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The Book Bag: The Oasis by Charles Lang

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

This week has been busy with editing, submissions, August’s Poetic Voice feature being launched, the remarkable Rishi Dastidar. I also had one of the loveliest rejection letters I’ve ever had (although I did make the shortlist for consideration which is an achievement in itself). At home we celebrated Brody’s 2nd Birthday – he enjoyed his salmon lunch! We also took a trip to Stanton Gardens and Nursery, Bide-A-Wee Garden near Morpeth and the tremendous Fieldhead Farm to pick wildflowers. We also had some time to relax and harvest the last of the new potatoes that we enjoyed with some tapas.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

The Oasis

  • Poet: Charles Lang
  • Press: Skein Press

I picked up my copy of The Oasis at the Len Pennie event at Jesmond Library a couple of weeks ago – the Poetry Book Society was selling several titles and I went for this – ( I have a connection to the city it’s based in. My maternal Grandfather and his family were originally from Glasgow where this is set). So let’s dive in, also the playlist has returned…

One of Charles Lang’s great strengths is his humour. The opening piece ‘The Chase’ had me reliving my youth, laughing at myself through the poem. ‘Stickers’ had me laughing too, such an authentic poem – I once completed a panini album apart from a handful of stickers in a hospital bed when I was about 12. The use of Glaswegian dialect reinforces the humour especially when reading out loud and realising that your Scot’s accent needs more work.

Glasgow is a city much like Newcastle; built on the backs of working-class families. A key theme throughout is that of strength of character and resilience in the face of challenges. ‘Glasgow Sonnets’, a sequence of sonnets paints the city with respect and authenticity. The collection’s title poem ‘The Oasis’ spotlights the sense of community which is present in the majority of working-class cities. Then in ‘Disturbia’ we are treated to the grit of a city at night.

A theme that’s explored terrifically well is masculinity, a subject that is multi-faceted especially against the backdrop of a working-class culture. Pieces including ‘Boys’ and ‘Darts’ showcase this greatly. Again, the use of dialect adds texture and dimensions to the poetry.

Imagery throughout the collection is vivid. In the poems ‘Spring’ and ‘Helen’s Bay’ familiar scenery unfolds quickly. ‘The Sabbath’ is a snapshot of a poem and is similar to a relaxing Sunday routine at The Book Bag HQ. ‘In Death of A Field’, I felt a pang of nostalgia for the ‘Rec’ me and my friends used to explore daily.

In terms of form and space, they are used in a variety of ways throughout the collection. ‘Thistles’ is a prime example, which takes over a number of pages. Much like a thistle patch taking over land. Another piece ‘A Mess’ is the same poem presented in three different ways, each with a different emphasis in the voice of the narrator.

This book will appeal to people who appreciate themes of identity, masculinity, belonging, class, city life and vivid imagery. For people who appreciate form and style, this book will appeal. For those who love dialect poetry, this will appeal. It sits comfortably in my top 10 from the year so far.

Favourite Poem:

I’ll stick to five this week but it could very well be the whole collection. ‘Lily’, ‘Nightclub’, ‘Scaffolding’, ‘The Oasis’ and ‘Birds’.

To learn more about Charles Lang, click here.

To buy The Oasis, click here.

And here’s a playlist nobody asked for but everyone really wanted;

Gerry Cinnamon – Belter
Amy MacDonald – This Is The Life
Lewis Capaldi – Wish You The Best
Chvrches – Over
Simple Minds – Don’t You
Travis – Flowers In The Window
Deacon Blue – Dignity
Texas – Black Eyed Boy
Primal Scream – Rocks

One More Thing…

There’s still tickets available for the launch of Beautiful Little Fools on Tuesday 5th August 2025. Grab them here.

And Another…

Last week I mentioned the new substack ‘We Are The Choir; Poetry of Witness’. This week one of my pieces will be featuring. ‘Non-Hazardous Product’ is a poem on the destruction of a river and the commodification of water.

And Another…

Full House Literary are open for Submissions from 1 August to 20th August 2025. Details here.

And Finally…

The Black Cat Poetry Press have a competition with the theme ‘Turning Points’ open until 30th September 2025. The brief is broad, more details here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Vanishing Point
  • Poet: Colin Bancroft

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

Paul

The Book Bag: East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon by Taz Rahman

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

This week has been a fun one. Projects coming together, submissions entered, lovely sunshine walks with my wife and Brody the dog, Julian Cason wrote some very nice things about me on Top Tweet Tuesday reviews week, I cooked up a storm in the kitchen, played some sax and gardened a little. I also saw my first swift and watched the pipistrelles swirling in the twilight.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

East Of The Sun West, Of The Moon

  • Poet: Taz Rahman
  • Press: Seren Books


I was lucky enough to see Taz perform live at the incredible Black Bough Poetry fundraiser in aid of WellChild in Neath in 2024. If you get the chance to hear him read and perform, sit back and enjoy.

Jazz. Poetry. Two art forms that complement each other in terms of speaking an improvised language that is unusual but makes perfect sense at the same time. In their purest forms they are outlets for the disenchanted, disenfranchised, the dismissed. They also happen to be two of my passions. I’ll share a playlist that I listened to whilst reading this book further down the page.

Imagery is delivered with the grace and flourish of a blues scale. ‘Bread of Heaven’ is a perfect example of immersing a reader in a poem that by the end you feel a sense of connection to the poet. This is also the case for ‘Animal Wall’, a sectioned piece that incorporates folklore.

There’s genuine emotion on display throughout the book. The poem ‘Chocolate’ displays fear compared to ‘Sanctuary’ which I felt showed his feeling of safety and peace. I must almost mention the piece ‘Drama/Trauma’ which is really important and exquisitely crafted.

For the romantics, which I count myself as, ‘I Want To See Your Face in Every Kind of Light’ is excellent. I also consider ‘The Free State of Roath’ to be a love poem either to person or place.


Place is important in the book. There are references to Cardiff and Wales, scattered throughout. ‘The Nearness of You’ takes a walk-through Cathays Cemetery. I’ve already mentioned ‘Animal Wall’ and ‘Sanctuary’ above but you get a real sense of surroundings with Taz’s deft use of vivid language.

Equally important is Taz’s admiration and relationship with nature. This is apparent in his language. Poems such as ‘Muktijoddha’, ‘Snapdragons Need The Bulk of Bumblebees to Force Open The Flower’ and ‘Substrate Of A Rose’ show this off really well.

There are poems linked to Taz’s heritage that lift from the page through sensory experience. ‘Anda’ is mesmerising with scents of daal, hot sugar and rosewater. ‘Yashica 365’ is a poem that opens the book with a rich tapestry of language that is evocative, full of sounds, smells and colour.

Taz plays with different forms and styles throughout in the book. These shifts add interest and deliver his lyrical language sometimes interpreted messages with great skill. Pieces such as ‘Permission’, ‘Trap Arachnids For Rainy Days’, ‘Amygdala’ and ‘Chocolate’ are a selection that show the variation and strength of his skill. Also, I must mention the introductions and quotes that precede some of the pieces. It was great to see Johnny Cash mentioned, someone with a deep relationship with Jazz.

This collection is one of my personal favourites. The connection between jazz and poetic skill and language often mirrors itself throughout. Taz uses rich imagery and terrific language and turns of phrase and has crafted an exceptional book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

Also as promised, a playlist to listen to while reading. This was my personal choice anyway…

Trying To Figure It Out – Grace Kelly
Freddie Freeloader – Miles Davis
C Jam Blues – Charles Mingus
Take Five – The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk
In A Sentimental Mood – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
East of The Sun (And West of The Moon) – Charlie Parker
Night In Tunisia- Dizzy Gillespie
Mood Indigo – Frank Morgan
Blue in Green – Cannonball Adderley

Favourite Poem:
I’m choosing three this week. Permission, Turning Saints into the Sea and East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Taz has a website over at https://tazrahman.blogspot.com/ where he regularly shares updates and news.

To grab yourself a copy of this terrific collection, visit the Seren Books website here.

One More Thing…

Keep a close eye out for a new monthly feature from The Book Bag launching on June 1st. It’s an exciting development which I think you will all enjoy.

And Another…

For the Short Story authors, this is a polite reminder that the great people at Frazzled Lit are opening their competition on 1st June. Details here.

And Another…

Fans of open mic’s, whether to perform or be in the audience, the Broken Spine Arts #PoemsAbout event takes place Thursday 29th May. All the information can be found here.

And Finally…

Regine Ebner and Black Bough Poetry are having an online launch for her collection Mountains That See In The Dark on Saturday 7th June 2025. There’ll be readings from Regine and special guests. Grab yourself a free ticket here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: When It Rained for a Million Years
  • Poet: Paul Farley

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

Paul

The Book Bag: Motherbunnet by Laura Cooney

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

Well it has been another busy week for me. ‘Glow: City At Night’ poetry anthology launched on Monday (available here), my piece ‘Nightclub Distillation’ is contained within the pages that are bursting with incredible poets, I’ve sent off some submissions, had a lovely rejection letter and planned more projects.

Also, I hosted the first ‘Write Here, Right Now’ online writing group which was a big success thanks mainly in part to all the supportive and conscientious attendees. I’m already planning number two.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

  • Poet: Laura Cooney
  • Press: 2nd Edition Laura Cooney (1st Ed. Backroom Poetry)


I’m a big fan of Laura Cooney, initially seeing her work in multiple lit mags and anthologies some of which I appear in, and also attending a workshop online ran by Alan Parry and hearing her read. She is a supportive and encouraging poet in all the prompts and response she participates in and her feedback is always insightful, a skill she uses in her role as one of the editors of Frazzled Lit.

So when I saw a post on BlueSky that she was having a second edition print run of ‘Motherbunnet’ I got myself a copy (no thanks to the scoundrels at Royal Mail).

There is real love shared in the pages of this book. The poem ‘I Am Here’ is a packed with emotion and protection. I think I’ve re-read the poem maybe 8 times (at time of writing). ‘I Could Complain All Day About The State of My Knees’ is another piece that shows the love Laura has for her children.

Laura is a poet who knows how to infuse humour into her poems. Pieces including ‘Just Admit It’, ‘Terms and Conditions’ and ‘. That’s When You Remember Why McDonalds Was Invented’ all had me laughing and smirking. Especially ‘Just Admit It’.


Themes of identity and perception recur through the pamphlet including in the title poem ‘Motherbunnet’, a piece that uses the bunnet as extended metaphor so deftly. A poem that stood out for me in this respect was ‘Mothering: Dreaming In An Awake State’. It is so full of internal grappling and poignant. The piece, ‘Two Macaws at Lunchtime’ is another study but of identity but with a shift in tone that still has Laura’s distinct style.

Imagery-rich pieces such as ‘Another Prayer’ and ‘The Place To Eat’ transport you and immerse you in Laura’s world. The observations are poetically sharp and tangible, and in the latter of the two when Laura peppers in some Scot’s language it adds an extra dimension.

Form is played with throughout the book, giving freedom to the words in the page and how they are read and spoken. The poems ‘Revolving Door’ and ‘3P BIO-WHO ARE You?’ are contrastingly distinct and deliver Laura’s message with real emphasis.

Motherbunnet is a sincere, funny and honest collection full of moments that take you on an emotional journey. Buy this if you appreciate poetry with connection that is steeped in reality.

Favourite Poem:
‘Sneaky Biscuits’ followed closely by ‘I Am Here’.

To find out more about Laura, her website is www.lozzawriting.com

To buy Motherbunnet, contact Laura directly on social media @lozzawriting.

One More Thing…

Laura is co-editor of Frazzled Lit magazine who have a forthcoming Short Story competition with entries open between 1st & 30th June 2025. The competition will be judged by Nuala O’Connor and full details can be found here.

And Another…

Broken Spine Arts has opened submissions for a new anthology, Haze: Counterculture Poetry. I’ll definitely be creating something to submit to this excellent theme. Details including submission info and rules here.

And Finally…

A new Silver Branch feature has landed on Black Bough poetry celebrating the incredible work of Robert Frede Kenter. His work always mesmerises me and this feature contains truly remarkable pieces, details of his new book ‘Father Tectonic’ and his approach to writing. The feature can be found here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Scattered Snows, to the North
  • Poet: Carl Phillips

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

Paul

Stolen Voices

The worst kind of thief there is,
is the one who steals another’s words
then speaks them silver-lipped
and serpent-tongued
or writes them with crooked finger
and poisoned pen
without appreciating their weight
or realising their value
only seeing inked shapes on paper
not the skill it took in crafting those shapes
so when you’re caught
and our expressions of love,hope,pain & hurt
are reclaimed by us
the ones who have enough courage
to share our story with the world
I hope you are wordless, you are voiceless
a blank piece of paper blowing in the wind.

This poem was written following an issue where a few people were being plagiarised. The last straw was when war poetry was stolen from the pens of others , their name displayed as the original.

This is my feeling towards people who steal the words of others and say they are their own.

Take It Easy

Paul