I love poetry.  My poetry books are old friends who I reach for in the good times and the bad times, when they help make everything better.  I seldom re read fiction, but some of my poetry books have literally fallen apart over the years with constant reading and turning of the pages.  Sharing verse and poetry with children is amazing, the rhythm of the words dance on a page, then later discovering the big poems, the words that reach into your heart and stay there, well that is nothing short of magic.

Maya Angelou to Brian Pattern, Seamus Heaney to Roger McGough, Wilfred Owen to John Betjeman and many many more, they all have written a manual for life.  Here you will find hope, and loss side by side, joy and tragedy sitting close by, each there for you,  to be used as entertainment, as consolation and also for reference.

Roger McGough’s Defying Gravity, speaks of loss like no other, while Maya Angelou being Phenomenally a Women is inspirational.  There are so many more I could speak of here but this is a quick blog, it all there to find.  Seamus Heaney’s Digging with stay with me forever, conjuring up images of fatherhood, of difference and of solidarity.

I would urge everyone I know to read a poem, at least once a week, dip in and find your favourite, you will be surprised just how relevant words can be.  In a world of chaos and darkness it is a true comfort to settle down, open a familiar book and step inside.  Indeed I think it should be compulsory for everyone.

If you have a favourite poem, do let me know, I am constantly open to new adventures of the written word.