poets who lunch

Down to the Bristol Old Vic yesterday, for Poetry Can's monthly 'Can Openers' lunchtime event. The guest poet was Sally Jenkinson. She went down a storm, which was not surprising as she is really good. And it was nice to see a quote from Holly of The Lovely Eggs on the cover of Sally's book, Sweat-Borne Secrets. You can respect a band who get Richard Brautigan into one of their songs.

I read a squib I wrote a couple of weeks ago, when Deborah and Pameli were talking about the task that they'd been set in their workshop, of writing a metaphysical poem."That sounds like fun," I thought. Poetry as therapy....

To Her Once Mistress

Like unto a telly set was our life together,

And you it was th’remote control that wielded;

What now the programme we should watch, or whether

To the pub to go; and me the one who yielded.

But now, your batteries flat, the telly long since landfilled,

I fly, in spirit aerial, unlicensed and unchannelled.