> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Weekly Newsletter - 24th March 2024 - URL: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/weekly-newsletter-24th-march-2024/ - Published: 2024-03-24T09:01:41.000Z - Updated: 2024-03-24T09:01:41.000Z - Description: The week I switched things up - Author: Tom Shaw - Tags: Reflections, #substack, #substack-type-newsletter, #substack-access-everyone, #Import 2026-10-24 12:50 ![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/51838187-9ce3-4b04-a99a-2d2ae72d193b_1280x512.jpg) Today marks the end of my bar and retail jobs before I plunge into more writing (here and for others!) and some media work for organisations and people I care deeply about. I’ll try to get a new poem to you all next week, but after that I take a few day off to get myself re-energised for this new chapter. Those jobs have done exactly what they needed to in giving me a routine for some sanity while working out my next steps after leaving a dentistry course that I realised would leave me in a soul-crushed place for the rest of my working life. But I always intended them to be temporary, and now I have routes into more meaningful ways of creating value in the world - and having that value reciprocated - continuing in those positions would have simply hindered my ability to develop further. I'm not someone who's interested in just working meaningless 9-5 jobs to pay off meaningless debts that I took on just to work those 9-5 jobs in the first place, only to build up a tiny trickle of a pension that I can only begin to see the reward from when I'm too old to make full use of it. I can only see that as a waste of 50+ years of life where I could be contributing to things in a manner which I genuinely enjoy. With the broader switch-up occurring in my life, I thought this would also be a good time to also switch-up the format for my newsletters to include some more of the poems I’ve been reading recently. Let me know how this new newsletter format lands with you, and if there's anything else you'd like to see from it! [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) With that in mind, let’s look at something… # From Poets Past Here’s a poem I’ve had saved for a few weeks now, which came my way thanks to the wonderful [Poetic Outlaws](https://open.substack.com/users/84743291) . The [decline of authentic masculinity](https://raintrozzi.substack.com/p/fostering-authentic-masculinity-with-9ec) in society is a topic that interests me greatly, and I often find myself wondering how much of the problems we see around us can be attributed to boys being unable to make that effective transition into manhood. To me, “Bluebird” speaks to what has become of men as a result. It’s a haunting, powerful read. I’ve sent Charles Bukowski’s poem, “Bluebird” to a few friends now, all of whom have resonated with its message. As such, it only seems right to include it by linking you to the original post from Poetic Outlaws, along with a Tom o’Bedlam reading of the poem put to music. Be sure to give them a follow, as they share a range of great poems from amazing authors. [Bluebirdthere’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I’m too tough for him, I say, stay in there, I’m not going to let anybody see you. there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I pour whiskey on him and inhale cigarette smoke and the whores and the bartenders and the grocery clerks never know that he’s in there. there’s a bluebird i…![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/cb3a038d-50f2-4b12-9331-7342bd88eac2_800x800.png)Poetic Outlaws ](https://poeticoutlaws.substack.com/p/bluebird) # From Poets Present “I Am A Reprint” by Substack’s very own [The Rewind](https://open.substack.com/users/205195880) blew me away as I was reading it, partly because I’m in the midst of my own shadow work and the message here resonated exactly with the work I am doing there. It is frank, honest, and cuts straight to the heart. And it’s awesome. To my memory, this is the first prose poem I’ve shared here. In all honesty, I find it much harder to resonate with prose poems than I do more structured forms of poetry - partly because I enjoy that structure and form ultimately conveys meaning in and of itself which helps further the impact of the words it contains. It takes something exceptional for me to enjoy prose poetry, and “I Am A Reprint” is one of those pieces. Go read it over on Substack and be sure you’re subscribed to The Rewind if you’re not already. [I Am A ReprintI once hunted myself, like a skilled assassin. I tracked, trailed and stalked with allegations of dysfunctional worthlessness, with the brilliance and proficiency of a master educated in professional loathing. I ached from my heart with a sharp bitterness. Profound and exquisite in its consuming eagerness to abolish and eradicate—extinguish even—the spa…![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/f54dbfaf-020e-4c42-989f-420e429b1a7e_1114x1114.png)The Rewind](https://therewind1982.substack.com/p/i-am-a-reprint) # From Me As for my own releases, this week sees the release of “Medicine Men” - a commentary on the state of institutionalised medicine men, and where we may wish to move in the future. It’s a highly structured piece, playing with sonnet forms to convey whether different approaches to healing that we see in the modern world are truly loving. It was also my first time using a different video editing program than usual to create the poem for “Born Anew”, so be sure to let me know how you found it in the comments. [Medicine MenThis poem is currently in early access for my Tribe members (paid subscribers) as a thank-you for the financial support they provide. You can head over to my About page to read more about the gifts I give Tribe members in return for their level of support. Otherwise, make sure you’re subscribed to be notified when the poem soon becomes free to view for all.![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/c307d39e-3048-4ec9-b511-12a1a31ba9aa_800x800.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/4e97e27c-cbba-41d6-86a4-6838d62a4652_720x720.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/medicine-men/) This week I also released a Tribe-exclusive essay on my thoughts around structure and form in poetry, which required me to touch on videogames and whether we have free will or not. We also break down some of my own poems and look at how I approached form in them. So a very wide-ranging piece! [Videogames, Consciousness and Poetic FormBeginning in Bits and Bytes Growing up, I enjoyed videogames a lot. Not the likes of the latest shooters or graphical masterpieces, but of classic and retro videogames. I always found pixel and low-poly art to have a certain charm, while the simplicity of the ideas and mechanics seemed wonderful in creating raw and engaging entertainment experiences. I enjoyed it when new games took inspiration from the limitations of these titles but combined them with the wisdom of game design lessons compiled from a few decades of experimentation.![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/c307d39e-3048-4ec9-b511-12a1a31ba9aa_800x800.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/0f54f74e-59a6-4112-bffe-2a0807dfc271_600x337.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/videogames-consciousness-and-poetic/) # And Finally… Thank you for continuing to follow my progress. If you want to support my work, there are numerous ways you can doing that, including: - [Becoming a Tribe member](https://tomshawwritings.substack.com/p/tribe) (paid subscriber) - [Purchasing a print or book from my store](https://tom-shaw.uk/shop/?ref=tom-shaw.uk) - Sharing the poems that resonate with you most with others If you enjoy my poems, or are looking for poems on different subjects and of different natures, consider checking out my book, “Born Anew”, which you can find out more about below: [Born Anew“Born Anew” is a collection of over 20 poems reflective of my inner and outer journey of the past few years. Some poems are more light-hearted and optimistic. Some explore the bleakness of realising …![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/c307d39e-3048-4ec9-b511-12a1a31ba9aa_800x800.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/e12d6b7c-f625-4011-a41a-4d4f70f87819_4032x3024.jpg)](https://tomshawwritings.substack.com/p/born-anew) It's incredibly heartwarming to know you are here and believe in the work I'm doing, and I can't wait to be able to share more with you and the rest of the world soon. With gratitude, Tom [Subscribe](#/portal/signup)