“From the quay sail the ships of remembered souls who look at their reflection in the ocean of forgotten souls.”
If you are interested in poetry and are a Twitter user, you will probably have come across the name Paul Brookes, aka @Pauldragonwolf1. Paul’s a busy man: not only with his own publications, but his website (The Wombwell Rainbow), where he showcases his own work and hosts other writers’ work as well. There is also the ongoing series of interviews with poets, which you will find on Rainbow.
Port of Souls was first published in 2018 and is an ekphrastic collaboration between Paul and the Dutch artist, Marcel Herms, who himself works across a range of media. Here, Marcel has produced a series of 30 paintings to each of which, Paul has created a poetic response. The combination of visual and verbal imagery is remarkable: both are at times startling, rewarding and, I have to say, at times uncomfortable. In some of the poems I can detect Paul’s distinct Yorkshire tones, number 9, Turn on Thee for example.
The title comes from number 22, Ships Of, which for me is the central poem in the collection; but it also recurs in 28, Our Futility, and in 30, A World Where, the final poem. A world where, we learn from 23, Our Dad’s Soul, that Paul’s father’s National Service had him working servicing ship’s boilers. This, perhaps accounts for the ship/port/water imagery that occurs again and again in the collection. Paul talks of ‘this fishlocked port’, ‘this earthgoing ocean’, ‘the dockside of her bed’. Often, the imagery is visceral; there’s a lot about blood, bone, skeletons, eyeballs; also, physical decline, Cheyne-Stoke breathing; and rats, and finally, death and grief. That’s not to say it’s a catalogue of grimness, it isn’t. There’s humour, and sex, and throughout, Paul’s distinctive voice.
Paul continues his interviews with poets and is about to embark on a further ekphrastic project. Poetry is clearly the central driving force in Paul’s creative life, and you’ll find his work in a range of publications. However, he still finds time to promote other poets’ work and is generous with his criticism and encouragement. If you are at all interested in contemporary poetry—and now, of all times, we need to listen to our poets—then seek out Paul’s work, you might at times be startled, but you won’t be disappointed.
Don Oldham.
Port Of Soulsis available at Amazon and from Alien Buddha Press.
I want to be your friend.
I don’t even know you, but I know I like two legs.
two legs like to play, to fetch and catch,
to jump and snatch.
I want to be your friend.
I nose your hand with questions.
Two legs run and chase,
two legs throw sticks into space?
I want to be your friend.
My plunging strain is a sign of fun,
of energy balled in muscle and fur.
Two legs take me for a run?
I want to be your friend,
Even as you slip away,
Eyes locked to the floor,
My fractious bark means only, stay.
-Ali Jones
A Dog Called What
What?
A dog called what?
What was it called?
Yes, it was.
It was called what?
What?
That’s its name.
My first fun with words
because John, a friend
in Junior school whose dad
was a farmer of endless
golden wheat, had a dog called “What”.
-Paul Brookes
Potential
Pushing my way
Out front
Has never made
Me comfortable.
Sure, I don’t mind
Sharing a bit of my head.
But mostly
I want to hide
In my paper bag
Behind you,
Put you in the
Limelight
In my stead.
-st
Rapscallion
there is always a naughty one
rapscallion
rule breaker
lives for treats
looks at you with big sweet eyes
gets away with everything
pulls her sister into shenanigans
gallops into joy at full speed
wonders what fool says no
to a good romp and a bone
lives for play
for love
for a warm snuggle under the covers
at the end of the day
-Susan Richardson
Breakdown
Your eyes are pivot points
on the way towards your soul.
You lie but eyes don’t follow
the narrative.
The tears will ebb for a while
but they will smash the dam of
“I’m so powerful.”
in this flood
first calamity will be ego.
Illusions and delusions
will follow—
Hoarding will vanish
and all that will remain
is gratitude
-Jay Gandhi
Bios and links
-Jane Cornwell
likes drawing and painting children, animals, landscapes and food. She specialises in watercolour, mixed media, coloured pencil, lino cut and print, textile design. Jane can help you out with adobe indesign for your layout needs, photoshop and adobe illustrator. She graduated with a ba(hons) design from Glasgow School of art, age 20.
She has exhibited with the rsw at the national gallery of scotland, SSA, Knock Castle Gallery, Glasgow Group, Paisley Art Institute, MacMillan Exhibition at Bonhams, Edinburgh, The House For An Art Lover, Pittenweem Arts Festival, Compass Gallery, The Revive Show, East Linton Art Exhibition and Strathkelvin Annual Art Exhibition.
is an award winning, internationally published poet. She is the author of “Things My Mother Left Behind”, coming from Potter’s Grove Press in 2020, and also writes the blog, “Stories from the Edge of Blindness”. You can find her on Twitter @floweringink, listen to her on YouTube, and read more of her work on her website.
is a teacher, and writer with work published in a variety of places, from Poetry Ireland Review, Proletarian Poetry and The Interpreter’s House, to The Green Parent Magazine and The Guardian. She has a particular interest in the role of nature in literature, and is a champion of contemporary poetry in the secondary school classroom.
is a Software Engineer by qualification, an accountant by profession, a budding Guitarist & a Yoga Sadhak at heart and a poet by his soul. Poetry intrigues him because it’s an art in which a simple yet profound skill of placing words next to each other can create something so touching and literally sweep him of the floor. He is 32-year-old Indian and stays in Mumbai. His works have appeared in the following places:
An ebook named “Pav-bhaji @ Achija” available in the Kindle format at Amazon.in The poem “Salsa; a self discovery” published in an anthology motivated by Late Sir APJ Abdul Kalam. The poem “High Caloried love” selected for an upcoming book “Once upon a meal” The poem “Strawberry Lip Balm” selected in the anthology “Talking to the poets” Four poems published in a bilingual anthology “Persian Sugar in English Tea” Vol.1 Two poems published in the anthology “Poets on the Run” compiled by RC James.
His poems have made it to the PoeTree blog and front pages of PoetryCircle.com & OpenArtsForum.com. In free time, he likes to walk for long distances.
is an American poet whose work emphasizes emotional integrity and social justice. She is the author of several eBooks including, Learning from Pompeii, Coffee for Neanderthals, Disgracing Lady Justice and others, available on smashwords.com and its affiliates.Chapbook:Ebola (West Chester University Poetry Center, 2014)
is a shop asst. Lives in a cat house full of teddy bears. His chapbooks include The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley, (Dearne Community Arts, 1993). The Headpoke and Firewedding (Alien Buddha Press, 2017), A World Where and She Needs That Edge (Nixes Mate Press, 2017, 2018) The Spermbot Blues (OpPRESS, 2017), Port Of Souls (Alien Buddha Press, 2018), Please Take Change (Cyberwit.net, 2018), Stubborn Sod, with Marcel Herms (artist) (Alien Buddha Press, 2019), As Folk Over Yonder ( Afterworld Books, 2019). Forthcoming Khoshhali with Hiva Moazed (artist), Our Ghost’s Holiday (Final book of threesome “A Pagan’s Year”) . He is a contributing writer of Literati Magazine and Editor of Wombwell Rainbow Interviews.
Handsome, yet scarred,
wearing earth quake’s marks,
it still stands, with missing parts – proud.
It is translation, prayer to tile,
then back again, inscribed
into fine art beneath a trained eye.
The guide will tell you of the best examples,
of Kufic and Thuluth scripts,
housed in arabesque and geometric patterns.
But all you will feel is the presence
of the gathering, in the cauldron space,
the knees that touch the earth.
Bow your head, and pray,
even though you don’t usually.
Like a handsome stranger, this place
does something to you,
beneath lofty domes,
Mithra’s wheel still turns.
-Ali Jones
Creative Spaces
Before our babies were born
And we walked through
Sun-drenched fields,
And damp woodland trails,
When time was free,
I was always searching.
You were always finding me.
You often stopped to make sure
I followed,
Reminded me to
Keep my gaze upward.
When, once, we visited a
Roman Villa, we searched together
Gazing underfoot instead,
to glimpse the past.
It was there, of course, on ancient,
handcrafted mosaic-tiled floors,
Reminding the world,
with all that’s already been done,
There’s not much progress yet in store.
But we’re still drawn to new places,
and old; and to
Creative expressions like artwork, and babies.
Now, in our children’s faces,
I search their eyes for understanding of
The importance of where to fix their gazes.
-st
Flowers Tossed on Waves
She races into the shallow end,
clinging to the sides of the pool
to keep herself afloat.
Gentle currents bathe liquid tiles,
sky and sea converging,
melting like petals over tiny hands.
She laughs as the water glides
over her delicate wrists,
smoothing out starfish
and flowers tossed on waves.
She stays in the pool for hours,
shivering,
holding on to the edges so tightly,
her finger tips bleed,
exploring the deep end with her eyes
until the moon takes over for the sun.
Reluctantly, she climbs the steps
into her mother’s waiting arms,
and sits quietly
while her fingers are bandaged.
She eats sloppy joes with her brother,
tells him that mermaids are real,
falls asleep and dreams of flowers,
floating like stars on water.
-Susan Richardson
Healed
I gave away my late Mom’s blue sari
which remained untouched for
several years. She had worn it
for my Master’s Graduation.
I did not take pictures that day.
-Jay Gandhi
Aniseed
Cold on small feet,
ran over it, stood on it,
played on it. No contemplation.
Kitchen floor cover taken for granted.
Screwed face up at the aniseed smell.
Told my friend her sweets smelled
like lino so didn’t want one.
When it was too hot it was good
to lie on and trace the cool blue petals.
Then mam would tell you to stop
lying on the kitchen floor. Go out
and play while she made tea.
-Paul Brookes
Bios and links
-Jane Cornwell
likes drawing and painting children, animals, landscapes and food. She specialises in watercolour, mixed media, coloured pencil, lino cut and print, textile design. Jane can help you out with adobe indesign for your layout needs, photoshop and adobe illustrator. She graduated with a ba(hons) design from Glasgow School of art, age 20.
She has exhibited with the rsw at the national gallery of scotland, SSA, Knock Castle Gallery, Glasgow Group, Paisley Art Institute, MacMillan Exhibition at Bonhams, Edinburgh, The House For An Art Lover, Pittenweem Arts Festival, Compass Gallery, The Revive Show, East Linton Art Exhibition and Strathkelvin Annual Art Exhibition.
is an award winning, internationally published poet. She is the author of “Things My Mother Left Behind”, coming from Potter’s Grove Press in 2020, and also writes the blog, “Stories from the Edge of Blindness”. You can find her on Twitter @floweringink, listen to her on YouTube, and read more of her work on her website.
is a teacher, and writer with work published in a variety of places, from Poetry Ireland Review, Proletarian Poetry and The Interpreter’s House, to The Green Parent Magazine and The Guardian. She has a particular interest in the role of nature in literature, and is a champion of contemporary poetry in the secondary school classroom.
is a Software Engineer by qualification, an accountant by profession, a budding Guitarist & a Yoga Sadhak at heart and a poet by his soul. Poetry intrigues him because it’s an art in which a simple yet profound skill of placing words next to each other can create something so touching and literally sweep him of the floor. He is 32-year-old Indian and stays in Mumbai. His works have appeared in the following places:
An ebook named “Pav-bhaji @ Achija” available in the Kindle format at Amazon.in The poem “Salsa; a self discovery” published in an anthology motivated by Late Sir APJ Abdul Kalam. The poem “High Caloried love” selected for an upcoming book “Once upon a meal” The poem “Strawberry Lip Balm” selected in the anthology “Talking to the poets” Four poems published in a bilingual anthology “Persian Sugar in English Tea” Vol.1 Two poems published in the anthology “Poets on the Run” compiled by RC James.
His poems have made it to the PoeTree blog and front pages of PoetryCircle.com & OpenArtsForum.com. In free time, he likes to walk for long distances.
is an American poet whose work emphasizes emotional integrity and social justice. She is the author of several eBooks including, Learning from Pompeii, Coffee for Neanderthals, Disgracing Lady Justice and others, available on smashwords.com and its affiliates.Chapbook:Ebola (West Chester University Poetry Center, 2014)
is a shop asst. Lives in a cat house full of teddy bears. His chapbooks include The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley, (Dearne Community Arts, 1993). The Headpoke and Firewedding (Alien Buddha Press, 2017), A World Where and She Needs That Edge (Nixes Mate Press, 2017, 2018) The Spermbot Blues (OpPRESS, 2017), Port Of Souls (Alien Buddha Press, 2018), Please Take Change (Cyberwit.net, 2018), Stubborn Sod, with Marcel Herms (artist) (Alien Buddha Press, 2019), As Folk Over Yonder ( Afterworld Books, 2019). Forthcoming Khoshhali with Hiva Moazed (artist), Our Ghost’s Holiday (Final book of threesome “A Pagan’s Year”) . He is a contributing writer of Literati Magazine and Editor of Wombwell Rainbow Interviews.
Contagion, fear, fake news and quackery. There are striking similarities between today’s crisis and the Great Plague of London centuries ago. Has anything changed?
We explore more similarities and differences between the coronavirus of 2020 and the plague of 17th century London. City lockdown, silence and noise in the streets, wild rumours and pandemic inequality.
First and most importantly, I hope all who are reading this are safe and well and home. I am, as ever so incredibly grateful for the support and presence of this community in my life!
Continuing with my recorded poetry series, today I am offering the fourth of six poems originally published in Chantarelle’s Notebook. I hope you like it. Video credit goes entirely to my husband, Joe Richardson.
ABP– Thank you for taking this interview, Scott. As one of our first publications ever, Alien Buddha Press had the privilege of releasing your poetry collection Poison in Paradise back in late June of 2017. What can you tell us about that book? What went into writing it, and how do you feel about the collection now almost 3 years later?
STO- It’s my pleasure, Red. I appreciate the opportunity.
I was flipping through the pages of Poison in Paradise while thinking about this question today. Looking back, one of the aspects I dig most is that we included the selection of full color photographs taken by you and Jay Miner. Working to align them in the book to weave a narrative along with the poems was an interesting process and it adds a unique flavor to the collection.
It’s difficult to put my finger on exactly what this…
The Wombwell Rainbow 