Issue Seven of the online Propel magazine, conceived by Anthony Anaxagorou is out now. Link here. Each issue is guest edited, my poem 'radiator bleed key' was selected by Pascal Petit for Issue Seven. I have been a long term fan of Pascal's work, and am very grateful to be one of 20 poems within this issue. Pascals introduction is here, extract below:
'The trawl through the thousands of poems from almost four hundred entries took weeks. I read slowly, hoping not to miss a stunner, alert to new ways of making a poem. If there was any doubt in my mind I stopped and read it again as open-mindedly and attentively as I could.... I had to go by instinct – when I reread, if a poem gave me a pleasurable feeling of recognition, I sensed that here was something special. I’d switch into learning mode. What new world is this writer creating? Why does the imagery and tone feel like a good friend? Even if that friend is having a hard time, I wanted their company.
My twenty selections are an eclectic bunch and I admire them all. There are three long poems interspersed by one-pagers and shorts. Very short poems are hard to write well – I admit I was on the lookout for these, and was amply rewarded.'