Lifesaving Poems: Michael Laskey’s ‘Bike’

It was a huge privilege to share poems in workshops I gave at the Greenbelt festival last weekend. Here is … More

Lifesaving Poems: Ann Gray’s ‘mercifully ordain that we may become aged together’

It was such a privilege to read from the cornucopia of talent assembled in Lifesaving Poems at the Greenbelt Festival over … More

I am delighted to have Suit, a new poem published on Simon Parke’s blog, in his poem of the week … More

To celebrate the appearance of my dear friend Christopher Southgate at this year’s Greenbelt Festival, I am republishing my Lifesaving … More

Thank you to all my readers who have been asking to see a page with all of The Book blog … More

Here is a list of the found poems I have been posting over the summer, including older posts from last … More

A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world. That means trying to understand, take in, connect … More

When poets discover that their words refer only to other words and not to reality which must be described as … More

‘An amazing stillness this morning. A sense of impending exhaustion in the air. There was one robin as I went … More

‘What drives you?’ says the book. ‘Haven’t we been here before?’ ‘What drives you?’ ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Never more,’ says … More

‘What keeps you going?’ ‘You do,’ I say. ‘Not the others?’ ‘No, just you.’ ‘Do you ever think about the … More

A breath of our mouth Becomes the portrait of the world, The type of our thoughts And our feelings … More

Young poets Who don’t think of themselves As apprentices Are notorious For resisting influences. They’ve experienced The first stages Of … More

Consider what value, What meaning Is enclosed even In the smallest Of our daily habits, In the hundred possessions Which … More

‘I’m not talking to you,’ says the book. ‘Whyever not?’ I say. ‘You left,’ the book says. ‘I’m never going … More

‘Where have you been?’ says the book. ‘And good morning to you, too!’ I say. ‘Where have you been?’ the … More

An artist needs not so much an audience as to feel a need to answer, a promise to respond. … More

Why did I write it down? In order to remember. Of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to … More