Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.
Well, what an exciting week. The Christmas Gift List went live last Sunday. If you haven’t read it yet, you can here. Feedback has been highly positive, and it could return in 2026. Let me know what you think.
I was so happy to welcome December’s Poetic Voice, Sophie Dumont, who is kindly sharing work from her profound collection Sculling. Read the first part of the feature here. Also, Sculling is one of my picks in the Christmas Gift List. An outstanding debut.
The submission window opened and closed for the Unwhispered Legacy anthology. I’m looking forward to reading and curating pieces and launching in Spring 2026.
I had some acceptances, my piece ‘Midnight Swingball’ made it out into the world with Ink, Sweat and Tears, I also had some excellent news about a Pushcart nomination for my poem ‘Of A Darkening’ which was unexpected and delightful.
We got over to the allotment despite the weather and were able to harvest the last of the radishes and plant our rhubarb crowns. We also picked and decorated our Christmas tree which was proper festive fun. I’ve already started watching vintage Christmas tv and movies.
How good was the full moon this week? Apparently, it was an extreme supermoon and the next time that occurs is 2042.
To top off a great week, I’ve been reading;
Make Up My Mind
- Poet: Leia Butler
- Press: Steel Incisors
Leia Butler is a super talented poet and editor. You may know her from her role as head editor at the excellent Full House Literary magazine or from previous collections including ‘Thoughts I Lost in The Laundry’ (Stanchion, 2024) and ‘Tear and Share’ (Broken Sleep Books, 2021). If you get the chance to hear her read at an open mic or online, her conversational style really shines through. Also, Leia has been highly supportive of my poetry journey and The Book Bag.
Make Up My Mind is a visual poetry collection that sparks a vibrant kaleidoscope of makeup across the pages giving a fresh and inventive feel.
Within the book Leia examines perception and critique and how this informs life. The pieces ‘Frequently ignored questions’ and ‘Take these as compliments’ are a commentary on social and societal attitudes to women and are stark.
Self is explored in pieces including ‘Unfortunately I don’t have it’ in the form of a letter to their childhood self and deals with loss of identity. Also, in ‘If I’m being honest. I’m not good at anything’ looks at insecurity and the worry that those insecurities will be identified by another.
‘How do I type into google’ is an effective piece demonstrating anxiety and drawing empathy from the reader. The poem ‘I don’t get embarrassed’ is a terrific commentary on how micro events can result in a physical state of unease. The repetition of ‘I’m blushing’ creates that sense of unease that embarrassment brings.
The poetry across these pages contains lots of wit and humour. I chuckled reading the piece ‘Yes, I chose this mug especially for the call’ (one of my favourites) because it’s authentic and relatable. This is also the case in ‘What do you do of a Saturday evening’, a poem that so many will appreciate and identify with.
‘Inheritance that lasts’ is a poignant piece examining grief and how it can materialise in memory tied to objects. ‘You’ve not lost yet, but you will’ is another powerful piece about how grief can overcome you during unexpected moments.
Fans of form are treated to a hybrid visual / poetic style that plays with shape. ‘When I turn 23 I’ll be so fucking cool’ is one of the examples where a makeup palette is combined with a list poem to great effect. The visual shadowing of words emphasis through echo in pieces such as ‘Apply, carefully, it stains.’ and ‘We will never argue when we get married’. The combination of evocative language and bursts of colour heightens urgency and mood. The piece ‘Keep it all inside’ about bottling emotions, showcases this expertly.
This is a book that will appeal to fans of relatable poetry with a deep emotional underpinning, lovers of visual poetry hybrid form, readers with a sense of humour. It will also resonate with poetic who appreciate work that explores self and society. This is a marvel of a book that would make an excellent Christmas present. Buy it.
Favourite Poem: I’ll include a handful of poems this week from myself and a bonus favourite from Mrs S who also loved this collection. So, to go with ‘Yes, I chose this mug especially for the call’, I’ll add‘I’m telling you the truth!’, ‘Warning!’, ‘I met all the best people accidentally’ , ‘You’ve got the job’ and ‘No I’m actually never angry’.
Mrs S’ Bonus Favourite: ‘What do you do of a Saturday evening’.
To buy Make Up My Mind, on eBook click here or in paperback, click here.
You can learn more about Leia by visiting her website here. And don’t forget to check out Full House Literary if you haven’t already done so.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a regular entry in The Book Bag without a playlist. So here is my recommended listening:
Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe
Lily Allen – Smile
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Blink 182 – All The Small Things
Charlie Puth – Lipstick
Destiny’s Child – Mascara
Nina Simone – Feeling Good
Amy Winehouse – Valerie
Disclosure featuring Gregory Porter – Holding On
Wolf Alice – Don’t Delete The Kisses
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
Before I Go…
In my Christmas Gift List I mentioned the Christmas Winter Anthology from Black Bough Poetry. Well it has been released and is available in hardback and paperback. Full details and links to buy, can be found here. It’s a special collection.
One More Thing…
Black Bough is launching the collection on Sunday 14th December 2025 from 5pm (GMT). Tickets are free. Sign up here.
And Finally…
Tickets are still available for The Book Bag Open Mic Session 2. Share roughcut coals or polished gems in a supportive environment. Details can be found here.
Next Week: Something a little bit different…
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.
Paul
Paul Writes Poems 