Verbatim found poetry is an intriguing collection of found poems. Poems found in ordinary, and not so ordinary places. Submit yours.
I find the college…
infinitely the best in the university;
for it is the smallest,
and it is filled with lawyers,
who have lived in the world,
and know how to behave.
Whatever may be said to the contrary,
there is certainly very little
debauchery in this university,
especially among the people of fashion.
Unattributed quotation in The University of Cambridge, an ‘unofficial history produced by the University of Cambridge Board of Continuing Education for the use of participants in its courses’.
Dan Strong is bungee jumping,
Dutch boys, lies and more lies, Oxford lads, the north, small Thai ladies, happy elephants, ‘bamboo rafts don’t fucking float’, jungle treks, more Irish girls, Thai boxing, watching failure, and how far does the rabbit hole go…
Dan Strong is maekong man,
he came, he saw, he mankini’d vang vieng in two! tubing, happy shakes, happy bread, and the rest, lying in rivers ”soooo…..this is nice”, being gracefully shot down, 25m rope swings, how to save a life, and a lot of unexplained injuries! TIL baby.…
Dan Strong is crashing motorbikes,
hefty fines, ”the biggest island is a shithole”, german girls, being unable to get rid of our dutch companion, chilling in rice paddies, getting groped by a french teacher, best bus trip ever and sleeping aids….
Dan Strong is capsizing tuk tuks,
killing fields, tuol sleng, sleeping on rooftops, ‘im so excited about these temples, cock blocking, wasting time in hammocks….ha! cambodian clubs, dirty western perverts and the master of sublety, TIC baby.
Dan Strong is the child tree,
waiting far too long for overpriced bar shirts, drinking games for boys, best gay ever! gecko vs snake, street dancing, clean clothes, temples, lara croft, pissing off the tiger, best meal ever and maybe there is light at the end of this very deep rabbit hole.…
Dan Strong is best coffee ever,
last night with mum and dad, back in t land, 6 hour waits, israel girl, tittus, and khao San mornings…. Same same but brilliantly different! P
Facebook updates from a young guy who is travelling. Submitted by Lucie Shuker.
They show us the grain of the present,
like the cross-section of a tree.
Old tyres, Dr Pepper machines,
discarded air-conditioners,
vending machines, empty and dirty
Coca-Cola bottles, torn posters,
power poles and power wires,
street barricades, one-way signs,
detour signs, No Parking signs,
parking meters and palm trees
crowding the same curb.
A dog trotting toward the camera;
a Moose lodge; a woman
standing by a rural road;
a row of country mailboxes;
a convenience store; the lobby
of a Krystal fast-food restaurant –
all of these ordinary scenes.
From the Wikipedia page for William Eggleston.
Fell on a lady on tube
who smiled.
Helped another with a bag
who effused.
Sat opposite a third
who politely
ignored me.
A Twitter post from @alfrot, 9 July 2009.
This seems to be one for you:
date1 July 2009 06:11
subjectThere he sat and cried
hide details 06:11 (6 hours ago) Reply
Hello. Is there perchance!
switchings
Facebook message from a writer friend – thought she was sending me a poem for this blog until I realised it was spam.
Harry is developing good control
of his pencil movements.
He is working on counting up and back
in steps of twos and tens.
Harry enjoys spending time on
investigative sites on the computer
and is competent on the internet.
He likes to use clay and box modelling
to interpret his ideas. Harry
has developed a good understanding
of the past, present and future.
He has been keen to spend time on
developing the role-play area
into a bakery, resulting in
him producing some very good price lists.
Harry is one of a very few children
who have mastered the ropes in gymnastics.
He is now developing his target skills.
My son’s first school report, aged 5.
That’s why I hit you today,
for the first time in my life.
Because you opened the letter,
because I wanted you to…
because of mother,
because she told you something she didn’t tell me,
because I love you and you are not my daughter,
because everything could have been different,
because the past will never return…
Because of the times you caressed my back
when I cried
candy king
gingerbread page
marzipan princess.
Subtitles from episode 4 of Dekalog.
When I was twelve, I was interviewed by
a doctoral candidate in
education and asked what I wanted
to be when I grew up.
I said that I wanted either to be
a philosopher or a clown,
and I understood then, I think that much
depended on whether or not
I found the world worth philosophising
about, and what the price of
seriousness might be. I was not sure I
wanted to be a philosopher,
and I confess that I have never quite
overcome that doubt.
From ‘Undoing Gender’ by Judith Butler (London: Routledge 2004), p234. Submitted by Marika Rose.
Tenir ce sac et sa poignée
hors de portée des bébés et enfants
pour éviter tout risque d’étouffement.
Plastiktüte und Gryff von Babys und Kindern
fernhalten, um Erstickungs – und
Erdrosselungsgefahr zu vermeiden.
Per evitare rischi di soffocamento
o strangolamento, tenere questa busta di plastica
fuori della portata del bambini.
För att undvika risk för kvävning
och strypning, förvara plast
och handtag utom räckhåll för barn.
Tukehtumis – taikka kuristumisriskin
välttämiseksi on muovipakkaus ja kahva
säilytettävä lasten ulottumattomissa.
To avoid danger of suffocation
and strangulation keep this plastic bag
and handle away from babies and children.
Warning on the side of a packet of Pampers nappies.
One hundred way convertible bra,
the bra you can wear one hundred ways.
Wow! Infinite possibilities,
the only bra you’ll ever need.
Wear it as a plunge, two-strap, one-shoulder,
racerback, boatneck, crisscross front, halter –
and so many more! Comes with three
sets of straps: regular, clear
and a low back converter strap.
Provides added coverage for contour shaping.
Smooth, moulded, lightly lined under-wired cups,
with removable pads. One bra one hundred ways.
Customise your look with our life changing
one hundred way convertible bra.
The most versatile bra ever!
Simply insert straps into any of the
hidden eyelets for any look you want.
There’s now no excuse for showing straps!
Spotted on a BHS bra tag, June 2009. Submitted by Marika Rose.
Verbatim Poetry 
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