The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

Christopher James

The Inheritors

The Inheritors

by Christopher James — Before we gave up the farm to the scarecrows, / we trod the bounds one last time, following / the tracks ...
Close up of a parchment coloured map showing Spanish place names written in italic script.

Holding on against the ebb

Christopher James reviews Whatever You Do, Just Don’t by Matthew Stewart (HappenStance, 2023)
A paper cutout of the front steps to Steven Spender's house. It is a blue townhouse and stone steps lead to the front door. Leaves are on the ground, giving an autumnal air.

A single umbrella is enough to start a revolution

Matthew Stewart reviews The Storm in the Piano by Christopher James (Maytree Press, 2022),
A paper cut out of Taras Shevchenko's house. the roof is red and there is a dormer window in the roof , it looks traditional, there is a more modern building in the background and grass in the foreground

Testament

Christopher James has made a paper cut-up of the Kyiv home of Ukrainian poet, Taras Shevchenko
a hand holding a pen with a blue winners rosette attached to it

The Competition Poem

Is there such a thing as the competition poem? And, if there is, how do you write it? The Frip talks to Ian Duhig, Helena Nelson and Christopher James to find out
Blue flag shape with a yellow circle in the centre, on the yellow circle "Poems for Ukraine" is written in black

The Innkeeper of Kyiv

The Innkeeper of Kyiv Poets have always responded to war by writing poetry — it’s what we do. Following the
Houses of the poets

Houses of the poets

Christopher James tells all about his new 'side-hustle' — paper cut-ups of poets houses
The Unicyclist of Benghazi

The Unicyclist of Benghazi

by Christopher James — Like a cricket balanced on a 1 piastre piece, / my father spun through city streets. / Make a friend of the horizon, he’d tell me. / Remember, we already know how to / ride the single wheel