poets

The Book Bag Christmas Gift List 2025

Welcome one and all to The Book Bag Christmas Gift List 2025.

How has your week been? Are you feeling festive yet?

I’ve compiled this list based on reader suggestions and some personal favourites of mine to give some gift inspiration for the festive season. Another reason was to share and support your favourite poets and presses by buying books.

So, to tenuously misquote one of my favourite Christmas songs, let’s step into this extensive Christmas Gift list. I’ll also drop in a festive playlist and some more festive goodies. I ho ho hope you enjoy…

From M: The Poet Spells Her Name by Sarah Connor (also The Crow Gods and Always Fire both by Sidhe Press). Sarah died last year, but she left this legacy of her beautiful, courageous words.

From BH: Midden Witch by Fiona Benson published by Cape.

Is Midden Witch particularly Christmassy? No. Not really. But it is the finest collection of poetry I’ve read all year. 

Criminal that it wasn’t – at least to my knowledge – on the big shortlists this year. Fiona is a poet whose word choice is so perfect can make me wonder why I bother to say anything ever. Just sublime. 

From A: Here’s a couple of books I’ve enjoyed! Exact Colour of Snow by Bridget Kursheed, published by Shearsman Books and I Am Not Light published by Louise Machen, published by Black Bough Poetry.

From R: There are so many, but I’d go for At the Altar of Touch by Gavin Yuan Gao published by University of Queensland Press. Stunning imagery competes with bold inventiveness.  Poignancy at the loss of their mother at a very young age is balanced by relationships they have had. It won The Premier’s Award and The Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize.

Daughter of Fire by Lucy Heuschen published by Yaffle Press has been nominated for The Forward Prize. This is a marvellously diverse book of poems on Margaret d’Anjou reflecting on her life from a myriad of angles and styles.

The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnside, published by Cape. This is an immeasurably poignant collection, full of the beauty of letting go. 

From P: Here’s a retro nomination. It’s the reissue of The Mersey Sound from Penguin with the work of Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten. First issued in 1967 at the height of the boom of the Mersey beat groups, it really has got something for everyone – funny, surreal, poignant – and ideal for anyone wondering about the roots of contemporary poetry.

Four from BK including one I have on my wishlist…

It’s Like This by Charlie Parker published by Written Off Publishing.  A must-read collection for the dad, uncle or brother who likes to chug a beer, wear a flat cap and talk politics down the boozer. Exploring social class, humanity and the specifically humdrum experience of growing up working class and Northern, Charlie Parker’s debut collection packs a punch and a laugh at the same time.

Disaffected by Korrin Smith-Whitehouse published by Written Off Publishing. Korrin Smith-Whitehouse’s collection of education-adjacent poetry will resonate with anybody in your life who has dedicated themselves to the system. Poignant, yet wry, it is a stark and honest look at how the current education system is limiting the potential of a generation, along with the adults who lead them.

Circulaire  by Bex Hainsworth published by Written Off Publishing. Bringing together nature, witchcraft, femininity and a strong will to exist, Circulaire is a feast of a poetry book that will delight any witchy woman in your life. Focusing on the human form, love and connection, it will hold your hand and take you on a powerful journey.

Car Office by Emma Conally-Barklem published by Written Off Publishing. A collection of vignettes and small, detailed observations from the front seat of a Nissan Micra, Car Office is a unique collection of poetry. Written during the COVID pandemic, it explores human nature in an intricate manner, peeling away the layers of society and casting an eye over the idiosyncrasies of a British neighbourhood under lockdown.

Another from M: For anyone looking for a Christmas/Winter/Winter Holiday poetry book, any of the Black Bough Christmas/Winter Anthologies are perfect! There will be a new one coming out soon. Each of the anthologies includes a wide range of wintry feelings — cozy, haunting, nostalgic, joyful, from poets from all over the world.

From BT: Visiting Hours by Saif Sidari, published by Broken Sleep Books. This debut pamphlet is a profound exploration of identity that is at times heartbreaking and at other humorous, and is fully immersive. Saif’s voice as a queer, Palestinian in diaspora feels particularly poignant and essential at this juncture in our collective history. 

From D: Jen Hadfield’s The Stone Age published by Picador is my suggestion. It’s not festive in any way, but it encourages us to look at the world differently, which is a great gift at any time of year.

From S: I’d love to recommend SHINE Quarterly, an international anthology of poetry. SHINE showcases poets at all stages of their careers, ‘shining a spotlight’ on thought-provoking work by writers from all over the world. Importantly, SHINE strives to highlight messages of equity and unity in the midst of these divisive times. 

From K: Becoming Altar, New and Selected Poems by Kyla Houbolt, published by Subpress Collective is described as a collection offering both hope and resistance in what appears to be a dark night of the world soul. Each poem travels to its reader on a wave of love.

A few from E: ‘I’m nominating these books in a batch based on the creative risk-taking and strength of writing shared by these exceptional poets in the ‘Write Here, Right Now’ writing group.’

Held Inside The Folds of Time by Merril D. Smith published by Jane’s Studio Press
The Keeper of Aeons by Matthew MC Smith published by The Broken Spine
Smatterings of Cerulean by Susan Richardson published by Dark Winter Press
A Gracious Month by G. P. Hyde published by Yarborough Studios
Thoughts I Lost in the Laundry by Leia Butler published by Stanchion
Through Salt-Heavy Seas by Andy Williamson published via Lulu

From J: Moon Base One by Jemma L. King published by Parthian is a book about hope and rebirth and was described by a reader as ‘a masterclass in metaphor. From foetal spacemen to the ever-shifting landscape of the maternal body, here is poetry microcosmic and macrocosmic, intimate and vast, gorgeous and visceral. It moved me; it made me want to write; it was brimful of loss and hope and complexity. I loved it.’

From L: MOTHERBUNNET by Laura Cooney, currently author published runs. This would make a good Christmas present, not for new parents, but for anyone who has had children for more than 6 months. It is a book of honest poetry which is raw and heartwarming in turn. It will make you cry, it will make you think, it will make you feel. It will make you give your babies a hug and appreciate the life you have been given. Perfect for Christmas. It is a Wonderful Life. 

Another from E: Down River with Li Po by Karen Pierce Gonzalez published by Black Cat Press. Karen blends writing for political change with close observations of nature inspired in this beautiful collection inspired by an 8th Century poet.

From a different M: Lines of Communication from Wee Sparrow Poetry Press.  This anthology looks at the beauty of the natural world but with a focus on the overlooked and forgotten. It looks at the unconventional, the fringes. Featuring over 90 international voices, all proceeds are divided between three charities.

A Big Thank You to everybody who submitted their picks. So much variety on offer and good to see previous Book Bag entries make your recommendations.

Now it’s time to share my list, this time with a 1 line summary from me. I was thinking the other day how much poetry I’ve actually read over the last year. Alot but it never feels like it.

Sculling by Sophie Dumont (Corsair) – A profound collection of poetry set against the current of the River Avon that deals with so much.

Latch by Rebecca Goss (Carcanet) – An outstanding collection on place and how intrinsic it is to our nature.

A Hobby of Mine by Rishi Dastidar (Broken Sleep Books) – Fun, smart, smile-inducing list poetry.

Beast by Pascale Petite (Bloodaxe) – Powerful, animalistic, surreal poetry that gets under your skin.


This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates (Broken Spine) – A 21st Century Wasteland filled with wonderful language and metaphor, and the glorious Scousenlish.

Why I Wear My Past to Work by Chris Campbell (Parlyaree) – Heartfelt and healing words with an authentic feeling of family.

Consolamentum by James McConachie (Black Bough Poetry) – A strong, masculine collection filled with brooding Spanish vistas and culture.

Drench Me in Silver by Saraswati Nagpal (Black Bough Poetry) – Mystical, mythical elegance underpinned by gorgeous language.

Elemental by Helen Laycock (Independently Published) – A tremendous book of poems that includes one of my all-time favourites.

With Love, Grief & Fury by Salena Godden (Canongate) – A collection that teems with emotional connection, real issues and defiance.

A Wide River Divides Us by Gill Barr (Cinnamon Press) – A captivating important, personal testimony of living through a pivotal time in UK/Irish history.

Black Skies Die Starless by Jamie Woods (Punk Dust Poetry) – A sharply observed collection that examines the 90’s through a realist’s gaze.

Street Sailing by Matt Gilbert (Black Bough Poetry) – Incisive commentary of humans and animals converging with imagery metaphor and a dash of humour at times.

Make Up My Mind by Leia Butler (Steel Incisors) – Distinctive, brightly vivid and visual poetry that leaves an exacting impression.

Rescue Lines by Lesley Curwen (Hedgehog Poetry Press) – Poignant, heartbreaking, important poetry beautifully written.

New Famous Phrases by Daniel Hinds (Broken Sleep Books) – A terrific inventive debut which challenges, responds and respects the masters.

Welcome To A Museum of A Life by Sue Finch (Black Eyes Publishing UK) – A curated exhibition taking us from childhood to the end with wonderful surrealism and dreamscapes.

Mountains That See in the Dark by Regine Ebner (Black Bough Poetry) – An excellent collection full of immaculate imagery that brings the Arizona Desert to life.

Soi-même by Victoria Spires (Salo Press)– An elegant and delicate pamphlet filled with intimate poetry.

Headlands by Alice Stainer (Live Canon) – The first book in The Book Bag in 2025, this stunning pamphlet takes you on a captivating emotional journey across vivid landscapes.

Husband Material Volume II: 27 Addresses (Hidden Hand Press) – Raw, gritty rhymes tackling real social issues, with humour, resilience and defiance.  

Somewhere A Tree Waits for An Angel or a Butterfly by Eileen Carney Hulme (Hedgehog Poetry Press) – A stunning pamphlet of love.

The Liminal Light of The Night (Hedgehog Poetry Press) – A gem of a book filled with evocative poetry complemented by stunning artwork.

A Dress With Deep Pockets by Jen Feroze (Smith|Doorstop) – A marvel of pamphlet celebrating friendship, maturing and looking back.

Beautiful Little Fools Anthology from Broken Spine –  A superb re-examining of the roaring 20s a century after Gatsby came out.

The Storms Journal Issue 5 is jam-packed with incredible poetry. It gets a special mention here because it’s been so well curated.

Out Yesterday: The How In The World by Louise Longson (Hedgehog Poetry Press) – It’s on my Christmas Wishlist and should be on yours too. Also on my wishlist is Permanence by Stephen Paul Wren & Lesley Curwen (Atomic Bohemian), State Of The Nations by Katrina Moinet (Atomic Bohemian), Coin Laundry at Midnight by Carson Wolfe (Button Poetry), Eurydice in the Ruined House by Anna Saunders (Indigo Dreams Publishing), The Lives We Had Before by Vanessa Napolitano (Stanchion), Quietly Wild by Alix Klingenberg (Mandala Publishing), In The Blueprint of Her Iris by Vikki C & Robert Frede Kenter and so many more.

Also, not poetry but short stories, Soots & Boots from The Broken Spine looks certain to be an intriguing collection of festive stories with that trademark Broken Spine grit you expect. The writers involved in this are excellent. I’ve ordered my copy.

If you’re looking for something cosy and poetic to do but don’t want to write or draft, why not give this downloadable poetic wordsearch a go over the festivities.

WordsearchDownload

If you’re looking to write some wintry pieces, here’s three prompts that will help you on your way. If you do use them, I’d love to read the finished pieces.

Midwinter Magic – On Midwinter’s Day, the snow falls upwards carrying whispered wishes, secrets, spells and memories. Hone in one person. Are they participating or simply observing? Give this person depth.

A Festival For The Ages – A sudden burst of colour from the Northern Lights signals a convergence of time where past, present and future collide. Start the zoomed in then widen the lens. Keep it light and fresh.

Winter As…– Create a poem with winter as something distinctive such as an animal or object. Make it surprising and use minimal punctuation. Limit the words to 50 if you can.

It wouldn’t be a book bag without a playlist would it so here’s a little festive edition to get you in the mood…

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
Winter Wonderland – Frank Sinatra
Last Christmas – Wham
Step Into Christmas – Elton John
All I Want for Christmas – Mariah Carey
Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney
Thank God It’s Christmas – Queen
Let It Snow – Dean Martin
Christmas Lights – Coldplay
Don’t Let the Bells End – The Darkness
Silent Night – Gregory Porter
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano
Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – Bruce Springsteen
Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Eva Cassidy
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Carol of the Bells – St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir & Andrew Carwood
Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea
What Christmas Means to Me – Stevie Wonder
White Christmas – Ella Fitzgerald
O Tannenbaum – Nat King Cole
Cold December Night – Michael Bublé
I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens
Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade
2000 Miles – The Pretenders
Somewhere Only We Know – Lily Allen
Mary’s Boy Child – Boney M
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Perry Como

Before I Go…
One recommendation was for the Christmas Winter Anthologies from Black Bough Poetry. Well good news, I have two pieces in this inventive, quirky anthology and it’s available imminently. Follow their socials to grab a copy.

One More Thing…
Another anthology I have a piece in which was just released, is Rites & Trials, poetry based on coming-of-age. This is a captivating array of poems and voices.  Buy it here.

And Another…
Atomic Bohemian are holding a free online event to launch two of their new releases. Permanence by Stephen Paul Wren & Lesley Curwen and The State of The Nations by Katrina Moinet on December 4th. Tickets and details here. I heard some of the pieces from Permanence on Saturday evening and they were incredibly powerful and important.

And Another…
Tickets are available for The Book Bag Open Mic Sessions, Session 2 taking place in January. Reader slots are limited, grab your spot here.

And Finally…
Make sure you submit to the Unwhispered Legacy Anthology. Submissions opened at midnight. All the details are here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Make Up My Mind
  • Poet: Leia Butler

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

Paul

The Book Bag: Held Inside The Folds Of Time by Merril D. Smith

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

Well, this has been a week. On Sunday, I attended the Black Bough open mic and read a couple of pieces. I then had a half day leave from work on Monday where we took Brody to the vets for a checkup and boosters. He’s healthy but he really doesn’t like the vets.

Yesterday, the excellent Full House Literary launched their new issue, which contains one of my poems. I’m beyond happy to share pages with incredible writers. Read the issue here.

I’ve also been lucky to announce the new Poetic Voice for November as Rebecca Goss. The feature is here and another poem will be added soon.

I did manage to send off a few submissions this week too.

It’s been Halloween; we didn’t get many trick-or-treaters and a couple we did have were in my opinion too old to be trick or treating. There were some great costumes including 2 inflatable dinosaurs. Also, I saw some excellent fireworks going off in the surrounding area. Brody likes staring out the back window watching the colours explode.

And at the allotment the fruit cage has been wired, the cold frame is ready and our green manure is growing well. There will be a big change next week though…

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

Held Inside The Folds Of Time

  • Poet: Merril D. Smith
  • Press: Jane’s Studio Press

I’ve been a fan of Merril for a longtime, first reading her work on TopTweetTuesday some time ago. Not only is Merril a fantasy poet but is also very generous in her support to others, not just in poetry but in activism too. If you get the chance to hear her read, take it.

One of Merril’s key strengths is the ability to place so much emotion into her poetry. The pieces ‘To America’, an intimate and heartfelt poem and ‘May Morning’, a colourful landscape of sound are exquisite examples of this. ‘Sparrows’ is a breathtaking and heart-wrenching piece.

Merril is deft at crafting vivid poetry that immerses the reader in scenes that feel familiar. The poems ‘Cross-Quarter Days’ and ‘Topography’ are tremendous examples of this. One of my favourite pieces in the book ‘In Memoriam: for the Unknown Soldiers at Red Bank Battlefield’, stands out for imagery that connects multiple threads.

When Merril goes cosmic on scale in the pieces ‘Long Nights, The Stars Too Far’, ‘His Shirt’ and ‘All and After’ we are treated to wonderful interplay between scientific, delicate and romantic language.

There is a real sense of connection in the collection. This is across time and in various settings. The poem ‘Echoes’ is multi-sensory and highlights how sharing food can link people across generations. ‘Roads and Flights’ parallel the natural world and humanity and demonstrate how everything is linked.

In terms of styles, Merril makes use of free verse as well as different forms including a golden shovel in ‘That Time’, short form in ‘Daylilies’ and some ekphrasis in ‘Clasped and Cradled’ (inspired by recent Book Bag poet, Karen Pierce Gonzalez). But it’s not just poetry we are given in this book, but incredible photography taken by Merril herself. There’s also some lovely art within the pages.

This book has wide appeal, notably for the visceral, emotive and vivid poetry that lingers a while. If you want to feel a sense of connection, buy this book, if you like the thought of cosmic scale poetry that is epic and intimate simultaneously buy this book. Also, fans of photography will appreciate this book. A fantastic collection with pieces that cling to the mind like a fine November drizzle. A perfect gift for the festive season.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already mentioned In Memoriam: for the Unknown Soldiers at Red Bank Battlefield’ but I’ve also got a few more to mention. I’ll add ‘At The Corner of First and Always’, ‘In Paris and Beyond’, ‘The Power of Gravity and Light’, ‘This Is Not—and Is’, ‘Letter From My Mom’ and ‘Horses’.

To find out more about Merril, her regular and very interesting blog is here.

To learn more about the press, click here.

To buy Held Inside The Folds Of Time, click here.

Oh, are you looking for a playlist to read along to? Well you’re in luck because I’ve curated an eclectic mix for you:

Coldplay – The Scientist
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
The Clash – London Calling
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – Paris Blues
Edith Piaf – La Vie En Rose
Guns ‘N’ Roses – Civil War
Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not be Televised
The Honey Drippers – Impeach The President
Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi
Stevie Nicks – Landslide
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Carole King – You’ve Got A Friend

Before I Go…
Issue five of The Storms Journal launched this past week. Merril is one of the poets to have work in it. I’ve been following the artist reveals on Instagram and it’s a stellar collection. I’m just waiting for my copy to arrive. Details here.

One More Thing…
You can help support poets and presses as well as provide gift ideas for fellow poetics by submitting to the The Book Bag Christmas List. Details here.

And Another…
Matthew M.C. Smith, EIC of Black Bough Poetry is hosting another of their Crafting Your Year In Poetry workshops on November 16th. 2025. I attended one of the workshops and it has really helped me to develop my practise. I along with others highly recommend it. Details here.

And Finally…
Just a reminder for all the poets, that the submission window for The Book Bag X Write Here, Right Now: Unwhispered Legacy Anthology opens at the end of the month, details here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: The Liminal Light Of The Night
  • Poet: Carmella De Keyser

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

Paul

The Book Bag: Concealed Pockets – Reflections on The Weekend’s Open Mic

So on Sunday (7th September) I attended an open mic via zoom held by Black Bough Poetry. They are always excellent events and Biok Bag alumni Matthew MC Smith is always excellent on hosting duties. This time he was joined by the fabulous Polly Oliver as co-host and this was possibly one of the best Black Bough zoom open mic’s I’ve attended.

There were over 20 international poets all with various styles, subjects and voices giving the night a special feeling of anticipation as to what would come next. I read Who We Are in the encore section, my most confident reading of this piece so far. But enough about me…

Every poet brought something different and I was hypnotised by some, brought to tears by one poet, some debuts which were excellent also.

Here’s a recap of some of my favourite performances and why…

First off, I’ll mention Evie Carlyn, reading an important piece recently featured in the prestigious Madrid Review. It entranced the room and was delivered perfectly- both in pitch and pace.

Paul Connolly, who I’ve connected with over on BlueSky, has a theatrical performance style that really lent itself to the poems he read. His diction and intonation led me to make a request he read the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy on audiobook for me.

Rob McKain who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and hearing live in Neath 2024. His voice carried every bit of emotion in the poem he recited, the sorrowful quality was deepened by his immense accent. If he and Paul Connolly were to record a radio play it would be a phenomenal success.

Photo Credit: Matthew MC Smith

I was very impressed by Elizabeth Fevyer making her open mic debut. Her pitch and pace and choice of work was tremendous and there were no signs of nerves. I’m looking forward to hearing her read more.

Lauren Parker is a terrific performance poet. She has a real understanding of rhythm and flow, when to change tone and pace. It helps that her poems are always class and suit her conversational style.

Victoria Spires’ open mic and performance confidence continues to improve and impress. Vic is in the next wave of Iamb and when you get the chance, hear her read. Her poetry is prize-winning and of excellent quality. Also buy Soi-Meme.

It was a treat to hear Martin Kennedy Yates reading from his new book, (I’m looking forward to it arriving). His voice carries so much emotion making his reading mesmerising. Martins new book, This Wilderness and Other Concerns, will be making an appearance in The Book Bag soon…

At one point, I had to turn my camera off because Louise Longson read such a beautiful piece written for her friend Nick that I cried. I felt every single word and emotion. It reminded me of my Uncle.

Sarah Raybould’s poetry is top notch. As is her reading style, very composed and deliberate in her reading. I really enjoyed hearing her read and look forward to hearing more of her reading.

Daniel Hinds has a wonderful accent. He is from the North East after all. He read some of his poetry from New Famous Phrases and he always sounds so good. A pro.

Wren Wood is an impeccable performer. I really appreciated the movement and tone shifts which can be hard to portray on a zoom open mic. Exceptional poems too.

Barnaby Harsent read extremely well. But he always does. Poised and precise in his delivery that draws you in. Catch him on Iamb too.

I could go on and on because I enjoyed every single reading for different reasons. But these are the thoughts I’m having today.

A lot of readers are on the Iamb platform spearheaded by the excellent Mark Anthony Owen whose performances too were top class. His poems carry an economy of language that when combined with his tone gives real gravitas.

If you liked this quick piece let me know and I may do another at the next open mic I attend. Maybe in the future I might host one too?

Let me know your thoughts.

If you want to hear me read with a stellar line up to launch Chris Campbell’s new collection on Friday visit Parlyaree Press here for zoom tickets

Stay Poetic,

Paul.

Advent Calendar Poem #23: Pressure Cooking

There’s a tumbling of sprouts
mini green baubles spilling 
over the kitchen floor 
from the punctured paper bag
a reindeer’s snack 
has caused the tear 
as if anticipating 
the sound of sleigh bells 
but the only sound at the moment 
is sobbing and swearing 
the self-imposed pressure building 
before you can relax 
you have a hundred jobs to do
but Christmas isn’t all on your shoulders
grab a drink and take a seat 
a deep breath to slow down
like snow falling 
everything will be okay.

Hey everyone Merry Christmas Eve Eve. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read the penultimate advent calendar poem for 2022.

Here’s a quote from one of my favourite Xmas movies, The Polar Express “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

Take It Easy

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #5: The King Of Christmas Dinners

The turkey’s too large
or the ovens too small
What are we meant to do about it, Paul?

A midnight axe job will do the trick,
have no worries I’ll fix it quick!

So twenty minutes later
the bird is fully prepped
it’s easy to see the funny side
when a tin foil crown rests upon your head.

Thanks for stopping by for today’s poem. I thought I’d inject a little humour into the advent calendar. I hope you liked it!

Take It Easy,

Paul

Morbid Voyeur

The sneering wind 
flays the sycamore tree of limp,	 weak-willed branches
and their 	lichen tapestries  -		pearl and straw-yellow
while I stand		 watching,
a voyeur 			of death and violence
the wind doesn't want me to watch
howls at 	me 	to 	turn away
                        howls of 	shame
                        howls of 			embarrassment 
                        howls of 						       guilt
It ramps things up 
tearing down 		an elderly fence
that's been 	grey 	and withered 		for a while
Shock tactics.
But it doesn't shock me.
                         I’m still standing. Still watching.

Thanks for taking the time to read my poem. Did you like it? Feel free to leave a comment below or any constructive criticism.

Take It Easy

Paul.

Advent Calendar Haiku #24

Seasons greetings! It’s here everybody! Christmas Eve! Can you believe it? Only twenty-four days ago I started the Haiku Advent Calendar as a challenge to myself and a gift to you all. We’ve made it!!!

I’m going to put on the tree lights and settle down for a day of relaxation and maybe some baking.

But first, I’ll leave you with this haiku…

Santa packs his sleigh,
ready to warp across earth;
The best gift is LOVE.

Thanks for joining me and for the kind words during the Haiku Advent Calendar. If you want to read the previous Haikus, click the specific day below:

Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19. Day 20. Day 21. Day 22. Day 23.

I hope you all have time to connect with your friends and family as well as yourself over Christmas. It’s been great sharing these Haikus with you all.

Merry Christmas to One and All.

Paul

(photo:canva)

Appearing On… Eat The Storms – Christmas Episode

The Christmas episode of the Eat The Storms Poetry Podcast has been released. On it, you’ll hear me (!!!) reading four of my poems with a wintry and festive feel. I am so grateful that Damien (the host with the most!) invited me back to read. I love Christmas and the last time I appeared on the podcast was my podcasting debut, my reading live debut and was so much fun.

Some of the poems I’ve read you’ll find on Paul Writes Poems already; the others will be released between now and Christmas along with my daily Haiku Advent Calendar so keep your eyes peeled.

The last time I had the opportunity to appear on Eat The Storms, the other readers were amazing. The same is said for my fellow poets appearing on the Christmas episode, but, this time Damien has ramped things up for the festivities so it’s bursting at the seams like a vintage stocking.

I have released a poem this month already, you can find the piece of nostalgia by clicking, ‘At Christmas‘.

It was a massive honour and privilege to take part, especially with the calibre of the other poets reading. I may have been was awestruck! (I must apologise for the sore throat though.)

Merry Christmas Everybody

Ho Ho Ho

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