Late yesterday afternoon we walked up towards Vauxhall, along the narrow and uneven pavements of Battersea Park Road and Nine Elms Lane, construction sites lining both sides of the road. Then tucked in to follow the river path and soon spotted up ahead, in the cloud-darkened waters, a large curved honey-coloured structure being towed towards …
Tag: poetry
Hilaire – Letter from Battersea
I'm very pleased to have one of my poems published on The Stare's Nest - a newish site with some great, socially-engaged poetry. In my own small way, I hope to highlight the injustice of Shaker Aamer's continued detention in Guantanamo Bay.
Fourth Friday summer party
Just over a week ago Fourth Friday held their summer party at the Poetry Café, and I've been thinking about it, off and on, since then. I almost didn't go, feeling a tad lacklustre, a bit drained by the humid weather and slightly dreading what the conditions would be like in the café's basement, which …
extra time
Inspired by today's BBC Sport Prom, which explored parallels between music and sport, I thought I'd share this poem I wrote several years ago after my first couple of visits to the Proms. At the Proms We remember not to hum along. Wide-eyed, ears pricked, we clasp each other’s hands to stifle rogue conducting, dampen …
the P word
I don't easily describe myself as a poet. Labels of any sort are generally problematic to some degree. Scratchy. What's my problem with 'Poet'? In some mouths, it can sound like an insult. Perhaps I'm subconsciously adding 'Minor' or 'Failed' in front of 'Poet'. Certainly, there are many people, including members of the wider writing …
doing the antipodean Shuffle
No, it's not a dodgy dance move. This was a special antipodean edition of the monthly poetry event The Shuffle, which took place last night at the Poetry Café. Co-hosted by Cath Drake and Gale Burns, the evening featured eight Australian and Kiwi poets, and I was very pleased to be one of those invited …
talent times two
Another excellent and uplifting Loose Muse last Wednesday evening at the Poetry Café. The featured writer in the first half was Patricia Foster. A poet and educator, Patricia performed her poems with great charm and presence. Many of her poems draw on her Jamaican heritage and celebrate her close bond with her family. The Broomstick relates …
Loose Muse feature
Wednesday night was blowing a gale in London, but the threatened tube strike had been suspended, and the day's lashing rain finally dried up. So, given the circumstances, there was a good turn out for Loose Muse at the Poetry Café, where I was billed as one of the two featured writers. Unfortunately, Sally Spedding, …
first Tuesday, second Wednesday
So my new year's not-quite-resolution to do less, to go out less, got off to a flying start this week when I went to two poetry events on successive nights. It was my second visit to Beyond Words in Gipsy Hill, which takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. January's star attraction was …
I blame John Hegley
Moi, je ne regrette rien. Well, I don't have many big regrets, but I do regret never having learnt to speak another language fluently. I learnt French and Russian at school; did a year of French at university before chucking in my degree; six months intensive German when I wintered, physically and emotionally, in Berlin …
Hilaire 