What can poetry give us in this sorry mess of Spring 2026? Waiting for Dave (another daft name for a storm) while Donald beats his war chest, I was searching for answers. Here we are, between Donald and Dave, two man-made malevolencies blowing in from the west ‘and there’s naethin ye can dae, said the old boys’ as a canny Kathleen Jamie notes in her poem, Springs, written in … [Read more...] about Four poems in defiance of an uneasy spring
Spring
Another spring: poem for an elusive season
Yesterday the sun shone, today another bitterly cold wind blows in from the east. Is it foolish to seek hope of spring in poetry? There’s a kind of answer in the Scottish Poetry Library.Christina Rossetti’s Good Friday was the Scottish Poetry Library ‘poem of the moment’ before Easter but it’s her Another Spring that captures today’s mood. If I might see another … [Read more...] about Another spring: poem for an elusive season
Rite of Spring – close up and personal
Here’s the Rite of Spring playing in front of me. Close up and breathtakingly personal. The Scottish Ballet’s raw reworking is not for casual viewing. How on earth did I think I could combine it with a spot of ironing?This is a chance to catch again the sensational performance recorded live in Edinburgh last autumn. Re-released on 20 February, it is available on Livestream … [Read more...] about Rite of Spring – close up and personal