Silver

Today's our 25th Wedding Anniversary - 25 0n the 25th.

Silver

Thin. Hard. Cool. Of high

altitude. Of dark-eyed miners, coca

mountains scraped blue,

ozone and time. Precious,

but not that precious. Of money

the passing of money, the arts 

of bright-fingered androgyns of love

and circuses. Handsome,

scored, nicked, the bewitching

smile of trickery mixing

with desire. Irretrievable. Irresistible.

Of long thumbs and slow hips

silver is not for wedding rings.

Carola Luther

from Walking the Animals (Carcanet)

Poetry Garden Party

We spent a lovely afternoon at the highlight summer event of Manchester's poetry scene - Linda Chase's poetry garden party! The weather was perfect, Linda's house and garden looked spectacular, the place was full of people who love poetry and live music and the Poet Laureate herself read a selection of her newest poems written during this past year since she's been Laureate! In fact - here's a hot tip! - the ink had barely dried on one she wrote last night in response to Rooney's treatment of the fans! She is a keen footy fan - remember Achilles the poem she wrote about David Beckham's injury? This new poem, called The Shirt should appear somewhere in the next few days - remember you heard about it here first!

It was a pleasure to catch up with friends I've made at poetry classes, including the tutors I've had the good fortune to work with and be inspired by - Carola Luther who read some of her fantastic poems, Alicia Stubbersfield, Linda and Carol Ann. I'm sure that the event will have raised lots of money for Poets and Players whose events showcase the talents of established and up-and-coming poets and performers from the UK and further afield. Thank you, Linda, for the mammoth amount of preparation that went into such a friendly and beautiful occasion.