New Poems

Just in case any returning readers keep coming back here in the hope of seeing new poems, I do apologize that there hasn't been anything but the most disrespectful doggerel here since March.
I never did count on any more than an average of four finished and satisfactory poems a year but when the Music tab is now top of the index here, it does draw attention to the fact that the website is shifting its focus.
But please be reassured that poems are still being struggled with and occasionally finished to some sort of satisfaction. I can't say whether my lack of excitement about them is because I've grown beyond that thrill or, more likely, if they are simply no more than workmanlike. I think, as in sport, there's not much point in taking part unless one is trying one's best and the hard work put into a poem is, as in Oscar's dictum, much more important than the idea that stimulated it.
I'm keeping a few things back as completely unpublished, not even here, just in case of emergency. You never know when you might need one. But there are titles like Passacaglia, Last Draft and John the Baptist to come in due course. In fact, there are nearly enough poems to go to the printer's with to make a new booklet but we won't be doing that for some time yet because there's a feeling it would have some perfectly able squad players in the team but not necessarily any big enough stars.
There is enough poetry being written without me adding to the kerfuffle. I did make sure I put enough postage on a submission to South magazine this time so we will see what they make of them. But whereas I once strolled into that as if I could have owned the place, you just can't tell. Their moveable feast of editors, when given the chance, declined to publish The Cathedrals of Liverpool before it became a prize-winning masterpiece elsewhere.
But increasingly, poetry is more enjoyable as a spectator sport than one to play oneself so I'll be off to see Martin Mooney in London next week.
And, to lift the details from Eyewear, http://toddswift.blogspot.com/

July 4 - Six Poets for Oxfam

Oxfam Books and Music Shop
91 Marylebone High Street, London W1
near Baker Street tube.
7-10 pm

Naomi Foyle - Naomi Foyle’s first collection, The Night Pavilion, was an Autumn 2008 Poetry Book Society Recommendation;
Martin Mooney – Northern Irish poet, latest collection The Resurrection of the Body at Killysuggen (June 2011 by Lagan Press);
Claire Potter – Australian poet, debut collection Swallow from Five Islands Press;
Agnieszka Studzinska – debut collection Snow Calling from Salt;
Michael Symmons Roberts – Whitebread Prize-winning Cape poet;
Brian Turner – American war-poet, author of the famous poem “The Hurt Locker”;