The missing blog post

after and with apologies to Mark Halliday The missing blog post has gone AWOL. Never sure of its place in … More

Homesick

“A poem begins with a lump in the throat; a homesickness or a love sickness. It is a reaching-out toward … More

I have been moving. Not moving house, moving within it. Stuff has come with me, some of it has vanished … More

I Am Not I I am not I. I am this one walking beside me whom I do not … More

I have been wondering recently if the world of the poem (the one that is currently not-here, just out of … More

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

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

‘Was it good?’ the book says. ‘Was what good?’ ‘What you’ve been up to,’ the book says. ‘When?’ ‘You know … More

The terrible poem starts with an idea. The terrible poem knows it is the best thing that has been written. … More

Ordinary morning sounds from outside drift into the room where I am working. Birdsong. A car being parked. The noise … More

‘You looked, didn’t you?’ the book says. ‘What?’ I say. ‘Before you started this.’ ‘What?’ ‘At your stats. You couldn’t … More

‘What are you waiting for?’ the book says. ‘I’m not ready,’ I say. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘I’m not ready. … More

The book does not know I have left the house without it. Though it is sunny and warm I have … More

I am having a clear out. I am putting my notebooks, drafts and scraps of paper into a box file. … More

‘I love this time of year. Easter, the Masters. My birthday.’ ‘Does that mean we can expect the traditional order … More

The book is already seated at the desk when I enter my office. Papers and books are strewn over every surface. … More