If you follow the link to the ‘free stuff‘ page, you will be now be able to download a free PDF booklet of ‘Scrapes against the Soul’, a booklet of poems which I produced last year. Coming soon – ‘November Suite’ – a booklet produced (not surprisingly) last November.
I’m in the middle of an exercise to write a poem a day for November – the resulting collection, once edited, will be called ‘November Suite’. I am using various exercises to generate material. For example, I take the last line of the previous poem and google that phrase. Then I follow the links and … Read more
I said in mid-September that I had nearly completed the latest poetry manuscript, ‘Scrapes against the Soul’. Well, I have been stuck on the last poem for a few weeks now. It is a long piece which captures my experiences of Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s. I’m hoping to have it finished … Read more
Do you ever buy tickets for something, think it’s a good idea at the time, then have serious second thoughts as the date looms? I saw this event recently – the Poet Laureate for the UK appearing at a reading in the Wirral. It seemed too good an opportunity to miss. But on the night, I was … Read more
The latest collection of poetry is nearly completed. I am in the middle of the final poem which is an extended piece called ‘seventy nine to eighty two’. Here’s a verse from it: Watching bands at Eric’s – seeing Simple Minds Keyboard player with his head between the beams Music bouncing off walls, everyone saying … Read more
young bird picks his way through reeds in the shallows of the river parent birds no longer haunt this stretch of water except in dreams and spirit movements finding his way through this special setting now with no thoughts for his parents in a glorious moment he catches a silvered stickleback in his beak before … Read more
… from the latest poetry sequence (still unfinished) called ‘Scrapes against the Soul’ The conversations the night sea has with the dawn Leave an empty hissing through the sea weed, as if Everything had left the world in solitude… And my heartbeat can be heard beneath the lap of waves Quickened by the memory of … Read more
… from my latest collection of poetry, called ‘Scrapes against the Soul’: Sonnet Now you know why I spent my twenties crying, Aching for some meaning beyond empty Atheist life of wonder, wandering, A lost corn-circle waking, open third eye When I close my eyes I can still see through Where I see the spiritual … Read more
“If we can’t find Heaven, there are always blue jays” He said, as he opened the car door and walked off into the night. I looked at his shadow shortening to the street corner And wondered how I had been so gullible, to listen to this. I was sitting there now, nothing left. No hope. … Read more
[from a new poetry sequence which I am developing] I watched the little specs of dust as they floatedIn shafts of light through the churchA voice was working its way through a sermonBut my mind was engaged in this little worldWhere the dust bits fall then spin and whirlSome micro universe where I can imagineA … Read more