Dedicated publisher of fiction, poetry and memoir
I hold you close beside me, from a distance; light a candle for the lost and found;let sorrows ebb and flow, show no resistance let silence speak the plummet of the sound. I say a prayer for those without directionand set my compass to poetic north;whisper, beneath my breath, a benediction for the New Year, and all it... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I experimented with a rhymed cadralor. This idea has interested me for a while, as I wasn't sure it could be done successfully, especially with the contextual dissonance required between stanzas. However, I sent it off to the editorial board at Gleam - Journal of the Cadralor, and they said "yes"! Thanks... Continue Reading →
With just one week to go until the launch of my new poetry pamphlet, To Catch a Poem, I would like to dedicate this final reading to my partner, in life and in rhyme, Nick Reeves, without whom there would be no EIF. Thank you for believing in me from the very beginning, Nick! https://youtu.be/3PD0mvjLX9g... Continue Reading →
The Sultan's got his hat on,(Hip-hip-hip, hooray!)his presidential hat onat the conference today And we've all got the gas onthat's how it's going to stayit's freezing here, but have no fearthe heat is on its way... If all developed nationscan have their wicked waythey'll get the poorer nations hooked on oil and gas - hooray! There's... Continue Reading →
... Drumroll... Nick Reeves, for his poems “On Framwellgate Bridge In Late December;” “I Whispered;” and “Sonnet (Bus To Dungeon Ghyll),” from the collection Archery in the UK (EIF, February 2023) and Marlene Lee, for her short story "Virgie" from the collection Inner Passage (EIF, October 2023). Congratulations and best of luck to both nominees!... Continue Reading →
Like fireLike flame Like waterLike breathing Like faithLike hopeLikeSomething to believe in Like ashLike rubbleLikeRuins of a city Like slaughter Like laughterLikeDrowning, absolutely Cease fireCease firePleaseEvacuate civilians This ireLike fireHas alreadyMurdered millions
The children to feed;all the bills still to payand the howling. The emails to answerthe things I should sayand the howling. "Remember tomorrowforget yesterday"says the howling: "You carry such sorrow?Then give it awayto the howling." Wind, sound, surrenderthe trees' dreadful swayto the howling Whisper, "Wake with the soundof a pure poetry"called the howling. With thanks... Continue Reading →
Word rich, cash poor: some kind of way to live,don’t want that mental load weighing me down;to feel I have a world of wealth to give,yet possess little I might call my own. A whisper in the heart blooms on the lipsand greets the air in unforced exhalation, inspires the hand to flex the fingertipsin Hallelujah... Continue Reading →
Congratulations to editor Kristiana on the publication of Issue X of Free Verse Revolution, Oleander. It is an honour to have my poem, The Distaff Side, included in this issue. I am in the company of many talented authors, and the issue looks absolutely beautiful, as always. It is available as a digital download, or... Continue Reading →
I. April evening the lake a pure blue sheeta red boat moored and edged in ochresongbirds chattergolden, light. II. Acapella dreaming, youtapping on the kitchen floorreel-to-reel cut to a sceneof smoke, wraiths, dancing... Thank you to Lori and the editorial team at Gleam for publishing this poem in Issue 6. I love the unique challenge of writing... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Fiction 