The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

Isabelle Thompson

holds an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. She has been published or has work forthcoming in a range of magazines including The Interpreter’s House, Stand and The New Welsh Review. She was the winner of the 2022 Poets and Players Competition and a runner up in the 2021 Mslexia Poetry Competition. She tweets @IzzyWithTheCats.

    What belongs outside, and what comes in

    Isabelle Thompson reviews May Swim by Katie Donovan (Bloodaxe, 2024)

    Dunna wittle, it’ll be reet

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Ostriches: Ten Poems about My Dad by Jeanette Burton (Candlestick Press, 2024)

    Across the border

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Come Here to This Gate by Rory Waterman (Carcanet, 2024)

    My oddly capable body

    Isabelle Thompson reviews The Department of Work and Pensions Assesses a Jade Fish by Nuala Watt (Blue Diode, 2024)

    The dull click-clink of gold against formica

    Isabelle Thompson reviews I Think We’re Alone Now by Abigail Parry (Bloodaxe Books, 2023)

    Each brief puncture of the incoming tide

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Collecting the Data by Mat Riches (Red Squirrel Press, 2023)

    As if to map the hidden history

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Cargo by Charlotte Gann (Mariscat Press, 2023)

    Mixed feelings about gravity

    Isabelle Thompson reviews three new pamphlets from ignitionpress

    * […] Mol is an imaginary friend, the latest fad everyone wants to get their hands on [go to page 18]

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Making Sense by Dide (Verve Poetry, 2023)

    How else were you to mend lineage?

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Ixora by Prerana Kumar (Guillemot Press, 2023)

    All the blues and greens

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Say It With Me by Vanessa Lampert (Seren, 2023)

    What does say Isabelle Thompson say?

    When I was two years old I wanted to be a bus driver or an orchestra conductor – the latter because I wanted to wave my arms about a lot ...

    Two pamphlets that sing together

    Isabelle Thompson reviews I Hate to Be the One to Tell You This by Zoë Walkington (Smith|Doorstop, 2023) and Past Tense Future Imperfect by Jon Miller (Smith|Doorstop, 2023)

    First-class business to transact

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Tabula Rasa: Poetry by Women (Linen Press, 2023)

    SEQUINS NOW

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Dirty Martini by Natalie Shaw (Broken Sleep Books, 2023)

    A slick torpedo hurled from the blue depths

    Isabelle Thompson reviews Temporary Stasis by Lucy Holme (Broken Sleep Books, 2022)

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