Lifesaving Poems: Fleur Adcock’s ‘The Soho Hospital for Women (IV)’

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

Why do it?

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

Poetry and illness

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

Don Paterson’s ‘Oh God’ moment

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

By the way, you live

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

The most read Lifesaving Poems of 2013

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

When one poet rescues another poet

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