Delighted to have been invited by the lovely Sue Wrinch to read at Loose Muse on August 14th. There’s also an open mic, so hope to see and hear lots of wonderful poets.
Where? The Discovery Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, Hants SO23 8SB
When? 7.30-9.30 p.m.
Price: £5.00 on the door
Here’s a poem that came out in Oxford Poetry a wee while ago.
Stillbirth
They’re trying to wash it out of my hair ‒ rub strands
from tip to root, start on the nub of each bone that juts
from the back of my neck, fingers rough on my flesh.
I clamp mercury-filled teeth, imagine planets
clattering inside a shut-tight mouth ‒ my listless tongue’s
the Milky Way arching in darkness. Outside my body
women scrub till the smell of sour milk clings
to fabric, wallpaper, full-length striped curtains
smothering windows on the south side of the house.
Inside, I’m quicksand, snow melting, an undecided
summer’s day. I swallow myself in a blether of words.
They whittle my bones like I’m unfallen snow.
A startling poem which embodies the mysteries of existence and creation and our place in it. Beautiful and unforgettable. Thank you.