Two Christmas Poems of Hope
Why I write and why I hope. A short explanation and two poems about Christmas.
Access and Adventure in Lakeland
This is my entry to the Kendal Mountain Festival Open Mountain Competition. It was not selected so I am sharing it here. Background The county of Cumbria is not well…
On names and the meaning of words
Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1767 – 1835) was a linguist and a philosopher of language who tells this story about naming. A peasant was listening to astronomy students as they were…
Kabul Airport 16 August 2021
KABUL AIRPORT 16 AUGUST 2021“Completing the pre-flight checklist:”Flight controls — CheckedInstruments and radios — CheckedAltimeter — CheckedGyroscope — CheckedFuel gauges — CheckedPropeller — CheckedMagnetos — CheckedFlaps — Checked Unchecked items:…
Three Lions
Following the final of EURO21 three black footballers were subject to a torrent of racist abuse on social media. Whatever their intent, the racists have only succeeded in provoking a…
Father and Son
On Fathers Day here is a poem I wrote for my father. I wish I could have written it when he was alive to read it. It is his birthday…
Grow Your Own Poem 3
Today I joined the Creative Writing Group at the Maggie Centre in Manchester for the launch of Brambles a pamphlet of poems by my daughter Katie. For those who may…
Grow Your Own Poem 2
When I started reading Kate Clanchy’s How to Grow Your Own Poem I got the idea that I could work through it, reading the poems and writing my own. And…