Poetry

stock picker

(for GJH) 12B arrives at midnight and marches from his ride; salutes the guard, hi-5s the drivers, and rubs his hands, and walks inside. It’s time … Continue reading stock picker

Texture

I started to type something funny, but then I saw that she was typing something. So I stopped to wait for her comment. And then she … Continue reading Texture

Viral

Click. One thought breaks free, seeking minds, to be absorbed; a stray neutron, fat and heavy: it penetrates; it infuriates; it swells its target. Click click. … Continue reading Viral

flat

the absence of time the absence of self the absence of feeling I know what to say I know how to look I know what pictures … Continue reading flat

Eggshell

The door bursts open and a new guy appears, ushers me into the workshop and hands me a sweat-coated phone, (one of those new, retro Nokias, … Continue reading Eggshell

concrete

I’m ok with people laughing at my fondness for straight lines and right-angled corners set in concrete designs. I acknowledge that these buildings haven’t stood the … Continue reading concrete

chasm

it will make not a bit of difference but one day you too will see this the boy staring at the chasm wondering how it can … Continue reading chasm

Real

Fifty years into the future, she asked if I had a 39-20 she could upload herself into. I told her I had a second-hand model, a … Continue reading Real

Snow Day

Continuing my look back over ten years of blogging (and on a day when snow is falling over large parts of the UK), here is one … Continue reading Snow Day

lacrimioare

‘lacrimioare’ is my first ever exhibition of SL photography. It will be shown at Berg by Nordan Art, with the opening on Sunday, January 8, at 9 … Continue reading lacrimioare

squat

Here, in the vacuum she smiles brightly, she attends to his needs, she busies herself with his wellbeing: odd jobs here and there, occasional gifts; she … Continue reading squat

Extra time

We drove to the used car dealer, parked up just outside of a thirty second radius in the shared forecourt to a handwash company. Four men … Continue reading Extra time

lily

she wobbles at the edge of the drop crouched, reaching she takes a fistful of dirt from the box kisses her soiled fingers and sobs and … Continue reading lily

16

A twilight gathering of four. Birthday salutations and years wished many more. Perhaps forced frivolity has become too much a chore. Perhaps it’s just too painful … Continue reading 16

Fifteen minutes

Beautiful. Really beautiful. Heart touching. Perfect. Perfectly melancholy. Inspiring. Beautiful. Awesome. Cool. Fascinating and gorgeous. Beautiful and mind blowing. Wonderful. Inspiring. Very nice, good. Interesting and … Continue reading Fifteen minutes

That word

That word used to be a huge place, a soot-darkened, glass-paneled ceiling, a marble-floored arena of crossing paths, of newspaper stands and coffee outlets and roll-along … Continue reading That word

Stosh

Farewell, my beautiful Sounds of Poems co-host. Big event. Lots of other poets. This poet enters. This poet chuckles. Other poets hear this poet’s chuckle. Oops. … Continue reading Stosh

Liquidator

A fine, sunny day. The leaves look good on the trees. I’ve waited through the winter to see just that. It is good to see them … Continue reading Liquidator

The 25th tweet

Stephen Fry made a joke about someone on the telly. According to the BBC, lots of people complained on Twitter. Although the only actual example they … Continue reading The 25th tweet

Fade

It’s hard, but it isn’t. All you have to do is stop remembering, close the logs, pack away the pictures; just let the details fade. Sooner … Continue reading Fade

Forced tears

When you can’t cry, squeeze your eyes tight and cover them; wail; beat the table blindly. If it helps, think of someone you loved. Or invert … Continue reading Forced tears

9/11/11

Water falls. Trees grow. The day is full of names. Cut.  Illuminated.  Read aloud. And touched with fingers and foreheads. And rubbed upon unfolded paper. Continue reading 9/11/11

Billy

Billy sits on the floor to my right whilst I eat, looking up at me, longingly, putting his chin on my leg in case I haven’t … Continue reading Billy

City Boy

City boy with his hardworking wife with his hands in his pockets never worked in his life watching others toil when he tries, he does it … Continue reading City Boy

Ex

“I loved our relationship,” she says, like it was a neat little package; a book with a title and a date. “I grieved it,” she adds, … Continue reading Ex

All about me

It’s like this thing that once happened to me (which is similar, but not very). It demonstrated that I have balls. Anyway, this is what I … Continue reading All about me

five

I’ve also put together a book to celebrate my five years of SL.  A collection of my SL pictures, poems and excerpts of the six novels … Continue reading five

Connectives

As Michael Rosen is currently pointing out, ten and eleven year olds in the UK are currently entering into SATs revision.  I say ‘entering into’… in … Continue reading Connectives

Plymouth

  The union’s changed and the underpass is gone, and the walk down Sydney Street feels like the memory of some dream I once had, where … Continue reading Plymouth

Aspie

This week has been Autism Awareness Week at Tiatopia Island. The organiser of the event, Tia Macbain, contacted a number of SL poets – of which … Continue reading Aspie

Off the Shelf

I get a mention in the latest edition of Off the shelf, an audio podcast by Bookstacks managers Kghia Gherardi and Simeon Beresford. The episode features … Continue reading Off the Shelf