Meditation on a line by Martin Stannard (LentBlog2)

A line that has really been haunting me recently is ‘Horses turned out into a cold field have it’ from … More

Lifesaving Poems: C. P. Cavafy’s ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’

Waiting for the Barbarians What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum? The barbarians are due here today. … More

Going There is an evening coming in Across the fields, one never seen before, That lights no lamps. Silken … More

’Have you seen my coat?’ says the book. ’Nope. You seen mine?’ ’Nope. You look tired. Are you tired?’ ’You … More

‘What’s happening?’ ’Nothing,’ I say. ’Doesn’t look like nothing,’ the book says. ‘It looks like you’re brooding. Are you brooding?’ … More

‘Something looks different,’ the book says. ‘Have you been shaving again?’ ‘You can talk,’ I say. ‘As it happens, … More

When I first read and began thinking about The Year of Living Deeply one of my instant reactions concerned the impact … More

I was in a waiting room, having cycled, a bit out of breath, a book on my knee, trying to … More

I am deeply honoured to have my poem When The Holy Spirit Danced With Me In My Kitchen used as a … More

(After Andy Brown) Because my children are briefly sleeping under the same roof Becuase Col and Lucy and M and … More

‘What have you learned, do you think?’ the book says. ‘Do you mind, I’m trying to have a bath!’ ‘Now … More

I have been writing recently about going deeper, not wider. Listening to music I already possess, reading the books already … More

As I was saying the book that I bought and then did not read and which caught my eye recently is Now … More

So in an effort to live deeply and not widely, amongst other things I have been looking at the shelves … More

Below Zero We are at a party that doesn’t love us. At last the party lets its mask drop and … More

S … More

The Curtain Falls Suddenly a life is over – Ends with such serious charades The Dean makes lame quips … More

Listening to the wonderful array of speakers at the Foyle Young Poets symposium on Monday, I tried to think back … More