It was the same villageThe same hotel andThe same meal (sausage and chips)But she wasn’t there: Had I been trying to bring her back? I wonder now as I think backI can’t even remember how old I wasNo more than ten or elevenShe died when I was eight Drowned in the riverThe same river of... Continue Reading →
Shattered – A new #poem #published
Today, I am honoured to announce the publication of two of my poems, 'Shattered' and 'The Last Best Pisstake' in the anthology BeautiFUl Ways to Say... This anthology was compiled and edited by Katie Elizabeth, and is available from Amazon. All proceeds will go towards helping victims of domestic violence. I am very proud to... Continue Reading →
EIF Poetry Challenge #2: The Results!
I am happy to say I've had some interesting responses to, and interpretations of, this week's challenge. I loved the way that poets came up with new ideas of translation, from translating well-known poems into a local dialect of English, to sign-language recordings of poems and songs synced to poetry readings and song lyrics. Thank... Continue Reading →
EIF Poetry Challenge #2: Translation
Welcome, poets and poetry lovers alike: today I'm excited to announce a new EIF Poetry Challenge! After the success of the previous challenge: The Sonnet, I'm really looking forward to this. I did say I probably wouldn't be making the challenge any easier, and this is perhaps harder than the last one, (it certainly was... Continue Reading →
Cædmon’s Hymn, the earliest recorded poem in English
I was looking for a short Old English poem to translate in preparation for the next EIF Poetry Challenge (coming later today), so I searched through my poetry archives to find 'Cædmon's Hymn,' which I had studied at university many moons ago. Old English is very different from Modern English. If you're unfamiliar with Old... Continue Reading →
‘Strawberry Picking at Pokljuška Soteska’ published at Spillwords Press
Another exciting announcement! Today, my poem 'Strawberry Picking at Pokljuška Soteska' has been published by Spillwords Press. I found out about Spillwords from a blogging friend, and one of my favourite contemporary poets, Gabriela Marie Milton. If you haven't already done so, please visit her fantastic website where you can find some examples of her... Continue Reading →
My poem ‘Galaxies’ published at Free Verse Revolution
Today I'm very proud to announce the publication of another of my poems at Free Verse Revolution. If you haven't visited this site already, it's a must for all poetry lovers. You can also submit your own work for a chance to have your poetry featured on the site. Galaxies If all the World’s a... Continue Reading →
Writing about Writing
Writing about writing is not something I normally do, but I woke up this morning keen to start work on my first poetry collection. First thing in the morning is, for me, the perfect time to write. Before everyone else gets up and the noise and chaos begins. Not that I don't love the noise... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries 28: The Road Not Taken
One of the few failings of my undergraduate English Literature Course was that the creators of the syllabus interpreted English Literature not as Literature written in English, but as Literature written in England (or Ireland, Scotland and Wales.) To study American Literature written in English, you had to take a separate course in 'American Studies,'... Continue Reading →
All Closed: A Poem about #Quarantine
The park where my children used to play; My eldest’s school;My youngest’s nursery;The bustling barsAnd sculptures by the sea: All closed. All closed,Abandoned,Cordoned off;As if unloved, un-longed-for, undreamed-ofThrough dark enduring days:All lies. Lies which daily rule our lives;Lies, damned lies and statistics:50% of this group die while70% of that survive,But then againWho lives? Who lives in isolation?Who... Continue Reading →