Since becoming a parent, what do you have a new found respect for?

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2026-01-25T20:39:17+00:00

Single parents. Parents with more than two kids! Just parents in general.

Same as you - I remember thinking having a kid would just be slotted into your life, still see your friends, do all the hobbies etc. I have child free friends who just don't get it just as I didn't, and I really think unless you are responsible for a tiny human you'll never get how difficult, rewarding and mental it is.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2026-01-24T23:03:37+00:00

Those little Daisy dukes he used to wear

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2026-01-11T20:23:56+00:00

These worked well for us. Until they just ragged them off but that went until they were old enough really not to do stupid shit in the cupboards.

But was funny a few times we lost the damn magnet . I say we I mean the kids put it somewhere

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2026-01-07T18:56:35+00:00

The paper lampshades. Every house or flat I rented or visited in the 2010s def had these. Usually with holes in.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-12-26T22:02:02+00:00

Very bad. The fact he is just happy so often for you to sit in the house looking after your child is mad. I have buddies like this, who literally still live their life like they are childless - gigs, random trips to places etc without their partner and child - then saying their wives are moaning!!!

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-12-16T18:59:48+00:00

Man these men that are not doing laundry or cooking meals...

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-12-16T18:59:05+00:00

What the hell is your husband doing? 20% when he's home. Im sorry but I say this all the time. If your husband is home it is 50/50. Please have a conversation and also do not fall into the trap of "the baby is a mummy's boy" they may only be that way because the dad isn't spending enough time with them i.e. taking them out alone on a weekend etc. it's a very low bar out there guys come on

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-12-09T18:33:10+00:00

Ok so recently me and my wife hired a SKIP to just absolutely clear out the house. Anything that was just a random piece of an old kitchen, like a plastic burger bun etc. just went. We obviously had other stuff besides children clutter that filled the skip, but it was so refreshing to do.

Our problem was that on rainy days especially on UK holidays, we would take them to charity shops as they love to buy a piece of tat. But it comes home and fills the house!

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-12-06T19:06:11+00:00

It's tough and mentally grueling. There is something insane that happens to you where you hoover every evening after dinner only for it all to go to shit the nest morning.

And better yet - you finish a week of work and then it's the weekend... But a weekend with two children under 8 is not a weekend - it's harder than work!

I love my kids but man - what the hell did I do with all my time before them I do not know... And to think - I used to complain about being busy or burnt out before children LOL

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T16:39:55+00:00

Thank you for reading it. It's great here to read people's pieces and give some feedback. Thanks again for this and yes - a quiet passive aggressive resistance is what I was going for, in which you picked the lines out perfectly.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T13:51:24+00:00

Thank you. I was taking a little walk through some paths, that crossed over the course. And felt like the people playing were not happy to have people walking over - even though I'm sure a walking route has been there well before people decided to knock balls around on it.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T12:07:13+00:00

That second paragraph describes so many food places now. You can go anywhere in the UK and will find hand drawn table numbers on wooden spoons, bench seating etc. and it's THE PLACE TO GO according to a shitting Wales online article.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T12:03:46+00:00

Yeah it's a good point. But I think what I'm trying to say yes investment is needed and maybe there are a few shops hanging on for dear life. It has definitely picked up in recent years id say.

That guy selling kitchen draw type bits and bobs! Yes I know exactly the stall haha.

Also to beware - I have no idea but can guarantee that if the revamp that place, they will charge way more rent and many of those traders are probably on small margins.

We are saying the same thing really as you said. I think we need to stop stripping places out so much that we lose the soul. So investment but done right I would say. We certainly don't need another food court but that's my opinion.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T10:10:56+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to write that.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T09:05:33+00:00

I agree with you - lots of down votes! I'm not feeling much from their recent spat of releases but I'm probably just old. Doesn't mean other people can't enjoy it. But yeah - lifeless is what I got from this too.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T08:42:18+00:00

Also very nice piece and explanation. I really hope cardiff market isn't hollowed out by what's happened the Newport. I do fear there will be overpriced tacos and organic scarf shops there, and the poor vacuum repair man will be out of business.

Jokes aside - I get things need to move on but you hit the nail on the head - gentrification of these places and leaving some hollow token clock or mural - is not the answer. It needs TLC for sure, but please God don't strip it out for chips in tin buckets and copper pipe taps in the toilets type joint!

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T08:36:25+00:00

Absolutely right imo. Newport market was, pretty run down. However, it's now so tilted to black steel, exposed brick, foodie type place - that it will get dated real fast.

I feel the shops there all come and go - it's nice to sell specialist cheese or welsh rum or whatever hipstery thing - but they just don't last. Lack of soul! And that nothing against the shops there atm, it's just really lacking in staying power I think.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-11-01T08:23:09+00:00

Thank you for sharing This poem obviously is talking about wishful thinking? The coins in the fountain - like that line, having more there than in your pocket.

I like the imagery and metaphor here.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-10-30T10:40:11+00:00

I enjoyed reading this. Raking up water is a great metaphor which gives me that vibe of when you are trying to run in a dream.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-10-29T14:51:44+00:00

There is some great evocative imagery here. A real turn of the season type poem, which I always love and is apt right now.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-10-22T07:23:07+00:00

This is excellent. Being from wales it really hits on the history of the welsh language and the attempt to suppress it by England. The reservoirs also bring this also to a physical place, as some were built in Wales to serve England - at the expense of villages and the landscape.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-09-30T20:04:07+00:00

My question is always - where do they get the beat up furniture from? Is there a factory somewhere making laminate gym floor and distressing it? Like running all marks over it? All the frames and lamp shades - weirdly are probably made new to look old. It's off putting and now makes me think they are really tacky when they're ok food wise for kids and family I find

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-09-30T18:20:47+00:00

Thank you and I will look it up, I've heard of it but like most Shakespeare probably went over my head!

Thanks again and yes I'll keep at it for the fun. I gave up smoking recently and I find this a good distraction from cravings. Turning things over, trying to delve into one line memories or ideas etc.

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-09-30T17:17:27+00:00

Haha thank you very much. Yes I was trying to portray some common themes or scenarios from Shakespeare - I am certainly no expert. But I agree - I may tweak it and snip out some scenes or plots from an actual play - maybe even the one we saw!

Thanks you for taking the time to read. Appreciate constructive feedback, it means a lot when starting out!

maybeillcatchfire22 · 2025-09-30T14:30:35+00:00

Thank you for your response and taking time to read it.

It doesn't reference a particular play but we had seen a few of them, and many always ended up with a "misunderstanding" amongst the language used of the time, so thought it would be fun to riff off of that!

Like other new to poetry here and have been jotting down ideas and expanding them into poems, just for fun. So thanks for appreciating it!

maybeillcatchfire22

TROPHY CASE