The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

The Frip

A collage showing many images — a clenched fist, a skull and crossbones, a pair of handcuffs, a tortoise? and others, you get the idea. There is also scrawled text, such as 'Use your voice' and 'Stop the attacks'

Strength in symbols – and silence

Bruno Cooke meets Santo Niña, the Filipino poet, journalist and activist who uses poetry and social media to give voice to the voiceless
Part of a graphic showing the top of a wooden noticeboard such as one would seen a church. The top has a small flower cutout.

Of difference, and of faith and its loss

Maggie Mackay reviews Hymnal by Julia Bell (Parthian, 2023)
A bold orange cover showing a line / brush outline of a male torso.

A rebozo threaded by an ancient needle

Richie McCaffery reviews At Least This I Know by Andrés N. Ordorica (404 Ink, 2022)
Photo of Kim Moore with a purple track suit style top. She has red hair and she is leaning against a tree.

Poetry and Everyday Sexism

We talk to Kim Moore about her recent Forward prize-winning poetry collection and her new collection of lyric essays
A close up showing two torn pieces of pink paper with slightly burnt edges.

Snowfall mixes with burning ash

Tim Murphy reviews To An Occupier Burning Holes by Ken Evans (Salt, 2022)
An old black and white photo of two kids, one older boy and a younger girl.

Catch the heart off guard and blow it open

Annie Fisher reviews Skin & Blister by Blake Morrison (Mariscat, 2023)
A still from the 2D block game Minecraft. A small figure with a sword is running towards a large dragon ... One way or another it's going to be carnage.

You are the player. Wake up.

Inigo Brodie on the story behind the Minecraft End Poem, and how sometimes poetry is the only option
Section of a multi coloured book cover (think slightly psychedelic swirly greens pinks and purples). Part of the words "Dirty Martini" can be seen in block capitals.

SEQUINS NOW

Isabelle Thompson reviews Dirty Martini by Natalie Shaw (Broken Sleep Books, 2023)
A close up black and white picture of a fallen wine glass, and dark liquid is splashing out.

Blown like glass into brittle intricacies

Hilary Menos reviews Slide by Mark Pajak (Cape, 2022)
We see the back of a young girl standing on the stage at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. She is wearing a denim jacket and her arms are outstretched.

Choose a poem, learn it by heart, share it out loud

Julie Blake, co-founder of Poetry By Heart, talks about the benefits of learning poetry, the joys of performance, and the Poetry By Heart national poetry speaking competition

Photos by Sam Strickland
Imagine a map, then make the canvas black and take away everything apart from the roads (in off-white) and some dots where settlements might be, there you have it.

玫瑰, गुलाब, rose

D.A. Prince reviews After all we have travelled by Sarala Estruch (Nine Arches Press, 2023)
A photograph showing Reg Varney sitting in his London bus.If you're old enough you'll remember 'On the buses'. "That's made my day that has, that's really made my day."

This barter of enthusiasm 5

Matthew Paul, Charlotte Gann and Rory Waterman choose poems by Geoff Hattersley, Kathy Pimlott and Wendy Cope