Happy National Poetry Day 2020 everyone. I hope you are feeling excited and nurtured by all the poetry treats that are winging your way today – and that you can store some of them up to see you through these difficult autumn days. The theme of this year’s NPD is ‘Vision’ which is a lovely subject, open to many different interpretations. Here are some of my personal favourites on that broad theme:
How a Long Way Off Rolled Itself Up by Moniza Alvi – a poem for our times if ever there was one, written in the style of a Just-So story and about lack of vision, ignoring the warning signs until ‘A Long Way Off/was close enough to singe their hair.’
Brendon Gallacher by Jackie Kay – the consummate, and very poignant, imaginary friend poem. Listen to Jackie reading this poem at https://youtu.be/NXJGwsmmEaQ
The Stair by Kathleen Jamie, Greenhouse by Simon Armitage and The Self-Unseeing by Thomas Hardy – all of these feature visions of loved ones and the feelings evoked by memories of them in particular domestic settings.
What the Pool Said, On Midsummer’s Day by Liz Lochhead – such a sensual poem filled with yearning, and delicious images of the pool with its ‘green glass bra’ and ‘zazzing dragonflies’.
For more Vision poem ideas and events happening today go to https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/poems/poems/ Enjoy!
Sue Dymoke Poetry 