I’m having fun. It’s the perfect activity for a rather nondescript January. Still finding my footing in this year, 2023. No rush. no alternative lost in the void, delighted, delighted by delight, the intimacy of life to laugh, after

that incurable addiction to serenade, by Britta Benson

Yet another blackout poem from my ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ project. I love the title! I love the process. And I love the result. Here goes, ‘that incurable addiction to serenade’: that incurable addiction to serenade love tasted pleasure in other dreams unequal pieces awoke, asked permission to request simplicity and rage so