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My Name is Mercy

To launch a new collection of poetry about Salisbury Hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oscar winning actress, and patron of The Stars Appeal, Olivia Colman, has read two of the newly commissioned poems. The Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust collection of poems – My Name is Mercy – is inspired by some of the hospital staff’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olivia Colman reads the poem Fifth Season that is based on a patient’s true story and Nightshift, which has recently been chosen by Poetry Archive Now as one of the poems of 2021.

And here Olivia Coleman reads Night Shift

The Ridge Line read by myself reflects on the very personal experiences of one staff member, Lizzie Swift, and her horse Drum. Film by Harley Shearstone

Care Workers, read three of the Sixteen Sonnets for Care

My reading of Night Shift was selected for inclusion on the Poetry Archive Worldview 2021.

Dr Zeeman’s Catastrophe Machine

This first one has been around a long time, was the title poem of my first full collection (mixed!) and in Boring The Arse Off Young People, and then yet again for the show (but not the book)!  A parody of Ginsberg’s Howl, a re-imagining to the North West of England of the period.  It’s a poem that has opened many a door for me.

A California road trip with my son Sean

 

This is in the book and is the finale to the show, but not a spoiler.  These are the friends at a party that resurrected a memory lost to me for 50 years.

A commission to write on a Tate touring exhibition ‘Family Matters’.I chose to write about Gillian Wearing’s Video piece 2 into 1, the poem is a ‘specular’ no less.

New Stuff / Next Book some time when

Runner Up in The Rialto / RSPB Comp in 2018.

One of a number of poems commissioned by The Soldiers’ Charity for their 75th Anniversary.

 

Not exactly new, but held back for next book.

Boring The Arse Off Young People or similar

 

On my way to winning Episode 13 of Literary Death Match, where I celebrate my ‘sexuality’.

My secret past!

The next few are from the Joy of Six days, filmed at our sold out ADC Theatre performance for Cambridge Wordfest, back in pre-quiff days.  We performed all over UK and even did a short tour of New York venues.

This one is a bit bonkers, produced for the No News anthology, on 90th Anniversary of 18th April 1930, when the BBC announced: “There is no news.” Piano music played for the rest of the 15 minute Bulletin.

Whistle Poems