Poems to order

I have a poetry commission. It makes me feel like I am in the army.

Not sure what others do in this situation, I have given a choice of 3.

1. A dedication (free choice of poem to me although I guess the commissioner will have some preference).
2. Time in residence plus a poem
3. Free choice of poem subject to commissioner

Now I am left wandering what they will choose in a 16th century kind of way...and delighted to see that the web is full of people offering their services on this basis in the 21st too.

The feel of Emily Bronte

Not that Emily would have worn this t-shirt.



But I am delighted that it is for sale. The quote comes from Emily's poem of the same name.


No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere:
I see Heaven's glories shine,
And faith shines equal, arming me from Fear.

O God within my breast,
Almighty, ever-present Deity!
Life - that in me hast rest,
As I - Undying Life- have power in Thee!

Vain are the thousand creeds
That move men's hearts, unutterably vain;
Worthless as withered weeds
Or idlest froth amid the boundless main,

To waken doubt in one
Holding so fast by Thine infinity;
So surely anchored on
The steadfast rock of immortality.

With wide-embracing love
Thy Spirit animates eternal years,
Pervades and broods above,
Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates and rears

Though Earth and moon were gone,
And suns and universes ceased to be,
And Thou wert left alone,
Every Existence would exist in Thee.

There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Thou - Thou art Being and Breath,
And what Thou art may never be destroyed.


A good analysis of the poem is available here http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/aug/17/poem-of-the-week-emily-bronte and you can buy the t-shirt if you want here http://www.bronte.org.uk/bronte-shop/exclusive/304/mens-no-coward-soul-t-shirt

Nabati poetry anthology

This anthology of Nabati poetry comes from Ithaca Press. And was recently runner-up in the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Book Prize 2012.

The anthology was commended. "The translations work fabulously in English, showing a range of style, technique, sensitivity to the tone and historical context of the original. The work with rhyme schemes is nothing short of astounding!'

We have discussed Nabati poetry before here at poetandgeek.com. Poems emanate from the everyday people of the Arabian peninsula (and are shown on tv) and don't follow strict literary Arabic forms (the Quran is written according to these rules).

Some contend that there is a class element to Nabati poetry: "It is commonly translated as "vernacular, popular", but this may suggest that this type of poetry is the domain of uneducated, "backwards" segments of society, waiting to be eradicated by general progress towards modern standard Arabic. While purists may see it that way, the facts are otherwise."

See here http://www.brismes.ac.uk/book-prize, and here http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/the-nabati-poetry-of-the-uae-a-remarkable-anthology and here for more http://poetandgeek.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/nabati-poet-idol.html.

Harvest Moon, Dunedin, NZ 6th March 2013

Dunedin native singer, poet and spoken word performer  Sandra Sarala celebrates hairst (as we call it here in Scots) with words, rhythm and music, gleaned from ritual Russian, Ukrainian and Polish songs.

In the aftermath an opportunity for open mic "guest cameo performances"  and it is free but don't be shy about making a donation. Chance for a bevy too as it is at the Inch Bar, 8 Bank Street, Dunedin from 7pm.

You can can find more here http://www.youtube.com/user/sandrasarala and here http://www.facebook.com/events/477877218940593/?fref=ts.

Lunar pull

Full moon fool that I am...to me there seems to be a special kind of creative force at work.

Tonight the moon just jumped right out of the sky at me through the window. Surprise. The sight made me want to write.

Insomnia, lunacy and werewolves. Science doesn't necessarily bear me out:

"Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behaviour around the time of a full moon. [] In one instance, the 23 December 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal published two studies on dog bite admission to hospitals in England and Australia. The study of the Bradford Royal Infirmary found that dog bites were twice as common during a full moon, whereas the study conducted by the public hospitals in Australia found that they were less likely."

But water, light - a kind of alchemy and transformation - take a look the child's causeway across the Huntlyburn above. Where will the path take you?

Warwick ecopoetics workshop

Sample course material from Warwick University - an enticing navigation through ecopoetics for graduate students in this module.

A sample week's material:

"Sound marks the “true north” of ecopoetics—not the only significant dimension of an environmental poetics, but often a reliable way to get oriented—a Compass Point for thinking, writing, speaking to get their bearings in a more-than-human world. An ecopoetics attends first by listening, whatever be its other vectors of engagement. (“Before it is polluted, the river wants to be heard,” writes Cecilia Vicuña.) Listening can be understood as a stance of participatory receptiveness, as much as an aural faculty (we can “listen” with our eyes or “sound” with science): it is difficult to be responsible to an environment, if we have not first listened in, to find out who is present"

With samples from John Cage, Emily Dickinson, Larry Eigner, Ronald Johnson, Nathaniel Mackey, Lorine Niedecker, Maggie OʼSullivan, R. Murray Schafer.

More information from Warwick University here..http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/postgraduate/masters/modules/ecopoetics/.

btw David Morley teachers at Warwick...

Competition news

Still time to enter this but you need to be quick - closing date is the 7th March 2013...the theme is Loss.


Prizes £25, £15 and £10 and the glory judged by Liz Cashdan. Each poem must be accompanied by a separate A4 sheet with entrant's contact details.

Contact: The Competitions Secretary, 34 Wright Street, Newark, Notts NG24 1PJ. More information on the Fosseway writers here http://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/fossewaywriters/.