Denise Levertov’s ‘The Secret’ (LentBlog22)

This is a Saturday in Lent, so I am reposting a favourite older post from my archives. See you on … More

A sense of wonder, by Arthur Frank

The only real difference between people is not health or illness but the way each holds onto a sense of … More

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

The Soho Hospital for Woman (IV) I am out in the supermarket choosing – this very afternoon, this day … More

I had bumped into a friend at the cash machine. We greeted each other, as we always do, with a … More

Don’t Think About A White Horse Coming closer, he turns out to be you – or nearly. Once you … More

because of the words and because of the books because of the woman in the anorak at the swimming baths … More

Nine years ago today I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Even though I have … More

The Secret Two girls discover the secret of life in a sudden line of poetry. I who don’t know the … More

Medicine The black hair of my Chinese doctor gleams like combed ink as he leans over his desk, with quick … More

Yesterday I published a new poem on Rebecca Goss’ website, in aid of Children’s Heart Week. You can find … More

The most immediate and forthright analysis of a poem I have seen at any poetry workshop occurred as I passed … More

Dear Anthony I’m writing to let you know what you already know in your bones, as you put it much … More

These are the most read Lifesaving Poems posts of 2013. Mary Oliver, ‘The Journey’ I first read this on … More

Emily Riall will be a new name to many readers of this blog. She was a fine young poet … More

Earlier this year I ran a Poetry School course about poetry and health called Written on the Body. It was … More

It was summer. I found myself on the top floor of the library, on the recommendation of a friend: … More

I came across Hubert Moore’s fantastic book of poems The Hearing Room (Shoetstring, 2006) via my friend and neighbour Lawrence Sail. In … More

This is Jörn Cann. He was my ward doctor at the haematology unit where I was treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma … More

Love for Now did not begin with an idea but an illness. As I have written elsewhere, there wasn’t a plan. I … More

Towards the end of my treatment for cancer in 2006 I had one of the most profound conversations of my … More