nature poetry

The Book Bag: Along The Home Roads by Andy Perrin

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

This week, I joined my new team at work and was welcomed warmly by colleagues. It also meant I said farewell but I’m still within earshot of my previous team. They did gift me a lovely bottle of Hendrick’s Gin. Which I will savour!

In allotment news, we’ve cleaned the greenhouse and have started some seedlings off at home and chitted some potatoes for first and second early crops.

I dabbed with some watercolour and I’m happy my colour bending for sunset and sunrise is improving.

If you’ve been keeping up to date with Paul Connolly’s Poetic Voice feature, on The Book Bag: Poetic Voices, you’ll know I’ve shared a fourth piece. I’ve been really lucky to share his work throughout February. Read the feature here.

I also took part in #FragmentsFriday which I’ve mentioned previously. This was my poem:

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

Along The Home Roads

  • Poet: Andy Perrin
  • Press: Bottlecap Press

Andy Perrin is a poet I’ve been reading for a few years now. He is a very supportive member of the poetry community on social media and I always welcome his commentary and encouragement. At the end of 2025, Andy held a giveaway for some of his copies of Along The Home Roads and I was very pleased and lucky to get one.

Andy is a master of minimalism in his word count, able to create vivid snapshots. His journeys (by bicycle) showcase terrific scenery. Poems such as ‘Point Judith Lighthouse’, ‘Wickford Harbor in January’ and ‘Spring’s Palette’ (one of my favourites) highlight this perfectly.

The reliance of humanity on nature as a healer is demonstrated across the pages in pieces such as ‘Serendipity’s Reward’ and ‘Along The Side Of The Road’. A favourite of mine is ‘A Winter Meadow Walk’, I’ve returned to it several times, it resonates so much.

The prevailing message in this book is hope.  This begins with the first poem in the book ‘The Night Map’ and continues throughout. ‘The Common Blue Violet’ uses colour to express this perfectly and brought a lasting smile. These were the right poems for me to consume this week.

Andy uses a variety of styles through the chapbook. We have couplets such as in ‘Daybreak in September’, micros including ‘Countless Faces’ and use of white space in ‘My Coastal Sanctuary’. Each style complements the language effectively.

This is a book that lifts spirits and will appeal to readers who enjoy poetry that recognises nature as a force for good. Fans of micro and minimal word counts incorporated across various styles will appreciate this book. It is a wonderful tonic of a book.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already said ‘A Winter Meadow Walk’ and ‘Spring’s Palette’ but I’ll also mention another handful, although this is a book brimming with top notch poems. So I’ll add ‘Stilled’, ‘Alone By A Fieldstone Wall’, ‘My Hydrangeas Didn’t Bloom Last’, ‘Of January 29, 1882’ and ‘The Home Roads’.

To read more on Andy and buy Along The Home Roads click here.

You’ve pedalled all this way, so here’s your playlist, this week with a mix of rock, pop, R&B and Jazz;

Cannonball Adderley – Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Jay-Z Featuring Mr Hudson – Young Forever
Nat King Cole – Autumn Leaves
Hollow Coves – Coastline
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Chimes of Freedom
Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way
Joni Mitchell – Both Sides, Now

Before I Go…
The Book Bag Open Mic Session 3 is taking place via Zoom on Sunday 8 March between 7pm and 9pm. Reader and Audience Tickets available here. The sessions are always a supportive environment to showcase your polished gems and roughcut coals.

One More Thing…
The Last Saturday Poets takes place on Saturday evening, hosted by the excellent Louise Longson. Another great lineup to enjoy including recent Book Bag alumni Carmella De Keyser & Corrina Board. Full details and tickets available here.

And Another…
Last week’s book, Mædwe is being launched online on Tuesday 3rd March with the terrific Victoria Spires in the hosting seat and amazing guest readers. Check out Corinna’s Instagram to sign up.

And Finally…
Happy 5th Birthday to Black Cat Poetry Press. The quality of titles released in that time is substantial and is a real showcase of contemporary poets.

Your regular weekly instalment will return on Sunday 8 March 2026. Next Sunday, March’s Poetic Voice will be launched at Noon…

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week with the launch of March’s Poetic Voice.

Paul

The Book Bag: The How In The World by Louise Longson

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

This week I’ve been able to celebrate Mrs S’ birthday with an afternoon tea, a day out and a movie night despite being lemsip cold.

The submission window for Black Bough’s Christmas/ Winter anthology opened and lots of poems are pouring in. Of my own writing, I’ve written a couple of pieces and edited them down. I was also in the audience for Iamb’s sixth birthday celebrations. A tremendously stellar lineup.

Aside from that, some unexpected news at work means I’ll be joining a new team in the next couple of weeks. I did receive a wonderful letter that raised my spirits.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

The beautiful cover was designed and created by the multi-talented Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

The How In The World

  • Poet: Louise Longson
  • Press: Hedgehog Poetry Press

Louise Longson is an incredibly talented poet having won the inaugural Kari Ann Flickinger Memorial Literary Prize in 2023 and has released several books over the past few years. She is also a massive supporter of the poetry community hosting a monthly showcase on the Last Saturday poets (you may have caught the Iamb special yesterday evening, mentioned above). I’m a big a fan of Louise’s work.

The How In the World is an ecopoetry collection that examines the impact of humanity on nature and vice versa. It’s a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for a while.

Louise’s poetry teems with indictment and one of her strengths is getting the reader to invest immediately. The pieces ‘Hunger Stones’, ‘Prayer For The Bodies Of Those Who Died Violently’ and ‘The World Is A Mirror Of Myself Dying’ all capture environmental suffering and decline through human, industrial and agricultural expansion. ‘Dark Harvest (26 March 2022)’ is another poem that really hit me hard. These are not your typical eco poems. They have bite, purpose and importance.

Readers are immersed in vivid scenery in poems such as ‘Graveyard by the Sea’ which uses multi-sensory language to immerse the reader. The piece ‘Spirit Bear’ (one of my favourites) puts us firmly in nature with a sense of motion.

Louise plays with form in various ways throughout the collection. The use of white space in ‘The Impact of Atmospheric Change on Bird Flight’ is put to great use supported by beautiful language. The shaping of ‘How We Are Like The Moon’ is terrific and seems to shift depending on how you hold the book in your hand. The piece ‘Memories Left By Water’ (one of my favourites) is a skilled crafting of a piece that can be read as three different poems.

This book will appeal to fans of ecopoetry who like their poems to have purpose and truth. If you love a broad scope of language and imagery, this collection would be an ideal fit in your poetry library. If you want to feel, buy this book. A phenomenal read.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already mentioned ‘Spirit Bear’ and ‘Memories Left By Water’. Another handful as I write today are ‘How We Are The Willows that Weep By The Banks of The River’, ‘Somewhere In The Shadows’, ‘How We Are Something Sharp Smoothed By The Sea’, ‘Depth of Field’ and ‘Finding A Piece of Humanity’.

To find more about Louise, click here.

To buy The How In The World, click here. You can also contact Louise directly for a signed copy.

Wondering what my playlist to enjoy with The How In The World is? Look no further…

A Winged Victory for the Sullen – Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears
Laura Marling – For You
Sigur Rós – Samskeyti
Fleetwood Mac – Songbird
Paul Desmond – Take Ten
Amy Macdonald – Caledonia
Ella Fitzgerald & Nelson Skylark
John Coltrane – After the Rain
Brian Eno – An Ending (Ascent)
Phoebe Bridgers – Scott Street
Duran Duran – Planet Earth
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight

Before I Go…
The Book Bag: Poetic Voice for February 2026 goes live at Noon today. Links will be dropping on social media, keep your eyes peeled.

One More Thing…
Black Bough Poetry has an open mic on Wednesday 11th February. They are always supportive and welcoming evenings, and Matthew Smith is a great host. Tickets available here.

And Another…
Matthew is also holding another Crafting Your Year in Poetry workshop which I highly recommend. It kept me on track and accountable for my goals in 2025 and continues to do so. Tickets here.

And Finally…
I mentioned the submission window for Black Bough’s Christmas & Winter Anthology opening for entries this week. Remember, the window closes today (1st February 2026). Get your poems in.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Through Salt-Heavy Seas
  • Poet: Andy Williamson

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul