Someone brought ‘Child waking’ by Edith Scovell to the 42 group last week. The poet’s name was vaguely familiar but I had no sense of her work. I loved ‘Child waking’, though, so since then I’ve been scuttling about the interweb looking for Scovell’s work. And I give you: ‘Deaths of Flowers‘.
Read MoreJust wanted to let you know that shades of blue has been reviewed here, on my colleague Nigel Kent’s site. Definitely a read it and purr situation for me! The other good news is that Nigel is going to be a guest columnist here for us in a couple of weeks’ time, which I’m very much looking forward to. A treat for me to be surprised by someone else’s choice.
And before then, of course, I’ll see you on Thursday, as usual.
Sometimes there’s a clear, specific reason why I want to share a poem, usually to do with whichever bees are currently buzzing round my bonnet. This one, though, I wanted to share simply because I find it beautiful and accurate. Here is Cynthia Zarin’s ‘Flowers‘.
Read MoreThis week’s poem brought a soft smile to my face. It has a delightful quality of warmth and tenderness, and is such a good reminder of making the most of what we have—not in a Brownie-Guide Come on, girls, no moping! style, but in a much more palatable, seeing what is, not just what isn’t sort of a way. Enjoy ‘Happiness‘ by Wesley McNair.
Read MoreGosh, more stuff on the interweb: I’m writing a guest post for fellow-poet Nigel Kent, who is also going to review shades of blue. Nigel will shortly be a guest columnist here for us. I know he’s going to be introducing a poet new-to-me, so I very much look forward to that.
In the meantime, my piece will be up on the 17th April, and will look at one a poem from shades of blue and how it relates to my work in general. I’ll be saying the kind of stuff I’d normally have been saying at readings over the last year as I introduced the book. It’s nice to have a chance to do that. Go to Nigel’s site on the 17th to read my post.
Yes! An actual event happening (albeit online). I’m sharing an evening on Homestage with Oz Hardwick, who’s also published by Hedgehog press: a one-hour meet-the-poet and hear some work read live. It’s on Tuesday 13th April 8-9pm GST, and you can come to the event simply by clicking here. It would be lovely to have you join us!
For some reason, the only line I can remember from my first-term-at-Cambridge, deeply-uncomprehending reading of Gawain and the Green Knight is the line ‘Þe snawe snitered ful snart’. The snow snitered a bit this week (though not full snart) out of a beautiful blue sky; very odd and April-ish. We’ve also had some days, though, where ‘that blue has been all in a rush with richness’, so I thought today we could enjoy Hopkins’ lovely hymn to spring (have it read to you here. Poem starts at 1.19):
Read MoreI’ve been searching the interweb for a poem called ‘Delivery’ by Marie Howe, and can’t find it anywhere (if anyone has more luck, do please let me know). The search was not wasted, though, because I’ve discovered more of her poetry, and today I’ve got ‘The Moment‘ for you to… well… take a moment (sorry) to read.
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