Tracks 2 am: moonlight. The train has stopped out in the middle of the plain. Far away, points of … More
Tag: Bloodaxe
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: 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
Mowing the lawn with Maura Dooley
‘There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as … More
A review of Lifesaving Poems
I am deeply grateful to Dave Russell of Survivors’ Poetry for his review of Lifesaving Poems in the current edition of Poetry … More
A review of Lifesaving Poems
My deep thanks to Maria Taylor, who has written the most lovely appreciation of Lifesaving Poems. Thank you Maria for capturing its … More
Lifesaving Poems: Rosemary Tonks’s ‘The Sofas, Fogs, and Cinemas’
The Sofas, Fogs, and Cinemas I have lived it, and lived it, My nervous, luxury civilisation, My sugar-loving nerves have … More
Inside Lifesaving Poems
The central organising principle of Lifesaving Poems is that each poet is represented by a single poem. There are poets you … More
Lifesaving Poems has arrived
Lifesaving Poems has arrived Well, it has finally arrived. The anthology which began life as a blog, which began life as … More
Lifesaving Poems: Gwen Harwood’s ‘Cups’
Cups They know us by our lips. They know the proverb about the space between us. Many slip. They … More
What is a lifesaving poem?
Tomorrow I will be taking part at the Wenlock Poetry Festival in an event with Roz Goddard. We will be … More
Poetry highlights of 2014
I have so much to be grateful for in 2014. The year began in one of my temporary fits … More
An interview with Adélia Prado
On the Saturday afternoon of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Festival Director Naomi Jaffa conducted an interew with Adélia Prado, and … More
Dusk
Reading Thomas Lux’s magnificent new Selected Poems reminded me recently that I first heard his poems before I read them. One of … More
Thomas Lux’s syntax
I first heard Thomas Lux’s poems before I read them. In the autumn of 2000 I was sent a tape … More
Lifesaving Poems: the book
Photograph © Bloodaxe Books Ltd I am delighted to announce that my Lifesaving Poems series of blog posts has now become … More
The man kept piling things on
I am driving to a thing. Not a famous thing, an out of the way thing. A classroom, perhaps. … More
Lifesaving Poems: David Scott’s ‘Groundsmen’
Groundsmen The pile of cuttings puts on dreadful weight, swelters in the season, and leaks treacle. Beside it, the … More