The year ended as it began; with the funeral of someone I admired, who inspired me, who at times I’d been close too and yet now feel never close enough. And both departing well before time or so it feels. Left with a sense of deep loss comforted only be the fact neither will be forgotten and love is everlasting.
After Christmas last year it felt like covid feelings seized hold of me though the tests indicated negative, so I figure that was grief playing out. So began the year weakened nevertheless looking ahead thinking I wonder what will this year bring?
It was an unnerving yet excited feeling; not really knowing where it was going. It felt like coming out of lockdown again even though that phase had passed all I knew is I was to carry on working on my poetry with my wonderful mentor Bethany Rivers.
I haven’t been disappointed. I attended my first Arvon at Totleigh Barton in May with tutors Liz Berry and Fiona Benson and returned in September for a course facilitated by Karen McCarthy Woolf and Mimi Khalvati.
The year has kind of wound up working with Cath Drakes Climate of Change Challenge in November and simultaneously contributing to the Poets for the Planet COPlet campaign during COP 27. I feel I’ve re-entered the world of poetry in a meaningful way after the pandemic pause.
Managed to attend a number of book and pamphlets launches online and in the real including those of Malika’s poetry buddies; Sundra Lawrence, Peter Raynard and Joolz Sparks who respectively brought out Warriors published by Fly on the Wall Press, Manland published by Nine Arches Press, Face the Strain published by Against the Grain Press into the world.
This October also saw the launch of Manorism by Yomi Sode, another beautiful soul from the wide Kitchen alumni, published by Penguin and shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. So congratulations all round!
Fairy Inkcap (Coprinellus disseminatus): also known as “trooping crumble cap”, a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae.
For the first half of the year I was regularly submitting and have had a dystopian visual poem Exhibit C accepted by Sustaining All Life and in the summer informed a poem of mine, Harbingers has been accepted by the Dear Politicians eco poetry anthology to be published next year.
So it’s been a great year for my practice and poetry family and yes now, despite the sadnesses that swells within me I’m able to think, ooooh what does next year hold?
That said if I’m honest I’d say besides all this I still feel a bit like I’m leading a bit of a lockdown life, living through screens, apart from the odd foray into town or into Brixton and that has to change. There are plans afoot to take baby steps IRL!
I’m also at this point wondering if I want to continue with this blog in this form (or at all.) The jury is out on this. Perhaps loyal followers you can help with this. Would you miss the writing prompts? The writers on writing posts? The poems from me and others? Or a better way to put it would to welcome the continuance?
Wishing you all a happy and healthy Christmas and new year, hope you are warm and well.
A blog post by Anne Enith Cooper
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