Earlier this year my Lifesaving Poems blog enjoyed something of a milestone. Not as momentous as Jimmy Anderson taking his … More
Category: Lifesaving Poems
Lifesaving Poems: Margaret Avison’s ‘Twilight’
Twilight Three minutes ago it was almost dark.Now all the darkness is in theleaves (there are no morelow garage roofs, … More
Lifesaving Poems: Sean O’Brien’s ‘Before’
BeforeMake over the alleys and gardens to birdsong,the hour of not-for-an-hour. Lie still.Leave the socks you forgot on the clothesline.Leave … More
Lifesaving Poems: C. P. Cavafy’s ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’
Waiting for the Barbarians What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum? The barbarians are due here today. … More
Lifesaving Poems: Philip Larkin’s ‘Going’
Going There is an evening coming in Across the fields, one never seen before, That lights no lamps. Silken … More
Lifesaving Poems: Stuart Pickford’s ‘The Curtain Falls’
The Curtain Falls Suddenly a life is over – Ends with such serious charades The Dean makes lame quips … More
Lifesaving Poems: Carrie Fountain’s ‘Poem Without Sleep’
Poem Without Sleep All the things that could happen to the baby came to me last night as I … More
Lifesaving Poems: Tom Andrews’s ‘Reading Frank O’Hara in the Hospital’
Reading Frank O’Hara in the Hospital 1 The IV drips its slow news. So long, lean and turbulent morning! … More
Lifesaving Poems: Kathryn Simmonds’s ‘In a Church’
In a Church No, no time for this the outside clamours to be heard, the books, you see, … More
What you read in 2017
Dear Friends Here are the blog posts which you read most often in 2017, according to my WordPress stats: … More
#NaBloPoMo 8 -Try to Praise the Mutilated World
Try to Praise the Mutilated World Try to praise the mutilated world. Remember June’s long days, and wild strawberries, … More
A household name
I turn the radio on and switch it off again, unable to settle to anything. There is still no sign … More
The Half-Finished Heaven, by Tomas Tranströmer
The Half-Finished Heaven Despondency breaks off its course.Anguish breaks off its course.The vulture breaks off its flight. The eager light … More
and (Dear James)
and (Dear James) it occurs to me now, just thinking out loud, that in a way Kenneth and Frank actually were … More
Open letter to James Schuyler
Dear James (may I call you James?) Though it’s been a while (at least ten years, maybe more) it feels as … More
Alone, by Tomas Tranströmer
Alone I One evening in February I came near to dying here.The car skidded sideways on the ice, outon the … More
Breathing Space July, by Tomas Tranströmer
Breathing Space July The man who lies on his back under huge trees is also up in them. He … More
Lifesaving Poems: Marie Howe’s ‘Prayer’
Concluding this mini-series of poems I shared in my reading at the Greenbelt festival last weekend, here is Prayer by Marie … More
Lifesaving Poems 