I have been thinking a lot this week about a line from Tomas Tranströmer’s masterpiece, ‘Alone’. (I have also blogged … More
Category: Tomas Transtromer
The Year of Living Deepy 2: Re-reading Tomas Tranströmer
Below Zero We are at a party that doesn’t love us. At last the party lets its mask drop and … 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
Tracks, by Tomas Tranströmer
Tracks 2 am: moonlight. The train has stopped out in the middle of the plain. Far away, points of … 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
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
The point is the silence
‘I’ve stopped listening to the radio!’ ‘What, completely?’ the book says. ‘Not completely, I’m not an idiot,’ I say. … 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
Looking for Ted Hughes
‘I’ve been out,’ says the book. ‘So I see,’ I say. The book is dressed in a pith helmet and … More
The most popular Lifesaving Poems of 2015
Here is a list of the most-read Lifesaving Poems during 2015: Mary Oliver, The Journey UA Fanthorpe, Atlas Ted Hughes, … More
Lifesaving Poems: Charles Wright’s ‘After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard’
After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard East of me, west of me, full summer. … More
Should I have heard of you?
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
I have read nothing for months
During the Christmas period I am reposting some old posts from my archive. Wishing all my readers a very happy … More
The most popular Lifesaving Poems
I began writing the Lifesaving Poems posts in May, 2011. Below is a list of the twenty most popular poems … More
I have not read a book in six months
I have not read a book in six months -Raymond Carver, ‘Drinking While Driving’ I can still remember the shock … More
Should I have heard of you?
‘We are at a party that doesn’t love us‘ – Tomas Tranströmer We are at a thing. Not a poetry … More
A day so happy
Gift A day so happy.Fog lifted early. I worked in the garden.Hummingbirds were stopping over the honeysuckle flowers.There was no … More
Heal into time and other people
I have been thinking a lot recently about the gap between what is expected of us and what we think … More