Silent Bullying – Poetry Reading by Laura Crean

Watch poetry reading of SILENT BULLYING:

Poem read by Dan Cristofori.

Interview with Poet Laura Crean:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The poem was an attempt to show the effects that bullying can have on a person throughout their life, especially if it involves those in the person’s immediate circle of friends and family. In these days of social media it is so easy to gossip about someone for all to see and the effects of that can be that one person loses those relationships, even if they haven’t done anything wrong. It’s a very dangerous thing to listen to gossip and rumours because it all happens behind someone’s back – so that person often doesn’t get to defend themselves. And once the gossiping and rumours start they take on a life of their own and can lead to disastrous consequences.

2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?

I suppose I would like people to stop and think before they get involved in gossip and rumour mongering and certainly if they are about to start something by making a comment about someone,especially if they do not have the full facts of the situation. Just think how they would feel if they were the one who’s life is out there for the world to comment on. Think how terrible it would be if you were accused of something that you didn’t do or say; and suddenly everybody is saying the most awful lies about you. How would you feel? Would you be able to deal with it? Not everyone is. How many young lives are lost to bully related suicide every year? I can tell you – too many! And it isn’t just teenagers – it is adults too.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry since I was a little girl. Probably since about the age of 10 but I have poems now that I wrote when I was as young as 14, that I used to record in a little diary. I have even published them in a book of poems spanning 24 years – from a teenager to single Mum. It is like a little autobiography in poetry and I even painted the masterpiece on the front cover LOL so I’m very proud of that little book.

A Lifetime of Reflections on Amazon – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1447866207/ref=dra_a_rv_ss_hn_it_P1250_1000?tag=dradisplay0bb-21&ascsubtag=635671474758c2f7e0ba479f61c746af_S

Poetry is my way of expressing my understanding of the world and my feelings and as I am getting older, is becoming more and more important to me. At the moment I am taking part in the National Poetry Writing Month and writing a poem a day for April 2015. It’s very refreshing, being able to make small statements through poetry every day and sharing it with the world. Come and see what it’s all about…
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/160293-a-poem-a-day-for-april-2015

4) Do you have a favorite poet?

I don’t read a lot of poetry and I have to confess it is because I am not well enough educated to understand a lot of the poetry I have tried to read over the years. I love various modern poets and those gone by. When I was a teenager I absolutely adored Pam Ayres because I just loved listening to her and thought she was so funny and clever with her words. Another modern poet I really admire is Benjamin Zephaniah, I could listen to him all day long. My prized possession is a leather bound 1911 edition of the poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson – I am a hopeless romantic. I also love Shakespeare’s sonnets. I love Tennyson because he writes about mermaids, fairies and love (as I said I’m a romantic) and I just love reading poems with all the thous and thees and fore shames etc. It’s fun.

5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I am not a very confident person. Not the kind of girl to stand up and recite my own poetry let alone someone else’s – no, I am NOT a performance poet I’m afraid. How exciting, to have someone else perform your poem for others to see though. And to have an actor perform it is great because they will be able to really immerse themselves in the emotion of it – I hope this comes across in the performance.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I have enjoyed writing since I was a child and over the years I have written several novels for varying ages – 10 to 100 years I should imagine. I write fantasy, science-fiction, and in the spiritual and paranormal genres. One novel is published with hopefully more to follow, eventually! However, as much as I love writing and pouring out my imagination, I am useless at the editing side and don’t have the money for professional editors – so they are stuck in ‘the trunk’ as it were and may be a long time coming. To date I have self published a children’s novel set in a fantasy world called ‘The Realm of the Purple Dragon’ and several children’s picture books for Toddlers and Infant children based in the same realm, which I also illustrate myself. I have also published poetry and short stories and prose in various anthologies, on my own blog and book form. ‘Vision – Space Between the Universes’ is my latest book and includes poetry, short stories and prose with a spiritual and paranormal feel to it.
You can find my work on Amazon and Lulu.com as well as my several blogs (I’m addicted to blogging – especially my poetry)

Vision on Amazon – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1291586415/ref=dra_a_rv_ss_hn_it_P1250_1000?tag=dradisplay0bb-21&ascsubtag=635671474758c2f7e0ba479f61c746af_S

A List of my books on Amazon – http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Laura+Crean&search-alias=books-uk&text=Laura+Crean&sort=relevancerank

My main blog –
https://lauracrean.wordpress.com/

7) What is your passion in life?

Ooh that’s a tough one. My children and my parents come first in everything so they would be at the top of my list along with my dopey cat. I love Jesus and all forms of music, although I do listen to a lot of Christian music. But I have to say I’m a sucker for Sci-Fi and fantasy in all forms – books, TV and films – especially on the big screen! Along with that, exploring the mysteries of the universe through any means be it spiritual, philosophical, historical or scientific research.

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Deadline for POETRY Festival – Get your poem made into a MOVIE and seen by 1000s. Three options to submit:
http://www.wildsound.ca/poetrycontest.html

WATCH this month’s poetry readings performed by professional actors:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/april_2015_poetry_readings.html