What is it about January? You have to trust that living things are asleep and not dead. The garden is brown and damp. In January I examine any magnolia tree I come across, looking for buds: signs of life. Even though days are getting longer it happens so slowly. Generating every extra minute of daylightRead more ⟶
Category: Inspiration
Meet-ups, currently reading & other distractions
Nothing wrong with distractions, and goodness I’m certainly welcoming them with open arms. But scroll down if you’re only here for the poetry stuff. Distraction #1: Singing A couple of weeks ago I was at Westminster Abbey with members of the Lewes Singers, for the fifth time, where we sang two evensongs in a spookilyRead more ⟶
A sudden rush of sending out & signing up
Earlier this week I found myself pulling out old poems as well as some recent work, and giving them a bit of a pummelling. As a result I’ve had a spree of sending out to magazines and (yes I’m afraid so) the odd competition. As luck would have it, I’m booked into a half-day PoetryRead more ⟶
Those tips from Don Paterson again…
I was doing a bit of editing yesterday and looked back on some of the notes I’d made from various workshops, and then I remember this blog post from 2012. Yes, nearly 8 years ago, a heck of a long time in politics but a few seconds in poetics. Anyway, I thought I’d reblog it,Read more ⟶
Sun, secrets and submissions
OK, what I’ve been up to generally Greetings from the Sunshine Coast. I can’t remember the last time it rained here, but the water authorities are asking us to be frugal with the watering. I’m doing my best but those courgettes are mighty thirsty. I haven’t been writing these last few weeks, and reading other people’sRead more ⟶
Musings on Mantel, comps deadlines and a lovely Rock Rose
And so it goes on Life has settled into a gentle daily routine, namely breakfast (in the garden most days until this cold snap), desk work, chores or gardening usually in the morning, salad and cheese/crackers or mackerel pate for lunch, then reading, more gardening, a walk or a run, a bit of yoga, a gameRead more ⟶
SloPo
How are you doing? Apparently we’re now all feasting on The Repair Shop and reruns of The Vicar of Dibley. The skies are bluer and quieter than ever, all the better to hear birdsong. Stars are brighter, if you have access to outdoor space at night time. I realise these are terrible times for soRead more ⟶
Tending seedlings & taking comfort from ‘wee granny’
I hope you’re well in body and spirit. If you’re anything like me you’re trying not to overdose on news and focus instead on Spring! Last week’s Hastings Stanza poetry workshop via Zoom went very well, in fact I was convinced enough to then sign up for a Zoom-hosted writing session with the Sansoms nextRead more ⟶
Making, moving, cleaning, reading, studying, growing … life while social distancing
Funny how quickly our vocabulary grows around novel situations. A few weeks ago I’m not sure I was familiar with the terms social distancing, self-isolation or elbow bump. Now – well, you know. With so many projects and events cancelled in the last few days, and many more to come, I’m reminded how crucial itRead more ⟶
Free Verse at Conway Hall
Up to London yesterday for the The Poetry Book & Magazine Fair aka Free Verse, at a new time of year (February rather than September) and back at Conway Hall. Recently I’ve been plagued by headaches so after getting off the train I decided what I needed was a nice fresh(?) air walk across LondonRead more ⟶