What I learned this week

That CK Williams has died. More than two weeks ago! One of my heroes. This is the first thing I … More

Why social media doesn’t create intelligence

Those kind and wonderful people at Change This have just released a new batch of free, downloadable manifestos. These articles … More

Goodbye Facebook, it’s been real (?)

Now for the other life. The one without mistakes. –Lou Lipsitz   A year ago I found myself not looking at … More

A day he won’t have

I had bumped into a friend at the cash machine. We greeted each other, as we always do, with a … More

Pure distraction

In the rift between what is going to happen and whatever we would wish to happen, poetry holds attention for … More

Nothing doing

Sporting occasions are bad. Or the Corbyn result, that was hard. I seem to remember (no one else does) a … More

A few days

The afternoon was drawing to a close when I knew I had hit the wall. On its own terms there … More

This may not work

Since I decided to leave Twitter and abscond from Facebook I have been reminded of some of the guiding principles … 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

Let’s love today

Let’s love today, the what we have now, this day, not        today or tomorrow or yesterday, but this passing moment, … More

Mostly when I’m tired

This is my hard time -Theodore Roethke   The mornings I can cope with. Just. Not grabbing my phone before … More

Still in recovery

I knew I was in trouble sometime in July. I just didn’t admit it. I was with friends, one of … More

Noticing again

Day four of the Twitter-fast. By the time you read this, day seven. The first thing I notice is the … More

Climbing up the walls

Or perhaps you’re waiting at the bus stop. You could text someone. But if you said ‘no’ to the text, … More

What I have learned about remission

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More

It’s not about you, it’s me: on saying goodbye to Twitter

What I want is to – to be present. That’s what I’ve learned. I want to strive for presence, now, … More

Lifesaving Poems: Michel Quoist’s ‘Thank you Lord, thank you’

Thank you Lord, thank you. Thank you for all the gifts that you have given me today, Thank you for … More

Guest Blog Post: On Literary Envy, by Robin Houghton

On Literary Envy   “Comparison is the thief of joy” –Teddy Roosevelt You wake up one morning. You check in … More