Advent meditation 3

This time last year, I had begun a third period waiting for a response to a new manuscript of poems. … More

Head. Space.

As the book might say, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? As the book also might say, I have been … More

One of the touchstones that I would add to those I blogged about last week is a marvellous section from … More

Praise the Rain Praise the rain; the seagull diveThe curl of plant, the raven talk—Praise the hurt, the house slackThe … More

The book is in its gardening clothes. ‘I’m going out,’ it says. ‘You’ve let the lawn go again.’ ‘You can’t … More

Last week I gave up writing. For about a day. I had been given a book by one of my … More

I know I am hardly the first to draw parallels between running and writing. But, for what it is worth, … More

I am still not sure why, but in the middle of December I decided to take up running again. When … More

Poetry is knowledge, salvation, power abandonment. An operation capable … More

‘So is that your main idea?’ ‘That’s it, yes.’ ‘That people get stuff done out of a social need to … More

The value of poetry is that it should matter … first to the writer and then to the reader. Michael … More

How I put The Art of Falling together In May 2012 my first pamphlet If We Could Speak Like Wolves … More

I have just come back from a thing. I am tired. A good afternoon of good conversation about large, important … More

I am delighted to have a new poem, To Spring, published today at Sarah James’s blog, in With You In … More

The poem that came into my mind on waking up this morning and hearing the General Election result is Mark … More

For those of you who have been enjoying my series of adventures with ‘the book’, here is a free eBook … More

‘You’re late,’ the new book says. It is seated at my desk, sleeves rolled up, a mug of steaming coffee … More

It is drizzling. The house is empty, the road outside quiet. It’s just as the book said it would be, … More