Thought this one was particularly apt, given the recent weather. It’s from John Stevenson’s recent collection, This Once (Red Moon Press, 2023). It’s slightly ominous, I know, but maybe that’s why it stands out.
At the start of this year I accepted the post of reviews editor at Presence. Needless to say, it’s been a busy year, and a steep learning curve. Still, I’ve managed to fit it in, around work, my ongoing commitment to learning the guitar, and of course my own writing. At various times I’ve short-changed the hobbies, but I keep telling myself it’s okay just to keep them on the boil ( that way I won’t be bored when I retire)! But if Stevenson’s ‘named storm’ is metaphorical, I should try not to look too far ahead and stick to the here and now, which is a rainy but mild Autumn morning, half term, washing drying on the radiators, books all over the kitchen table and a few emails to answer.
I know incomes are stretched (I’ve just turned the thermostat down) and haiku books can be quite expensive, but independant publishers and small press magazines are generally operating on a shoestring. So, if you can, in any way, please support them.
Julie Mellor - poet 