The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

The Frip

Stewart Sanderson standing in a field in front of the Cheviots. He is smiling.. well, why not? It looks like a great place.

Crossing the Line: Walking in the Cheviots with Dante

Stewart Sanderson considers the notion of 'crossing the line' in poetry while walking his beloved Cheviot hills
Three pieces of fruit, made out of wood on a pale background. Pretty sure one is a pear and more than 80% sure that another represents an apple. The last could well be a beef tomato, then again a teeny pumpkin fits too.

You are less separate than you imagine

Charlotte Gann reviews The Hopeful Hat by Carole Satyamurti (Bloodaxe, 2023)
Part of book cover showing Kite form by Mike Barlow — a piece of abstract art (because we have learnt by now that nothing says competent poet more than a bit of random abstract artwork). Painted driftwood is the background to geometric shapes in shades of blue. These are criss crossed with bits of fine string. Told you ... poetry.

To walk, move the ground backwards

Mat Riches reviews Spider Time by William Gilson (Wayleave Press, 2022)
Black and white photograph of Picasso and Éluard in conversation.

Picasso, ici, je te vois, et je te nomme

Rowan Bell on the relationship between artist Picasso and poet Paul Éluard
Pixelated image with a black background and a thick rainbow border on the left hand side and top. Small square blocks of colour seem to explode into the centre from the top left hand corner.

Can’t you see the poetry in throwing a fire extinguisher through the window of the Ritz?

Karen Smith reviews Improvised Explosive Device by Arji Manuelpillai (Penned in the Margins, 2022)
Clint Eastwood in full cowboy regalia standing in front of a road sign saying 'Welcome to Kent'.

This barter of enthusiasm 6

Andrew Neilson, Emma Simon and Jonathan Davidson choose favourite poems by Roddy Lumsden, Lorraine Mariner and Kit Wright
Three piles of stones on the seashore. Five stones, seven stones, and then five stones. Haiku innit.

What I think about when I think about English-Language Haiku

On form, spirit and resonance: an essay with three commentaries by Matthew Paul
Monochrome photograph showing the silhouette of a woman standing on a small rock in the sea.

First-class business to transact

Isabelle Thompson reviews Tabula Rasa: Poetry by Women (Linen Press, 2023)
Three cover images. The first shows some red fruits on branches, the second shows a prism or beaker with blue shapes inside and the third is a turquoise and blue wavy pattern.

Living between languages

Jane Routh reviews three new pamphlets from Verve Poetry Press – Nemidoonam by Nasim Rebecca Asl, Bird Cherry by Roshni Gallagher and Tapping at Glass by Tim Tim Cheng
Close up photo of Diane Seuss' face. She looks intensely at the camera, heavy dark eyeshadow frames her eyes.

I drove all the way to Cape Disappointment

Rachel Burns takes a close look at the opening poem of frank: sonnets by Diane Seuss
Graphic with a white background showing various leaf like shapes, predominantly blue and black with the occasional green and orange . They could be seaweed. Who knows.

Crash the force shield of this screen

Emma Simon reviews The Kingdom by Jane Draycott (Carcanet, 2022)
Graphic print showing a woman's head and arm in pale colours. She is wearing a crown of flowers.

of bodies / of light / of weightlessness

Khadija Rouf reviews Antonyms for Burial by Ellora Sutton (Fourteen Poems, 2022)