I am please to announce the arrival of a new chapbook called

everyday festival published by HappenStance Press.

ISBN 978 1 905939 36 7  

Available for £4 (inc p&p) order online at www.happenstancepress.com or send a cheque payable to HappenStance to 21 Hatton Green, Glenrothes, Fife KY7 4SD. Further information from Helena Nelson: nell@happenstancepress.com

Here is a poem from everyday festival ~

Casting Off

She should have let him go ages before

he asked her, several times, I heard him,

but she stood thigh deep, her small hands on

the prow of his boat, offering instructions

in a gentle voice, as an air hostess does before

take off, her own fears chained together

like clauses and carefully wrapped around

as fast as he tries to cast off, until he can

take it no more and shouts to her to let go

and to shut up since he knows more about sailing

than she does, so she stands with her arms

at her sides, watching, while the wind takes

her son and his orange sails and carries him out

far on a run, so he cuts through the slate sea

not looking back, but we can just hear his voice:

I know far more about sailing than you do.

Bristol Poetry Festival 3-13 September 2009                  

Poetry Can is thrilled to announce the line-up for Bristol Poetry Festival 2009. Below is a list of some of the wonderful poets and performers who will be gracing the stages of Arnolfini and other venues in the autumn.

Tony Benn & Roy Bailey, Fleur Adcock, Dennis O’Driscoll, Glyn Maxwell, Pascale Petit, Jeanne Ellin, Gwen Seabourne, Paul Scott, Richard Carter, Medbh McGuckian, Rose Cook, Nigel McLoughlin, Matt Harvey, Matthew Caley, Rosy Carrick, Imtiaz Dharker, Catherine Smith, Rosie Harris, Steve Tasane,
Esther Morgan, Steve Rooney, Penelope Shuttle, John Terry, Sara-Jane Arbury, Marcus Moore, Art + Power Poets, Wilf Merttens,  Kate Tempest, Byron Vincent, Anna Freeman, Ros Martin, Alphonse, Bristol Poetry Festival Slam (Bristol vs Allstars), Agatha Knowles, Malusi, Alison Brumfitt, A F Harrold, Sonia Hendy-Isaac, Jade Oldfield, Dreadlockalien, Nick Moore, Acoustic Night festival special, plus Can Openers Festival edition, Lansdown Poetry Night Festival Special.

Programmes for Bristol Poetry Festival 2009 will be available from August.

www.poetrycan.co.uk

Cherry Blossom Days

Ah, overnight, pink pillows

appeared by the wall.

So fragile, so sweet.

The small birds peck at

the cherry blossom,

my heart dances with pleasure.

In Finland they call it

‘bird-cherry’, in Japan

time to drink sake.

Let’s lie under the

flowers of a cherry tree

as life is renewed.

On Bringing Up Girls ~ Rose Cook

Aren’t you going to clip her wings?

they said, That’s usual for a girl her age, isn’t it?

and we said we didn’t want to clip her wings

and they watched our little daughter grow

bright and strong and they said:

Aren’t you going to tie her feet? That’s

advisable for a young girl, isn’t it?

and we said we didn’t want to tie her feet

and they saw a young woman growing

clear and brave and before they could say anything else

we said: Now it is time to teach her to fly

and they fell back.

They are teaching her to fly, they repeated,

teaching her to fly.

How wonderful, murmured their daughters,

and how interesting.

A New Year

It is begun -

place glass jewels in your ears

wear your newest clothes

put on silver bangles and amulets

wrap your hair in bright scarves

cover yourselves in flowing skirts and veils

wrap a peacock feather around

the neck of your child

carry him up high on his father’s shoulders

hurry to the dance

Poetry in perfomance featuring Val Bloom, Kayo Chingonyi, Jahnell and Rose Cook

with compere Naomi Woddis

on Wednesday, 28th January 2009
8pm
Soho Theatre, London

Bookings 020- 7478-0100

Festivals of light and November days, love the autumn and these bright days of leaves and scarves.  Watch the night skies too, wrapped up warm…

November 5^th

Night chrysanthemums

cold faces turn to the sky

sparklers spit bright stars.

Video – Hyperpoetical Journey / Kahlil Gibran

Posted using ShareThis

Lie Down

                                 by Rose Cook

It is time to lie down

remember the earth

so leaves may rustle

keen notes over

return to small being again

the relief of perspective

lay down arms, back, head

empty whirring fears

This is all there is

ground – air – forest – light

This is all there

tick of insects

voice of birds

This is all

cool grass – nearby water flow

This is

receive raindrops on upturned face

breath   breath   breath

This