Welcome to Hundreds and Thousands, a poetry podcast showcasing the best of today’s nonbinary and trans poets.

This week’s poems are from Oska Von Ruhland. Oska is a nonbinary Cardiff-based author, blogger and fashion eccentric, with a background in theatre. They have two published short story collections: "Stories to Stay Alive To" and "The God Killer and other Tales of Chaos". Currently they are developing queer Welsh heritage projects for the National Museum of Wales, as well as publishing their ongoing illustrated webstory "Want To Forget You". Their work often focuses on themes of community, found family, trauma and death.

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insta @DomesticEccentric
twitter @OskaWrites
wordpress: OskaWrites & DomesticEccentricBlog

Our Socials:
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haiks for paz

Hundreds & Thousands Podcast┃Episode Six - Oska Von Ruhland - Haiku

Joelle Taylor chats to spoken word artist Salena Godden about the UK's spoken word poetry scene, past present and future, as well as her experience with the recent BBC iPlayer documentary 'We Belong Here'. Salena also reads and discusses her poem 'Titanic', tells us the best and worst gig she's ever been to, and more. To connect with more poetry, visit poetrysociety.org.uk

Joelle Taylor in conversation with Salena Godden

Welcome back, our poem this week is from the Professor of Whimsy himself - Robert Garnham!
--
'To the car full of girls who shouted 'Poof!' at me as they drove past'

Of course it might have been a lucky guess.
Though I held high in the Scottish drizzle
A RAINBOW UNICORN UMBRELLA 
Which even I concede was a little camp.
Or maybe my pink feather boa was 
Poking out from my Tesco's bag for life.
Or maybe they were just nasty bastards.

It wasn't like I was gawping at a fit bloke,
Or wearing my I Like Cock tshirt,
Or logging into Grindr and shouting,
Where are you, FunkyLoveMuffin, 
Cooooooeeeeee!
I was on the way to buy a steak and Kidney pie
And you can't get any straighter than that.

As the car sped away 
I felt the loving embrace of the generations who couldn't.
But did anyway.
Souls whose crime was to love 
But loved fiercely and with passion.
This thought, and my RAINBOW UNICORN UMBRELLA
Added some glitz to a drizzly Tuesday morning.

What was it that gave the game away?
Did I flounce did I strut did I sashay
Did I mince,
Does it matter?
No glitter in the drizzle no secret street sequins
I've been out and proud 
Since before you were born,
Gayer than the gayest gay that ever did gay,
Though I do occasionally wear an anorak.

Like phantoms they come, Alan Turing,
Oscar Wilde, Freddie Mercury, Frank O'Hara,
Marcel Proust, Noel Cowerd, Quentin Crisp,
Their ghosts swirling along the Edinburgh cobbles,
Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street,
And the anonymous lovers of old
Proudly flying the flag before it even existed,
Beating down the fear and marching brave,
Stonewall freedom fighters, Harvey Milk, a fist raised
Triumphant in the oneness of a gay new world
That those for whom biology had different ideas
Might walk unmolested in the conscience
Of public acceptance.

And I, oh,
I might rise before you!
You will cower and tremble,
I, mighty gay overlord, 
Will crush thy Fiat Panda betwixt my
Powerful thighs
For it is I, prince of rainbows,
Puncher of preconceptions,
The Pink Avenger,
Exacting my just and fearful revenge
In the name of blessed queerdom!

But then,
I just sigh,
And I say to myself,
Some people
Are just tossers. 
--

More from Robert Garnham available from our web store:
https://burningeye.bigcartel.com/artist/robert-garnham

http://burningeye.co.uk

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Robert Garnham

We are a small independent publisher in the South West predominately specialising in promoting spoken word artists. We aim to dispel the assumption that performance poetry does not transfer well to page as well as give emerging and established artist opportunities to be published where they might be rejected from other traditional poetry publishers. As well as poetry, we publish indie fiction, please have a look at our webstore for new release and popular titles.
http://burningeyebooks.bigcartel.com

Robert Garnham

Burning Eye Podcast

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