Hattersley and Mottram Community Media

Up in the hills, far from the sea,
is Moominland, or Hattersley,
There be, Trolls, or maybe orcs,
stab with knives, eat with forks

Leave this land, and turn to stone
or stay up here, start to moan
who did what to whom and why?
in Moominland, beneath the sky

A pleasant land, all conversation,
interupted by, the next libation,
where reality, does seldom faze,
or make it through a drugged up haze

Whose natives know, all you do,
before you do it, even pooh,
Britain's green hills, you may comb
for Moominland, that we call HOME

you might think i'm mad, you might think what the fk?
but tell me people....do you ever take the time to look?
deeper than the clothes, the hair and the smile,
does anybody anymore take a little while,
to say "how are you?" and mean it from the heart?,
or do we regret not doing it as this world they depart?
what's so mad about expressing your love,
before the good few are taken above,
it could happen tomorrow...we all seem to ignore this,
personally i think that this takes the p**s
why can't I tell you the reason I love you?...why can't i shout it loud?

feeling like a cube...4 sides n boxed in,
feeling like a circle...waiting to begin
feeling like a void....frozen in space,
feeling like you want me....out of your face.

a tower on it's own,
in a castle with crumbled walls,
held together with ivy that's grown,
wrapped between it's lonely halls

the guards gave up years ago
went home as they saw no threat
even though true threat was a trojan horse
when your guards leave...is this whet you get?

will these walls be re-built after this fight?
will the guards come back when all is right?

I had a dream I saw your face,
it was in a dark and distant place,
a place i knew from once before,
a place i'd hidden behind a door.

Locked up tight for nobody to see,
locked in a box only opened by me,
held closed by a lock made with hopes and dreams,
kept closed so nobody can hear the screams.

Not wanting to remember, not wanting to share,
hoping the lock holds so you'll all stay in there,
striving for more and not being beat,
these are the things that've kept me on my feet.

A happy smile to show life is good,
though you cut me deep you drew no blood,

October 2009
On National Poetry Day 2008 we launched our online project the Poetry Vault and to celebrate National Poetry Day 2009 we are launching an exhibition of some of the poetry contributed to the Vault by people from the Hattersley and Mottram community.

We are combining this event with our AGM which will start at 12.30pm, on Thursday 8th October in Hattersley Community Centre. Several of the poets whose work is featured in the Vault have agreed to come along, to the launch and AGM, to wax lyrical about their poetry and read one or two of their poems to our assembled members and guests.

Are you friend or are you foe?
It’s got to the stage
Where I really don’t know!
I find that my friends
Have all filtered away
Though my liver won’t filter
It’s had its day!
The cheers of encouragement
All gone in a shout
“Christ it’s over a year now
He’s dragging this out”
The pats on the back
Have now turned to knives
At the end of the day
It’s ruined my life
It’s not their fault
They really don’t know
Are you friend or are you foe?
Fair-weather friends
I’ve seen them all
Around for the rise
But never the fall
I got in this mess

We start on Saturday
At about half past ten
The usual posse
We’re Bullshit FM
We’re a new station
We really are a hit
We’re usually in the corner
The ones talking shit!
We just keep going
We don’t know when to stop
We’re eternal ravers
We’re top of the pops
You can’t miss us
Just look round and you’ll see
We’re the ones getting louder
On a strange frequency
It’s late afternoon
We’re really on fire
This is when we turn into
Natural born liars
It’s where you sort
The boys from the men
Another day over
At Bullshit FM
By Derek Stuart

I look back with a hint of sadness
Was it fun or just plain madness
Once that I had got the taste
Years of my life gone to waste
Something had ignited a flame
My life would never be the same
Have I made friends along the way?
Not at all, I had them anyway
I wonder if they are still my friends
Now my life is on the mend
I sank so low, I didn’t care
I wonder if they’re still out there
If I upset you, accept my apology
I was a drunk nothing bothered me
I was just a lonely lad
Don’t know how things got that bad
I just wanted to enjoy myself
Didn’t think about my health

I aint touched a drop; For more than three years,
I've shed a little of weight; I've shed many tears.
I've shed quite a lot; But only for the best,
My resolve has been Put to the test.

My old lifestyle; Brahms and lyst,
It's gone and forgotten; and definitely not missed,
I had to stop quickly; this was quite tough,
I turned my life around; I'd had more than enough
I've fought off demons; alcohol the main one
My life it improved; the moment it had gone,

I love being sober; life’s much better when you stop,
I don't even miss it; I aint touched a drop.

By Derek Stuart