Dear Cancer

Dear Cancer It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Fifteen years, to be precise. To the day. Amazing to realise it … More

Cancer vs. chipper

The thing about having cancer was that it was pretty obvious what was going on. I had been feeling fairly … More

A friend of mine drew my attention via Twitter this week to an article detailing Robert Peston’s thoughts on his … More

Thank you to everyone who has commented to me either publicly or in private about my new series of blog … More

There were just a few of us in the room, gathered round a table. I had been invited to speak. … More

Earlier this year my Lifesaving Poems blog enjoyed something of a milestone. Not as momentous as Jimmy Anderson taking his … More

Dear Arthur Frank I’m writing to say thank you for your extraordinary book At the Will of the Body. It is … More

Courage It is in the small things we see it. The child’s first step, as awesome as an earthquake. … More

And what will I miss? Her cruelty, her unfaithfulness Her fun, her love, her kiss, part company The Go-Betweens, Part … More

Dear John Smith I was deeply saddened to hear that you died earlier this year in March. I am told … More

Reading Frank O’Hara in the Hospital 1 The IV drips its slow news. So long, lean and turbulent morning! … More

One of the central influences on my life is not a poet in the usual sense of the word, … More

There were just a few of us in the room, gathered round a table. I had been invited to … More

A Tuesday, appropriately. (Tuesday being the day I was formally diagnosed.) Poetic, it strikes me now. But at the time, … More

She started as a name. There I was, following my nose, minding my own business, trying to ignore all instincts … More

People often ask me who The Book is, or what it is, or which book or project of mine it … More

‘I don’t know if I can do this any more.’ ‘Do what?’ the book says. ‘This.’ ‘Sit around waiting for … More

Readers of this blog will know that I make a list at the end of each year showing the most … More