Skeleton Architecture

I've been doing lots of research lately on Scottish history, which is showing me just how much we never move on even if we think we're dead modern. I've also been writing poetry, I've been super inspired by Jacqueline Saphra's amazing poem Cimex Lectularius (see my post here for more on that), and have been writing a poem a week because of that, and informed by all my Scottish history research, and also the ongoing slow-motion car crash which is Brexit (as I write Westminster have rejected no-deal but not actually got rid of it, and they've asked for an extension but not actually got it *sigh*). Anyway, I've had a couple of bits of good news. Firstly, I'm going to have another poem in the May edition of the wonderful online poetry magazine Picaroon Poetry  - such a good magazine, I'm chuffed to bits to be in again. Secondly, my poem about a grumpy old man who was genuinely in a swimming pool with me is going to be in this year's Speculative Bo...

I had so much fun with the Spenserian Stanzas in my last poem, The Flame So Bright  that I thought I'd have another go. The prompt from Sara at Mum Turned Mom this week was dance , and that, combined with my ongoing attempts to get clematis to grow in my garden (and hide my ugly fences), gave me the idea for this poem. If you're not familiar with the way that clematis and similar plants find where they'll grow, check out this gorgeous video on YouTube  (I'm afraid I don't know whose is the original). This poem has been selected for inclusion in Forward Poetry's anthology 'The Great British Write Off - Whispering Words', coming out this Autumn. You read it first, here. Clematis Dance Above the leaves a slender tendril lifts, head bowed to listen all attentively. Its neck is pale, and waiting on the gift of music. Delicate it turns to see; in rhythm with the spheres it twists slowly, takes up the dance. The neck proceeds to grow. The dance ...