‘In March 2020 Spec Books proudly collaborated with The Edwin Morgan Trust & Glasgow University, to create ‘The Edwin Morgan Centenary Collection’ guest edited by Colin Herd.’

I am pleased and proud to be a small part of this celebration of the life and work of the influential poet Edwin Morgan. Loving his poetry, especially the experimental, his biggest impact on my life was in teaching and sharing his work with students.

You can hear me reading my contribution To End here.

The anthology can be purchased here.

A change of title, no longer Definitions of…but Poetics. It could alter again.

I am enjoying this, as I do when immersed in a project, especially one about finding.

There is an adage advising to never write poetry about writing poetry, and it is one of the soundest. I’m trusting that finding such in others’ rather than my own is quite different, especially in the subversion, at times, of what has been said: I am not trying to re-present the[ir] poetics.

But it is also a refresher and/or entirely new learning course.

Welcome, you have just accessed the akashic records genetic information division.
This program is required for those wishing to obtain a marriage blessing from the kingdom.
When you wish to begin this program,
Place you’re right hand on the scanner
And tightly clench up you’re butt cheeks as you might feel a slight electrical shock.
Please select the race history you desire.
You have selected African-American.
This is your history

First of all, the term “black and white” is a fallacy.
It simply is another way of saying “this or that”.
Let’s examine the term “this or that” in its ultimate form which is:
“This” means the truth or “that which is resistant to it.
When a minority realizes its similarities on a higher level- not just “black”-
But people of color, and higher still “indigenous”,
And even higher still, “from the tribe of.”,
And yet higher- the “Rainbow Children”.
When this understanding comes,
The so-called minority becomes a majority in the wink of an eye.
This action will cause a reaction or resistance.
The source of this resistance must be banished as it is in direct conflict
With the initial action. it cannot be assimilated,
For its very nature is resistance.
In other words, one cannot serve to masters.
You are either “this” or “that” which is not “this”.

End of part one.
To continue,
Select the program family name
And type in the current government name you wish history on.

“We have the god-given right to run out of our colonies
Anyone who does not bow down to our law. hear, hear?”

“Come on, come on keep it moving here.
What’s your name boy?”
“Abu cah”
“Well it ain’t now; it’s Tom Lynch.”

Mirror, mirror what you see?
Have I still got those dark clouds over me?
Or am I really feeling what I feel? the last days of the devil’s deal
Mirror, what you see?

Devil, devil what you know?
You been here since 1914, but now you got to go
You been hidin’ behind corporate eyes
You want to war, but you can’t fight
Devil, you got to go

You might say, “what you mad about?”
But you still got you’re family name
Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rosenbloom
I’ll be John Blackwell just the same
What’s you’re family name?

Teacher, teacher what you say?
Did we really come over in a boat?
Did it really go down that way?
Or did I arrive before and ruin Thanksgiving Day?
Teacher, what you say?

Preacher, preacher is it true?
That Jesus wants me to give my money to the likes of you?
Ride around in you’re Lexus coupe
Drive us to the cleaners in a pinstripe suit
Preacher, that ain’t truth!

You might say, “what you mad about?”
But you still got you’re family name
Pleased to meet you, Mr. Pearlman
You can call me Clay. Can I play?

People, people what’s you’re name?
Maybe we should start all over
Let everybody get in the game
Put up a one-gloved fist
Make a sound, violet brown

You might say “what you mad about?”
But you still got you’re family name
Pleased to meet you Mr. Goldstruck.

We found this tape in the akashic records. This is Thomas Jefferson

“My fellow Americans, if there is a just God, we’re gonna pay for this!”

“Black men and white men, Jews and gentiles,
Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands
In the words of the old negro spiritual,
“Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last!”

Songwriters: Prince Rogers Nelson
Family Name lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Of all the images/illustrations produced to accompany one of my poems being published on a poetry site, this is my favourite by Alexandre Cesa for Burning House Press.

As a huge fan of writing and teaching list poems, particularity the latter, this will always have a special meaning for me. You can read it here.

[This is from a current, on-going series of poems found in ‘definitions of poetry’ by various writers. The first, found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge, will be published by Stride in July]

Written quickly but intentionally in response to a twitter statement ‘visual poetry does not have to be boring’, so my illustrative reply was in agreement. I never heard back, which happens, but I did wonder if the tweeter thought I was being sarcastic? Hope not.

Admittedly, mine isn’t anywhere as amusing/engaging as the model I was thinking of, Reinhard Döhl’s wonderful Aphel concrete/visual poem:

But as I say, mine was a quick corroboration.

She started to speak
as if it was a conversation
we were already having

and I had to stop reading
the poem I could not understand
along with all the others

that sounded so distant
if beautiful.