Waiting to be found out

‘It’s come back.’ ‘What has?’ says the book. ‘That feeling.’ ‘You’re writing again, that’s great,’ says the book. ‘No, not … More

All the poets on Twitter

‘I’ve been busy,’ says the book. ‘How?’ I say. ‘Twitter!’ says the book. ‘It’s great fun, you should try it.’ … 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

The poem as love affair

I have started the poem but the poem does not know it yet. I am more than flirting with it, … More

Go-to poet?

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the ‘poets I go back to’ idea, that I first came across in … More

Hectic

‘What are you adding?’ ‘Me. I’m adding me. By being here. Even when I am saying nothing.’ ‘That’s your answer … More

Open letter: in memory of Janet Fisher

And though I only met you once, your influence on me is massive, or should that be was I don’t … More

The echo chamber

‘It gets harder.’ ‘What does?’ ‘It. Everything. Teaching. Writing. Listening to you.’ ‘I didn’t see that coming.’ ‘You never do.’ … 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

Moral ethics

‘I’m tired.’ ‘Go to sleep then,’ the book says. ‘There’s plenty for me to be getting on with while you’re … More

No one you know

‘You look upset.’ ‘I am upset,’ I say. ‘Well, not so much upset as disappointed.’ ‘Want to talk about it?’ … 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: WN Herbert’s ‘The Black Wet’

Continuing in this mini-series of poems I shared in my reading at the Greenbelt festival last weekend, here is The … More

Lifesaving Poems: Sharon Olds’s ‘Looking at Them Asleep’

Continuing in this mini-series of poems I shared in my reading at the Greenbelt festival last weekend, here is Looking … More

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