Welcome to the first poetic voice of 2026. February is a special month as I celebrate my birthday AND i get to share work from an incredible poet and man.

I first encountered this Poetic Voice sharing his work on the weekly PoemsAbout prompts supplied Broken Spine on Bluesky, finding his poetry smart and accessible and full of wonderful phrasing and incredible language. Then I heard him read at an Open Mic and I was blown away with his performance, he performs with an vigour and gravitas and if you get the chance to hear him read his work, do take it – he often shares his recordings on social media. I’ve been fortunate enough to strike up a real connection with him.

So with further ado, allow me to introduce the excellent Paul Connolly. Find him on Bluesky at @thepaulconnolly.bsky.social.

Paul Connolly has written verse all his life but turned more serious attention to it about fifteen years ago, having set aside his Orwell Prize-longlisted satirical blog. Since then he has had well over 100 poems published in poetry magazines and online periodicals across the globe. He was third in the Magna Carta Poetry Competition, highly commended in the Sentinel Prize, and has a Charles Causley Prize shortlisting and two for the Bridport Prize (as well as a Bridport longlisting in the novel category). Last year, he was among the finalists for the Walking at Night writing prize and received a Best of the Net nomination. He is now seeking a publisher for his first poetry collection and his two novels.

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Across the month I will be showcasing a bumper four poems from Paul, starting with two today that showcase Paul’s range.

This is ‘Late Summer Walk’.

Poem 2 is titled ‘Graduation’.

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Remember to bookmark this post and return on Tuesday 10th February to read a further piece from Paul.

Until then, stay poetic!