New volume: So Long As We Know Him

February 24, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 406, “So Long As We Know Him”! Check it out here:

I don’t know about you, but I’m in a funny place at the moment.

There has been so much upheaval over the past year, a great deal of uncertainty… and most of it has scared the living daylights out of me… but, now that there seems to be a way out of this nightmare, I find that I am more frightened than ever. Perhaps this is the new normal. I’m not good with change – good or bad.

Several of the new works presented here touch on fear, and its power to distort both humanity and truth. Other works deal with irreversible change – death, destruction – and how this can affect the human psyche. All in all, a heavier volume than I normally would write, and not “planned” at all!

Musical inspiration this time around – mainly listened to while doing my exercises on “Ring Fit Adventure” – includes Shania Twain’s “Up!” (I know, perverse!!!) and Nerina Pallot – “Year of the Wolf.” I also had the strong urge last night, while writing, to listen to some of MIKA’s choicest cuts such as “Kids,” and “Step Into Me.” (both off of his underrated “The Origin of Love” LP. A recommended listen.)

New ramblings

New volume: Valentine’s Day II

February 14, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 405, “Valentine’s Day II”! Check it out here:

Volume 405 – Valentine’s Day II

“Roses Bloom” was the genesis of this volume, quickly sketched out in an idle moment. I hadn’t intended to write any more for a while – after all, I have written a lot in February! However, upon reflection, I liked what I had written – and the idea it conveyed. So here we are.

Things kind of snowballed, as they so often do in my world. No point fighting the muse when she’s smiling down on you.

As I was finishing off this volume, I suddenly had the idea of making it a sequel to last year’s “Valentine’s Day” (Volume 351). We have all gone through so much this past year, not only in our individual lives but also in our relationships. That is what the eponymous work is about.

New ramblings

New volume: Hold My Hand

February 9, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 404, “Hold My Hand”! Check it out here:

Volume 404 – Hold My Hand

Another volume!!! This one really was unexpected, I had no idea I would be releasing another so soon. Or that I would be finishing it so close to midnight LOL

This volume is divided into four equal parts – 10 poems each – so it’s not as “breezy” a read as some! Inspiration??? Madeleine Peyroux and Katie Melua were involved at various points in the composition. (“Heading Home,” by Katie Melua, is a particularly beautiful piece I find myself drawn to again and again.)

The works in “Contrasts” are from a darker place. Please look behind what is written, to discover their true intent.

And the title? Drawn from one of the works in Part One. Don’t we all need our hand held at one time or other? Especially now.

New ramblings

New volume: Breaking OUt the Big Guns

February 7, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 403, “Breaking Out the Big Guns”! Check it out here:

Volume 403 – Breaking Out the Big Guns

Well, we were supposed to have snow. White stuff. None arrived :-((. So I spent a couple of days writing this volume instead!!!

Once again, Goldfrapp had a hand in writing this. “Silver Eye,” their most recent release, was playing while the first batch of poems were written.

Often I write without any particular purpose or theme in mind. This one began as a series of random, “couple-liners” in a plain text file, sitting in an open window on the laptop waiting for the right moment to come along. As always, I wasn’t disappointed. The last ten poems seemed to write themselves!

New ramblings

New volume: The Choice

February 4, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 402, “The Choice”! Check it out here:

Volume 402 – The Choice

This volume came together surprisingly quickly, mostly from a day-long writing session spent listening to Goldfrapp. Albums of note: “Felt Mountain,” “Head First” and “Seventh Tree.”

Sitting down to write this reminded me a lot of my writing style very early on in my output. I had a lot of fun, letting my mind take me wherever!!!

Most of these works were written out, not typed, so are shorter but more vital in a way than anything I’ve done recently. In most instances I have left them “as-is.” Sometimes that’s best.

New ramblings

New volume: Upon the Pages of My Heart

January 28, 2021 jamesrainbowboy

Today I released Volume 401, “Upon the Pages of My Heart”! Check it out here:

Volume 401 – Upon the Pages of My Heart

Going forward in 2021, I thought I would pen a little aside for each volume I publish. Hopefully this will be a fun exercise, and give you, the reader, a little insight into where my inspiration comes from!!!

Well… WOW. This is a behemoth. I am not sure where all this came from to be honest. I had begun 2021 in a state of remarkable lethargy given the vast quantity of works I had produced in 2020. But, after a bit of a rocky start, I found that the works began to pile up quite substantially!!!

Most of this volume was written at night. Chief inspiration this time around was Léon and her incredible new album, “Apart.” Particular praise must go to the song “Seventeen.” Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” and “Evermore” also played their part in the beginning. As I was getting a little maudlin, Kylie’s “DISCO” helped liven things up for a few poems (“Life is too Gloomy” being one of them).

As you’ll see the volume is divided into sections. These were a flash of inspiration, and subsequent to the writing rather than a guide to it – but somehow they fit in perfectly with all I was trying to say. I will say further that I wasn’t tempted to “break up” these works at any time. These wanted to be together.

Enjoy.