It is my pleasure to announce that I have nominated Barbara Harris Leonhard's poem, "Mom and I Play Lassos with Our Hysterectomy Scars" for a Pushcart Prize. The poem is from Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir, published by EIF in October 2022. I chose this particular poem because, although it forms an integral part of... Continue Reading →
I Long to Belong…
I long to be long in your armsin your hand-holdmy lovehow I long to belong I long to be boldwith your charmsmeasured tenfoldmy lovehow I long to be bold I love to be lovedby your caresses blessedhow I love to be lovedmy beloved So I’m ending my songwith a kiss and a blessingI waitwhere I long... Continue Reading →
Spellcasting
Bewitched pigsflaming leavesbent, twisted twigs,a wind which weaves,mourns, moans of melodyhaunts with its poetryhand-in-hand you-and-mewalking a gold-coin trimmed alleythrough the cold veil of autumn. All this heat and symmetry remembered, how thebreath peals, wreathed in mistencircling thissacred geometry. Today is heavy:Rain falls and you aren't hereI call up the crystal screenstare hard into andthrough the ubiquitous... Continue Reading →
A Video Poem from ‘Three-Penny Memories’
It has been an exciting week following the launch of Barbara Harris Leonhard's debut poetry collection, Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir. The book reached the #1 New Release slot in Family Poetry, making this another EIF bestselling title! Huge congratulations to Barbara on this well-deserved accolade: No.1 New Release in Family Poetry! To celebrate the... Continue Reading →
Barbara Harris Leonhard reads ‘Departing from Gate 3’
In the final of her series of poetry readings in advance of the launch of Three-Penny Memories, A Poetic Memoir on 15 October, author Barbara Harris Leonhard reads her poem 'Departing from Gate 3,' which describes a dream she had following the death of her mother: Barbara Harris Leonhard reads 'Departing from Gate 3' To... Continue Reading →
Undercurrents
Undercurrents of a weeping worldswirl above black watersbeneath the trees, I whisper pleasI love you Eddying down to who-knows-wherethe eye of a storm’s dead certaintywith death, the singularity that takes you Flowers float the River StyxThe Ferryman emerges froma three-decades-long mist, insistsI’ve missed you I light a candle in a cellleave blooms before the river’s swellthe... Continue Reading →
Poetry Reading and Cover Reveal from Barbara Harris Leonhard
Today, I am excited to reveal the full cover of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir, the debut poetry collection from Barbara Harris Leonhard, which will be published by EIF on 15 October 2022. I also present a recording in which the author gives some fascinating insights into the story behind the book, and reads her... Continue Reading →
‘Fairytale of Northumberland’ published at Free Verse Revolution!
Camelot towers tall abovethe river where we walkour senses are attuned to love;our tongues, to lovers’ talk... How dreamlike to think back on long warm, summer days from the perspective of a misty day in late September! I hope you enjoy my poem, which is published today in the latest issue of Free Verse Revolution,... Continue Reading →
Reposting ‘The Ballad of Adolf and Winnie’ in memory of Hobbo
I was sad to learn today that we lost a valued member of the WordPress community on 18 August: Hobbo, who's 'Yorksher' dialect poems provided many a chuckle and brightened up his readers lives, particularly during lockdown. I fondly remember him posting religiously every morning, normally three poems sharing his irreverent take on matters such... Continue Reading →
‘Duet’ published at MasticadoresUSA
The mood in the UK today is sombre, to say the least, with bells tolling out across the country, announcing the death of our longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. In times of sadness, I find much solace in poetry and music, so it's good to have a poem about music-making up at Masticadores today: Duet... Continue Reading →