A Mumsnet thread about a book about a Mumsnet thread “Under the Duvet of Darkness” written by the women of Mumsnet THREAD 2

[Boiledbeetle]

Thread 1:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4776556-a-mumsnet-thread-about-a-book-about-a-mumsnet-thread-under-the-duvet-of-darkness-written-by-the-women-of-mumsnet?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

You do not need to have read thread 1 – this is not that sort of thread.

But to recap… Over Christmas and New Year after the passing of the GRR (Scotland) Bill a thread was started with a poem about Nicola Sturgeon. Eventually on that thread (and a couple of other threads) over 80 poems were written.

“Under the Duvet of Darkness: Poems written by angry women for angry women because WOMEN WON’T WHEESHT” was published as a paperback on 31st March 2023.

Available on Amazon only: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C129WKDD

In a rather bizarre turn of events at one point it reached No 2 in poetry best sellers and No 5 in Feminist Criticism best sellers. No one will be surprised to discover that a book that is in the main about people, especially men, claiming to be something they are not was kept off the No1 spot in poetry best sellers by a crime novel, identifying as poetry, written by a man ;-)

E-BOOK:

Some people wanted an e-book rather than a paperback, but for that we needed someone who could actually make an e-book and some extra poems.

FairyKindleMother came to the rescue with regards the e-book and posters wrote enough poems that we could add 20 more poems into the e-book.

I pressed publish on the e-book a few hours ago. It can take usually up to 3 days to appear and populate all the info etc on the various sites, and there is always the chance they knock it back for some reason. But I've done all I can do at this point. We just have to wait and see who spots it on sale first! It will appear on the Amazon link above hopefully soon, (or I'll get an email asking me to change something).

MONEY FROM SALES OF ALL FORMATS:

In honour of Magdalen Berns, who co-founded the Scottish campaign group For Women Scotland, 100% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to For Women Scotland.

“It’s not hate to defend your rights, and it’s not hate to speak the truth.”
Magdalen Berns (1983 – 2019)

As I started work on the e-book posters continued to write poems. So we had a choice: leave them there, languishing on the thread, unloved, forgotten, never to have their words uttered again OR we could just do volume 2.

Posters voted for Volume 2 but we still need more poems!

And that’s the gist of thread 1.

Oh I really really like that 😀

Thank you! 💐

Sticks it in my pocket for volume 2.

I'm loving all these new poems!

Pauline McNeil with
Regan, Forstater, Cunningham, Foran and Joyce.
Initiated a conversation for women to have a voice.
Dared to organise in the Holy Month of Pride.
Expecting acceptance of plurality, from TRA's?, that'll be right!
**?

Scottish Labour betrays every single Scottish woman,
Holyrood should hang it's fawning head in shame
A despicable shower of bastards, each and every one of them,
Men subjugating women time and time again.
Expecting a fucking apology, not a chance, with much disdain.

Arse. The bolds didn't work.

Nice.😺

I can see bold pride and shame

Nearly a grand raised! That's amazing work Boiled!@Boiledbeetle

Currently at £970.28 getting closer slowly.

More so that I can get it out of my head rather than it being a poem with any merit...

NOT VERY CHARITABLE

Oh, Oxfam! What have you done?
You’ve pissed off women. And then some!
You have fallen for the gender woo,
Your profits flushed right down the loo,
Along with your reputation.
And the trust and respect of a nation.

Cant get these two lines to work yet but i'll stick them here in case I get the urge to fiddle with this one at a later date:

Pandering to those who try to silence us
So take your stinking video and shove it up your tush

anyway moving on to a charity that is worthy of respect:

We've sold 48 copies so far this month (7 today) and are currently at:

387 copies sold and £982.78 raised for For Women Scotland in total since we started.

sorry about this... there may be more, it's been an inspiring evening.

The Basement Boys.

The Basement boys are out in force
Wearing their ninja suits (of course)
Anime avatars left at home
Flocking to a cause they can call their own

In bitter eyes you see the longing
For a sense of true belonging
They do not care for trans or queer
Just an excuse to be right here

Where they display their strangled hate
For women who they cannot date
Who shy away from sad & greasy
Feeling just a little queasy

They game alone at home each night
Or fantasise, then come to fight
Real live women with real lives
Wishing they could photograph some Readers Wives

But they're not here for a real punch up.
Getting hit back would bring their lunch up
They would never dare to pick
On anybody born with an actual dick

It's women they long to disempower
To damage, demean, devoice & deflower
When they get older they'll probably give up
Settle down with a pint & watch the World Cup.

For now, they saw the signs & flocked online
To bully women in their spare time.

Sign up here for the TQ+ party!!!
Scream at women risk free, me hearty!

'Tween Spring
And fall
Bad poets all
Let's unload in the forum.

Where women speak
Outraged trolls squeak
But Vipers just ignore 'em.

Meant to post this first (& I'm only talking about me when I say all, but all rhymed)

Last one.
Now I have to go & do some actual work instead of using all my index cards up on this stuff.

The Sparking Path.

There is a sparking path, where only women walk.
No matter what preventions are in place,
Without regard for science saying so.
A furled up bud of hope; all women hold within
Entire civilisations of potential
That only women know.

There is a rock strewn cliff, that only women climb
To fall on the dual edged blade of grief/relief
When blooded proof unfurls
Or bloodless pause insists
Denotes a gift, denies a dream, depicts a fear, demands a choice
That only women make.

There is a storm wracked mountain, that only women scale,
Rippling, tear shuddering peaks as life in full bloom prevails
Summits of pain that cannot be remembered in it’s all.
Of ravines screaming to the edge of death
Or sometimes past that point, fate swept away
As only women are.

There is a tumbled moorland, that only women trek,
Mired in misogyny laced with lies
Revealed in the mists as women forge ahead.
Bitter, weed choked revelation that our equality is false
Which only women learn.

There is a roaring waterfall, then rapids only women navigate.
To forge from fecund to the other side
Overblown petals now, our time is passed
To spark new generations
As only women can.

There is a placid lake, where only women sail,
Sweet fading blossoms dressed with greying heads.
Smile lines or frowns carve flexing, fading arcs
Those fecund days of youth now past
Angered, freed to defend those future sparks
As only women fight.

On all these paths, we women pass each other by,
As time and circumstances lead us through trials and trails
We travel up and down as time ticks by
Weaving our ways as maiden, mother, crone
Until days take us all to the quiet eddies at lakes edge.
Where only women sit.

And in the eddies, at the end where women meet
As buds & blossoms treasured on the wind,
We scent the future with our passing tracks
Become memories of the beings that began.
As only women may.

No man can ever tread the sparking paths
They cannot know just
What a woman is
Or learn humility enough to ask.
They never feel the footing change in life
The what of we remains beyond their grasp.

I don't know what you were supposed to be doing this evening, but I'm glad you decided to write poems instead 😍

@Brokendaughter I actually am feeling rather emotional after reading the last one x

A COCKEREL IN THE HEN HOUSE

The sun shines through the crack in the curtains.

There was a time
I’d have leapt from the bed,
Pulled the curtains wide,
Stood with the sun on my body.
I’d have opened the window
Waved hello to a neighbour down below
I’d have then started on my day
A pee, a shit, shower, hair and teeth
I’d have stood before an open wardrobe
Picking my outfit for the day
Maybe tried on a few,
Then tossed them to the side
Before settling on my choice
I’d have sung along to the radio,
Despite being out of tune
And whispered sweet nothings to the purring cat
Waiting for me to go down and feed him.
I’d have navigated hungry cat on my way down the stairs
Then leisurely fed him, then me,
Then gone about my day.
But today
I lie here waiting, with this constant fear
I hope with all my might
This won’t be the day
Where I wish I could fight,
That I could move,
That I could yell out loud for help
Will the woman they have sent be the woman I expect
Or will they send a male one as I’m not worthy of respect.
Will they put my rights above a man’s internal feelings
Or will they put my life in jeopardy just to validate him.

The sun shines through the crack in the curtains.

Kindle version, you say? With bonus content?

Uh huh! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C739HTDK

Leaves handy kindle link just lying around.

And if you switch it to text to talk it will read it out in that wonderful Amazon AI voice. It struggles with how to pronounce the user names but has a bloody good go!

And hearing it say FUCK OFF is wonderful!

I didn't know it could do that! I suppose that function isn't on the Paperwhites, a shame as I'd love Kevin to talk to me.

Yes I've named my kindle Kevin. #noshame

Oh, can the paperwhites not talk? For those who have machines that talk to them the text to talk (sorry text to speech) is hidden. See below click on the Aa at the top
Then select more tab. Then slide the right hand button on the text to speech option to on.

Although having checked some Kevin's do seem to have the ability to speak.

I'm currently typng this on either Marmaduke or Cuthbert, im not sure which is which (they are twins) so I can't judge you on Kevin.

My laptop is called Victor!

AFAIK the more mature Paperwhites don't talk. Kevin is a veritable silver fox, the strong but silent type.

Love that I'm not the only namer-of-devices. DC2 has a kindle called Farty Bum-Face but as she's in primary I'll forgive her.

Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited

welllll... if you have a a tablet or a phone that will allow you to download the kindle app the UTDOD E-book comes with the following features

• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 190 pages

so you will be able to download the e-book to all your devices. Hopefully one of them has the technological chips inserted to allow it to read sweary words to you!

Poor Kevin, silenced by his creator before he even drew first byte.

He wins in the name-shaming stakes - hopefully he'll do a Victor(y) lap...

Oh he has a surname as well he's Victor Victus! And he's a very good boy, yes he is! Aren't you Victor!

Sorry, he's a new member of the family and I'm besotted, he's so fast! He allows me to download software. He wasnt manufactured nearly fifteen years ago. He's got backlit keys and is really quiet, let's me have multiple tabs open doesnt take fifteen minutes to start up. Excuse me I wish to be alone with my laptop....

In other news

It's been a slow sales day we've sold 1 e-book

So the royalties creeps up just that little bit more

Since we started this at the beginning of April we have sold
388 books
And raised
£986.94

My volume arrived yesterday. [Heart eyes]

Such good news. Just remember it was written by people such as those in the gif. I'm the one wrapped in loo roll!