tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40796412613830567852023-11-15T05:20:09.713-08:00It's like poetryIt's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-26571020534458529982018-02-08T07:53:00.002-08:002018-02-08T07:53:34.672-08:00Women's Words Matter - Essay<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{1fdb72f9-a071-4606-8c14-488861953a13}{154}" paraid="2061308116" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Women's Words M</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">atter</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{1fdb72f9-a071-4606-8c14-488861953a13}{158}" paraid="340326511" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Alex Keelan</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{1fdb72f9-a071-4606-8c14-488861953a13}{176}" paraid="1832554474" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I have started this story so many times</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I wanted to show you all my best bits, like a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">writers'</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> selfie, I kept trying to get the angle</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> right, to put the best filter on, but it was all a bit false and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">soul</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">less</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Not representative of my messy, sometimes ugly, sometimes beautiful story. </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{8cba2b94-7142-40fc-8da1-a30f30bb1b4b}{39}" paraid="1516333957" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I am a writer, over the past 10 years I have (slowly) worked </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">towards building a career as a writer, making </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">writing my work</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. This</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">has</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> been a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">lovely and very unexpected twist</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> in my </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">story,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> didn't have any aspirations to be a writer as a child, I </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wasn't</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">like</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> one of those people you see on X-Factor, I didn't start writing in the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">womb, in</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">fact, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> didn’t start writing until I was in my </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mid-</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">twenties</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> U</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">p until this point I use</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">regula</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">r</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ly</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> tell people that I was not creative at all</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">! </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I didn't think writing belonged to me, over the years, I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'ve</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> often</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">told myself I hadn't </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">read enough </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">books,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I ha</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">d</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">n't read the right books,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">wasn't </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">clever enough and my stories </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">d</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">idn</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'t</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> matter. It's </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">true, I didn't grow up reading, I spent most of my childhood riding my </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">bike </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">(often in my beloved roller boots) I was pretty crap at spelling and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">grammar</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and I didn't go to the theatre until my twenties. These are however, just some of the sticks I use to beat myself</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> with</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, to feed my fear, to silence my voice. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{8cba2b94-7142-40fc-8da1-a30f30bb1b4b}{107}" paraid="1458469117" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I wanted to spend my 1000 words taking about a wonderful </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ssa</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Professions of a Woman</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> by Virginia </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">W</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">oolf</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> that</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> she read at</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">N</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ational </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">S</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ociety of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">P</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rofessional </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">W</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">omen in 1931, how that essay</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> written so long ago</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> spoke to me about writing and being a woman and how the judgements we face can silence our voices. It was going to be so good, about how it inspired me to write a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">play (Angel of The </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">House)</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">about a care worker from </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">M</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">anchester</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and how she found her voice thanks to the women that had gone before her.</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{8cba2b94-7142-40fc-8da1-a30f30bb1b4b}{173}" paraid="1497020351" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Angel of the House</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was about a young mu</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">m, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">from Manchester, working</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">as a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">carer</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">that had</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> up until the second act</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">n</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ever considered what she wanted from her life, what her dreams were, what she did and didn't like. Women are still expected to take on the majority of caring </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">responsi</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">biliti</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">es</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> in our society and it leaves little time for creative </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ende</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">avo</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rs</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, little time for </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">experi</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">me</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">nting</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> with your voice, making mistakes, writing a load of rubbish then </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sal</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">v</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">aging</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a gem of a line from it, a little seed you can plant and grow</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> your next story from.</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{8cba2b94-7142-40fc-8da1-a30f30bb1b4b}{187}" paraid="1636393887" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> It really was going to be a brilliant story but then I thought no, I'm going to share one of the most </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">embar</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">r</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">assing</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> nights of my life instead.</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{836c9093-63ec-468b-af6e-c5e2269912e7}{74}" paraid="78095115" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Whilst working as the Women's Officer for Manchester City </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Council</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I me</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">t the amazing</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">singer song writer, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Claire </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Mooney at th</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Women's </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Awards. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">nspired</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">b</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Claire's</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> performance, I told her I wrote a bit of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">poetry. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Claire</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">asked</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> me what kind of poetry </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I said, apologetically, it's a bit political to which she replied </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">great, want to </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">perform</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> at a gig I've got on next month</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">?"</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Fast forward to me, coat on, standing in a room above a pub in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Levenshulme</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, half way through a rant (poem) about David Cameron</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I went completely blank, I couldn't remember a thing, as I stared into the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ab</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">y</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ss</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I leaned into the mic and blurted out, 'my cat died today'</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">T</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">here was a laugh, it broke my panic and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">quickly rifled through my coat pocket to fish out </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">my poem</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and read the rest. The truth was, my cat had actually died that day</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">it wasn't part of my set</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. I was mortified, I finished my </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">poem</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, got </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">f</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the stage and walked right out the door. Claire Mooney followed me</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">surprisingly</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">invited</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> me to another event she was hosting at 3MT. </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{836c9093-63ec-468b-af6e-c5e2269912e7}{174}" paraid="1016280755" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Why am I sharing this? This story is Manchester, I had a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">go</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">made</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a mistake</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and it was ok. Claire</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to this day</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> says that was one </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">my best lines! </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Manchester gave me permission to fail, my biggest </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">fear</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">happened</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the ground didn't </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sw</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">llow</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> me up </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">(unfortunately). </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> streets </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">this city </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">are</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> pumping with the life blood of creativity, you can't swing a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mini</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ture</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> dog without hitting an open mic night, flash fiction</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> night</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, script reading </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ni</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ght</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, all aimed at new writing. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">These nights in Manchester gave</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">me </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the chance to sneak out</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">(while my children were, sometimes, sleeping soundly at home with dad) and find my voice, make mistakes, build my confidence, get inspired. </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{836c9093-63ec-468b-af6e-c5e2269912e7}{250}" paraid="1103072792" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Stories are so important, they help us connect, process our lives and the world around us. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Writing still sometimes feels </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">self</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">-</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">indulgent</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> but it's not, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">it</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">'</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> actually selfless, in writing your story you are giving people like </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">you</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> permission to write as well. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Just like all the wonderful writers, poets</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">singer</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">-</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">song writers I have met across the city in the past </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">20 years that have </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">inspired me </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">and</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">given me </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">per</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mission</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I'm originally from Liverpool and never thought I would say </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">this </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">but</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I love Manchester, this </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">city</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> has</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> been such an important part of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">my story and my work, this city gave me the permission I was seeking, it's politics gave me hope and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">it</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s'</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> diversity gave me inspiration. </span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{9e8d3a1e-0203-4f4a-9ea7-95cc0469936b}{11}" paraid="341694508" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"W</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat is a woman? I assure you I do not know. I do not believe that you know. I do not believe that anybody can know until she has expressed herself in all of the arts and professions open to human skill... </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">you are in the process of providing us, by your failures and successes, with that </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">extre</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">mely</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> important piece of information."</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Virginia Woolf*</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{9e8d3a1e-0203-4f4a-9ea7-95cc0469936b}{37}" paraid="1221729457" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">That is why </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Women's Words Ma</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">nchester</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> is</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">so important, we need more women's storie</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">from different communities</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">so</span><span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> future generations will start to know what a woman is.</span><span class="EOP SCXW228347985" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW228347985" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{9e8d3a1e-0203-4f4a-9ea7-95cc0469936b}{41}" paraid="725753209" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">*Professions of A Woman, Killing the Angel of The House, Virginia Woolf</span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCXW228347985" paraeid="{9e8d3a1e-0203-4f4a-9ea7-95cc0469936b}{41}" paraid="725753209" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I wrote this essay for Women's Words</span></div>
<div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A new archive of life writing by women living, working and growing in Manchester. The project partners are The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester Libraries & Archives, Wordplay Community Arts and Soroptomist International Manchester. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">My essay has been published in the Suffragette Magazine along with other women's stories and poetry (</span><span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">available</span><span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> to buy at Manchester Central Library and The Pankhurst Centre)</span></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW228347985" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-30224188477898897922017-03-08T10:57:00.002-08:002017-03-08T10:57:28.425-08:00Strong Manchester WomenI was invited to perform some of my poems today at Manchester's International Womem's Day event, they have been running a great campaign this year called Strong Manchester Women. I used their campaign as inspiration for this poem.<br />
<br />
Strong Manchester Women,<br />
I see them everywhere,<br />
difficult to spot, sometimes,<br />
to the untrained eye.<br />
<br />
They wear, hijab's, short skirts, joggers,suits,<br />
brogues, trainers, heels and Doc Martin boots,<br />
Appearance always commented on,<br />
regardless, they wear what they like and carry on.<br />
<br />
Strong Manchester Women, lift you up,<br />
Strong Manchester Women, believe you.<br />
Strong Manchester Women,<br />
know we are stronger together.<br />
They get things done,<br />
they carry on,<br />
even with no path.<br />
They will cry with you, fight for you, listen and laugh.<br />
<br />
You can not spot them by their size or shape,<br />
the colour of their skin, who they love,<br />
or how much money they make.<br />
<br />
They have a look, in their eyes,<br />
it's hard to mistake.<br />
<br />
It's LOVE, for themselves,<br />
and the choices they make.<br />
Even under the weight of our history,<br />
they stand so tall.<br />
<br />
A history not taught in school but learnt.<br />
Do Not Love Yourself.<br />
<br />
But... Alas, they do.<br />
Giving us all permission to love ourselves too.<br />
<br />
<br />It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-35334638234942505752017-02-21T08:28:00.002-08:002017-02-21T08:30:02.794-08:00I wonderTeresa May<br />
<br />
Teresa May<br />
<br />
Is this a dream?<br />
<br />
A self published dystopian novel.<br />
<br />
Teresa May?<br />
<br />
When she was young, I wonder<br />
did she say?<br />
<br />
"When I grow up, I want to be<br />
the unelected leader<br />
of a right wing party<br />
responsible for the<br />
DESTRUCTION OF THE<br />
WELFARE STATE".<br />
<br />
As she grew, do you think she knew,<br />
she'd carry the mantle for so much<br />
fear, suffering and hate?<br />
<br />
Would it break her Christian heart<br />
to learn that Jesus was a socialist.<br />
<br />
Does she have a heart?<br />
Does she feel guilty about the blood on her hands?<br />
No one ever thinks they are the baddie.<br />
How can we make her see?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-74585673171956992622016-11-10T04:31:00.000-08:002016-11-10T04:31:12.883-08:00Wake up callThis poem captures the first moment I realised I didn't have a clue about motherhood, it happened on the second day of my first son's life.<br />
<br />
<br />
I had a tiny tears, little sisters,<br />
I looked after nieces.<br />
I didn't need the books,<br />
brushed off advisory looks,<br />
it would be different for me!<br />
<br />
First night, battle worn,<br />
he slept like a baby.<br />
I just stared at him, triumphant smile.<br />
I did it!<br />
This isn't too bad.<br />
<br />
Second night, he was fussy.<br />
They said 'jot down when you feed him and for how long'.<br />
I used the back of a congratulations card.<br />
3am, the card is full.<br />
Front and back.<br />
Nipples raw, sea legs, saggy skin,<br />
babe in arms, I take baby steps to the desk.<br />
'Excsue me, he's feeding constantly and he won't sleep.'<br />
'Yes love, that's what babies do'.<br />
<br />
Tiny tears was bollocks.<br />
I phoned my mum to say sorry.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-50438914005044272732016-11-10T04:24:00.000-08:002017-01-19T06:27:35.456-08:00LabourI had a great time at Cathy Crabb's book launch - Mumb, an exploration into the darker side of motherhood, at Manchester Central Library. It's a great collection of poetry, available at Flapjack Press. I had a guest spot and it prompted me to write a couple of poems. I've never written about motherhood before, I have two young children and think it's because I've been too knackered!<br />
<br />
LABOUR<br />
Passed down from generation to generation,<br />
'They don't call it labour for nothing.<br />
It's the hardest days work you'll do in your life".<br />
<br />
My friend said not to worry,<br />
the midwives had been so good with her.<br />
Teaching her to breathe with the rhythm<br />
of the waves of pain washing through her body.<br />
Controlling the ebb,<br />
breathing slowly through the flow.<br />
'Just ask them' she said.<br />
<br />
My time came,<br />
reassured, expectant, vulnerable.<br />
Blood red toilet, bright strip lights, eyes wide, mind tight, public.<br />
I asked, 'please, can you show me some breathing techniques?'<br />
<br />
She snapped 'You know how to breathe ALEX!'<br />
<br />
<br />
I love the NHS and I'm pleased to say my second labour was brilliant, I think this midwife was having a bad day.<br />
<br />
<br />It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-28695628092681601872016-03-12T01:57:00.002-08:002016-03-12T01:57:21.058-08:00ImagineImagine no one ever told you it wasn't possible.<br />
Imagine no one ever told you you were wrong.<br />
Imagine no one ever laughed at you, dancing, singing, dreaming.<br />
Imagine no one ever ignored your curiosity.<br />
Imagine no one ever told you to be quiet.<br />
<br />
Imagine you still believed in yourself.<br />
You could run and run with your kite trailing on the ground and believe in the power of your laughing knees and take flight.<br />
Just imagine.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-86526520831020351262016-03-12T01:53:00.002-08:002016-04-29T03:20:44.997-07:00Jeremy HuntJeremy Hunt,<br />
you bear the brunt of the NHS,<br />
like it is nothing.<br />
Named in the suicide note of a Junior Doctor,<br />
still no weight on your mind.<br />
You sleep like a baby.<br />
Her name was Rose Polge.<br />
<br />
Forging on against the wishes of millions,<br />
like its yours to do with what you want when its not, it's ours.<br />
Forcing it to its knees so you can say the only humane thing to do is kill it.<br />
Jeremy Hunt and Kill and Feast.<br />
Profiteering from pain, illness and death.<br />
Health a privilege of wealth,<br />
a privilege I couldn't bear if my sister couldn't have it.<br />
Jeremy Hunt, they call you Jeremy Cunt.<br />
I don't like it.<br />
Cunts are givers of lifeIt's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-70720031227135399742015-10-16T10:59:00.000-07:002015-10-16T11:59:00.340-07:00Anxiety <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">My heart deafens me thunderously, </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
My stomach twists and churns typhoon like.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
A change in the atmosphere, thick and clinging to me like a damp rag.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
A storm's brewing, cumulonimbus pushing my brow down, I can't breathe.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
Has someone turned the gravity up, it presses on my weak and weary muscles, not again, not now, not here, please.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
The storm continues to rage inside me,</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
Low level electricity up and down my arms.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
I'm frightened, I know I'm not going to die, am I? </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
I plant my feet, to ground me and stop the movement.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
There is no safe place, no where to shelter.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
My body knows something I don't,</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
one day I hope to hear it, to understand.</div>
It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-62755449817722967572015-01-25T10:26:00.002-08:002015-01-25T10:29:16.340-08:00ATOSAtos don't give a toss,<br />
Even when their decisions cause the loss, of life.<br />
You can, if you like, read about the hundreds that have taken their life,<br />
After an Atos assessment found them fit for work,<br />
but not fit for compassion.<br />
<br />
Letters declaring 'fit for work' to souls on their death beds,<br />
It doesn't get colder than that.<br />
What rat sat in an office and sanctioned that?<br />
Benefits stopped, life line, support.<br />
Who ever thought, this was progress.<br />
One man starved to death at home alone, after they cut him off.<br />
Unplugged him from the main supply,<br />
his measly £57 a week back in the pot, for what?<br />
<br />
Not a medical qualification in sight<br />
Yet they think they have the right to decide your fate based on their 'clinical knowledge'.<br />
Clinical as an adjective means unemotional and scientifically detached,<br />
How apt!<br />
<br />
In a war with the poor, ill and disabled.<br />
There are only casualties on one side.<br />
The pen is mightier than the sword.<br />
No need for gas chambers here,<br />
progress is slow but steady<br />
And the Tories are always ready<br />
with new buzz words to justify their acts.<br />
<br />
I bet the job description for an Atos worker reads,<br />
We're looking for a cold hearted judgemental bastard with a strong lack of compassion.<br />
Must have delusions of grandeur and a slight God complex but still be a stickler for government rules and regulations.<br />
The successful candidate mustn't hold humanity in high regard<br />
If my only option was a job like that, I'd rather starve.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-59311622752937032632015-01-11T09:29:00.000-08:002015-01-11T09:30:28.608-08:00I've not updated my blog for quite a while, I have been busy with my lovely nocturnal baby boy. This poem woke me up in the middle of the night a few months ago.<br />
<br />
Show me the God.<br />
<br />
Show me the racist God<br />
with his twisted smile,<br />
That rubs his hands with glee<br />
When you judge your fellow man as inferior.<br />
For something as natural as skin colour,<br />
Yet give thanks for ALL that he created in you.<br />
<br />
Show me the sexist God,<br />
That struts around with pride,<br />
Every time you put that bitch in her place<br />
Exclude her from your practices<br />
And tell her how she must live her life in his name.<br />
<br />
Show me the homophobic God,<br />
That prances round with gay abandon<br />
Every time you outcast someone for who they love.<br />
Force them to live a lie,<br />
Or worse, not live at all.<br />
<br />
Show me, and I will look this phantom in your face<br />
And say, you do not exist.<br />
Then they won't, at least not to me.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-77672911127866050972013-04-01T02:57:00.001-07:002013-04-26T00:44:47.532-07:00Shirkers and Strivers<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RuDvQhkbua4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RuDvQhkbua4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
My new poem about the punishment and demonisation of the poor and the protection of the super richIt's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-44126025810410078442013-03-08T00:18:00.001-08:002013-04-01T03:39:30.182-07:00Alex Keelan performing at Unconvention 46 Pussy riotI loved performing at the amazing Unconvention event at Manchester Art Gallery, celebrating radical women as part of the Wonder Women Festival. The other women performing were fantastic, Steph Pike, She Makes War and Liz Green.
<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uJWPCtqSMpk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uJWPCtqSMpk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-35859659593821238642013-02-07T10:06:00.001-08:002013-02-07T10:06:16.808-08:00My international Women's Day Poem 2111 was posted on the Hellogiggles website<br /><a class="title-link" href="http://hellogiggles.com/my-hopes-for-women-in-the-next-100-years" style="background-color: #fbf3e6; color: #72174d; display: block; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.34em; margin-bottom: 0.12em; text-decoration: initial;">My Hopes For Women In The Next 100 Years</a><div class="entry-excerpt" style="background-color: #fbf3e6; color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">
</div>
<a class="author-link" href="http://hellogiggles.com/author/from-our-readers" style="background-color: #fbf3e6; color: grey; display: block; font-family: Rama, 'Arial Narrow', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.07em; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; text-decoration: initial;">From Our Readers</a><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: #fbf3e6;">
<div class="post-thumbnail post-thumbnail-medium wp-caption alignright" style="color: #72174d; display: inline-block; float: right; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 1.25em 1.25em; position: relative;">
<img height="250" src="http://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/22/guitargrannyframe-1-298x250.gif" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 660px;" title="My Hopes For Women In The Next 100 Years" width="298" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #0d6472; font-family: Rama, 'Arial Narrow', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 1.3em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.23em; padding: 0px;">
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<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
The cabinet will be awash with women representing the masses,<br />with women from all races, abilities, sexualities and classes.<br />They will run the country with emotion and passion,<br />and maybe, if they want, a great sense of fashion.<br />Communication will aid democracy,<br />compassion will be law and listening the key.<br />These traits will be valued and not seen as weak,<br />attributes to strive for characteristics to seek.</div>
<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
The media will present a greater representation of beautiful,<br />no longer will we be bombarded with airbrushed, unrealistic, plastic and dull.<br />Young women would have more to aspire to than being a celebrity’s wife,<br />spending hours tanning, plucking, shaving and dieting would be seen as a waste of a life.</div>
<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
MTV would play videos of the female equivalents of The Rolling Stones,<br />haggard rocked out grannies all wrinkled skin and bones.<br />Talent would not have to be tested or proved,<br />because barriers to opportunities would all have been removed.<br />Women could be themselves without having to conform,<br />and a woman in any job would be seen as the norm.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Women </span></span><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.988636016845703px;">wouldn't</span></span><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> feel judged for doing what is their right,</span></span><br /><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">like wearing what they want and walking alone at night.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">We </span><span style="line-height: 21.988636016845703px;">wouldn't</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> be bound by concepts of what women should be,</span></span><br /><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">our choices in life would be valued, respected, expected and free,</span></span><br /><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Being called a “girl” won’t be an insult to men,</span></span><br /><span style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">but a compliment they would hope to be called again.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Sisters around the world won’t be raped, beaten and vilified,<br />abused, humiliated, oppressed and petrified.<br />The current abuse of women would be unheard,<br />and the concept of violence against women would seem absurd.<br />Our bodies would be our own, no one could tell us.<br />No one could own us or rule us or buy us or sell us.<br />This is my dream for women in the next hundred years.<br />A life of endless possibilities and a life without fear.</div>
<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #72174d; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.25em; margin-top: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
By Alex Keelan </div>
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It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-42177650731372508112012-12-09T12:52:00.000-08:002013-01-20T01:58:02.200-08:00A cautionary Christmas tale - from 1982Sneaking around in the dark as quite as a mouse,<br />
the only hours of the year we silently ruled the house.<br />
It was 1982 and me and my sister had had a few..... to many chocolates!<br />
Brimming with excitement as the fairy lights bathed our bounty in all its Christmas glory.<br />
Santa came good for the good girls that never unpicked the wrapping on their <i>main </i>present... sacrilegious.<br />
<br />
We squealed with delight when we correctly identified our wrapped up video tapes, blank cassettes, nighties, socks.<br />
Always wrapped individually, never in blocks.<br />
We needed quantity not quality, substance over style.<br />
A bin bag full of knick knacks made us smile, till our cheeks ached.<br />
<br />
Once I went to unpick the corner of the wrapping on my main present, my sister silently wrestled me to the ground, careful not to make a sound and break our Christmas universe.<br />
She was too late, I could tell it was the Mr Frosty I had dreamed of for what felt like years.<br />
Oh to be able to make your own your own slush puppy, the height of luxury, the stuff of dreams.<br />
<br />
By 10am red eyed and delirious I sobbed as I crushed the ice my Mr Frosty was unable to crush and poured it into the cups.<br />
Karma, never try to unwrap your main present before its time, no good can come of it.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas xxxx<br />
<br />
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It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-53372271674667867832012-09-30T04:16:00.001-07:002013-01-13T01:29:25.916-08:00Alex Keelan performing at Pussy Riot benefit ManchesterI performed last night at an amazing Unconvention event at Teacup Manchester, raising money for Pussy Riot. There was a very thought provoking reading of the testimony's of the three women sentenced, they talked about the deterioration of free thought in Russia. Their appeal is on Monday, if there is any justice they should be released. I performed Slutwalks and a new one inspired by the Pussy Riot Punk Prayer.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eBLrOWllvxQ?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-74994619207675686462012-09-18T12:39:00.000-07:002012-09-18T12:39:08.228-07:00Poetry for PlebsI went to a great poetry night last night at Afflecks Place 3MT, its organised by Carly Bennett and Alex Klienburg, each week they choose a different theme, this weeks theme was Poetry for Plebs. In the spirit of the night I wrote this.<br />
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I'm not that cultured, I'm not that well read,<br />
that's why I'm right at home at poetry for plebs.<br />
I'm not adverse to culture or being well read,<br />
it's just 80's telly is how I was fed.<br />
<br />
My poems aren't high brow, I wouldn't call them art,<br />
they're not cryptic, mostly rhyme and come straight from the heart.<br />
<br />
But mixing in these circles I've come to the conclusion,<br />
all art is subjective and exclusion an illusion.<br />
Hearing other poets, I've also come to find,<br />
that the pleb in me is just a state of mind.<br />
<br />
From my trepid trepidation's from a world I felt apart,<br />
I've come to realise all expression is a form of art.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-79319423128580817612012-09-11T09:45:00.001-07:002012-09-11T09:45:58.297-07:00Alex Keelan reads "Matryoshka"A few years ago a friend at work told me that baby girls are born with all their eggs. I liked the idea that in 1949 when my nana was pregnant with my mum she also carried the little eggs that were to become my four sisters and I. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dzt0OXmHgM8?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-75621731235202212612012-09-11T09:42:00.001-07:002012-09-11T09:42:00.814-07:00Alex Keelan reads "Fledgling"A first reading of a new poem at the amazing Northern Elements event at Manchester Museum Living World Gallery.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d_vSfD8ji9g?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-91280422795485277432012-09-04T12:21:00.001-07:002012-09-06T09:20:11.144-07:00'G.R.A.S.S.' by Alex Keelan Edinburgh was great and challenging. I got ill the week before our fringe show Life or Something Like it (with singer song writer Claire Mooney) and had visions of me performing with flu and being assisted off stage with a recovery cape a la James Brown. This did not happen, I was fine. We were lucky enough to have 3 reviewers there for our first show. Being a newcomer to all this I made a pretty basic mistake and read one of the reviews at 3am the night before our next performance. I was staying in a travel lodge and some pissed lads screaming outside woke me up, I checked my emails and there was the review. It started well but then descended into a pretty tough critique of my performance. After the initial feelings of nausea I managed to talk myself round from throwing in the towel and realised I am still learning . The next day I tried to relax and perform better than the day before.<br />
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Below is a clip of one the poems from that performance. This was the third time I had performed this poem and the first time in front of my four sisters and my mum. It was great having my family there they really spurred me on. If you have sisters or brothers I hope you relate and enjoy.<br />
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p.s If you're nosy (like me) the three reviews were from Broadway baby, Sabotage and Three weeks.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lX6RJjGKZ7U?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-1116732870954235902012-07-26T12:55:00.002-07:002012-07-26T12:55:45.819-07:00Real<span style="background-color: white;">ly excited about going to Edinburgh fringe next week to perform our show Life or Something Like it on 2nd and 3rd August, if you're there check it out.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/edinburgh/show.asp?ShowID=1107">http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/edinburgh/show.asp?ShowID=1107</a>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-73305379451370548512012-07-02T13:08:00.000-07:002013-03-14T10:52:19.250-07:00Inter-dependancyA poem I wrote about recent welfare reform after a chat about it with my mum on Sunday, thanks for the inspiration mum.<br />
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When we blame the poor for being poor,<br />
when we make their punishment law,<br />
we abdicate those with more, from any responsibility.<br />
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When we talk of scum,of lecherous workless bums,<br />
about what they should become.<br />
We take away their story.<br />
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When people speak with passion but a lack of compassion<br />
about dependency and what these people should be.<br />
We forget about how dependent they were on their parents money, how funny.<br />
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They don't recognise their would be demise,<br />
without the education, financial protection, influential connections.<br />
Where would they be if we took that off them?It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-3293151337514865112012-06-21T13:55:00.001-07:002012-06-21T13:55:22.901-07:00Slut walks<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6TrUEReeg9w?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
Performing my new poem, Slut walks, written in anger at the continuing, outrageous, unjust responses to rape around the world.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-36564568207093218572012-06-21T13:49:00.001-07:002012-09-06T08:11:21.983-07:00Don't Leave Me This Way<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iqjS9Gu3e3w?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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First performance of my new poem last night at the fab 3MT, Afflecks Palace. Confidence is not a constant state, this poem looks at losing confidence and is written through the seven stages of grief.It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-11909098696268784612012-06-21T13:46:00.001-07:002012-06-21T13:46:57.706-07:00Don't Tell Me<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L87vb_h-Q0U?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4079641261383056785.post-13155898944613551632012-06-03T11:52:00.001-07:002012-06-03T12:57:17.084-07:00Living in fear<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The glorious sun the other day sparked a conversation about S.A.D, do you remember that, people being prescribed a sun lamp, 30 minutes 3 times a day. What happened to S.A.D, what happened to all those sun lamps? This poem is about other diseases that have disappeared.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happened to SARS, Bird flu, Mad Cow, Swine Flu?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The apocalypse we never knew.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like fraught parents using distraction to avert a tantrum and ensure their child is 'good',</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the government uses fear to make sure we all do as we should.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear of death stops questions about education, health and foreign policy,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blind mad cow, headless chicken bird flu panic, our democracy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember the news showing the awful effects of mad cow, CJD,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was terrified at the time and I was a veggie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Epidemic, pandemic end to humanity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hysteria mysteriously blows over, what next.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and on that farm he had a sheep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sheep shits, you will die a painful death its evil its vile,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">literally baa-ring like a shit filled sheep dying in a sci fi B movie style.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shit seeping out of every orifice, your breath will stink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seeping out of your eyes so you perpetually blink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A condition known as the blinkity shits</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear is limiting, don't believe the hype, psych.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will be performing this poem and others at the fantastic 3 Minute Theater, Afflecks Palace, Oldham Street on 20th June at 8pm.</span><br />
<br />It's like poetryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15094654363768560753noreply@blogger.com0