under another sun

Sunday and luckily none too hungover. In fact I felt a good deal brighter than I had the day before. Lorraine and I in decent form and after breakfast with Dawn, how had crept up to bring us tea this morning. Send out some thank yous. A note from Sarah who said she had continued to dance in the kitchen this morning. A note from Robin too suggesting that we do Sin Cycle as a Telltale pamphlet, which is a marvellous idea. Off to meet First Matie and Ian in the Basketmakers. Rainy day and the dregs of storm Dennis still doing its bit. Had a nice beer in there and a Sunday roast. Good to have the chance to get to know Ian better, who is a very decent man indeed, and is clearly exceedingly fond of Kate. Lovely to see Katie, but our meeting was overshadowed somewhat by news about our friend Craig, who is going through a very tough time. However we managed to have a good catch up to and it is always a happy thing to be having a drink with First Matie. A bit worried about the Basketmakers...

A very happy new year to anyone who drops in here. This morning I had the 24 poems of my sequence Sin Cycle published in Eratio Poetry Journal . The editor Gregory is based in New York, and is rather an excellent person, and this is a fantastic start to the year for me. Great that the sequence is published, as I am proud of it. Felt another wave of gratitude to Robin, Charlotte and Sarah for their encouragement. Lorraine pleased for me. I woke up early, and decided I needed to make a decision. Either dwell on the symptoms of my hangover, or get up and start clearing up. As I crept out of bed, Anton texted to say he had already been for a healthy three mile walk. Lorraine crept downstairs too and we gradually made good, and had breakfast, after I had helped Lorraine get dressed. And then chatted to Mum who was about the task of struggling with Mason's hearing aids. A slow day. Jade up late this morning, Beth mid afternoon, and Sam at around 7pm.  Lorraine and I had a sho...

Very exciting news for me, as I dipped into my spam file and found a gobsmacking note from Gregory in New York accepting all 24 poems of my poetry sequence  Sin Cycle to be published by e ratio . Rather chuffed at this, to say the least. With very little poetry action this year, I thought my bardic days were behind me, but apparently one astute and independently minded editor in NYC thinks not. I really like Sin Cycle, but have not found anyone willing to take it on here. As its name suggests Sin Cycle is a bit sweaty, nasty, funny in parts, has fictional elements and is dealing with a version of masculinity not in tune with these sheepish, risk-averse times in publishing. Wrote to Robin, whose birthday it was today, and Sarah and Charlotte to thank them again for their help with this MS. Otherwise, Lorraine went into to work this morning, and spent a few hours with Beth having treatments in the health club. I tidied up my desk, literally and metaphorically, then mooc...

Quite motivated this morning, sent my children's novel off to a U.S. literary agent, entered Sin Cycle into the Magma pamphlet competition, among other stuff. Then walked over to see Janet in Hove, as there was a respite carer in to look after Ken. Janet somewhat tired, so she hopped aboard Ken's wheelchair and we trundled up the road to a restaurant called Third Avenue, where we had a bite to eat, and two glasses each of a non-alcoholic berry and crushed ice drink. Service was snailish, but we had a good chat, and Janet is wisely getting her affairs in order. Back at Janet's house we sat in the back room, as Ken and Janet shared a crafty cigarette. I saw that the tomatoes Janet had put in were full of fruit, and she asked me to pick them. She has always had green fingers, and her new little garden was full of  stripy, and red, and yellow tomatoes. When I picked them, the smell took me back to childhood. Janet gave me a big bag of them to take away. I hopped on a bus...

Lorraine in no shape for work today. I generally felt her forehead, now not so alarmingly hot as before, and she looks much brighter. I made sure she was regularly smoothed, fed and watered etc. while quietly amassing brownie points. Otherwise working through the big list of things to rethink, and also entered the  Sin Cycle manuscript in another competition.  Also went into town to collect a prescription, and have my hair cut. A nice chat in the barbers. Tonight it was England's first match against the mighty Tunisians. Shockingly England played excellently in the opening spell, and squandered a dozen chances before a dodgy penalty for Tunisia meant that the score was level at half time. An excruciating second half where England looked stodgy, bereft of ideas, with penalty shouts ignored, they started reaching for the self-destruct button, when Harry Kane scored a last minute winner.  A nice, if yawny, chat with Mum then, whose relations with her pal Pat hav...

Indoors all day today, apart from being in the garden talking to Clem about things. I was determined to get some work done, and managed to suddenly blurt out two rather good poems, which pleased me lots. I have had the idea of writing a sequence of poems to complement Sin Cycle , which I am going to call Nine Consolations , and I now have three of them.  On that note, the pamphlet competition results are going to be announced next Monday in which Sin Cycle has been entered. They will naturally tip off the winners beforehand, and as I've heard nothing I guess it has gone the way of all my other competition entries. However once Clem was done (after making great progress) I made pork meatballs in a rich sauce. Rather good reviews for this from Lorraine, who is feeling tired after the week.

A bit of a cough today. Worked solidly on Sin Cycle for hours this morning, making a dozen last minute minor improvements. Will let it lie overnight now before I send it into the Poetry Business Pamphlet competition, which is the country's leading pamphlet competition. I have entered this before, but have never felt I've had such a strong hand. May as well start at the top. Tweeting in support of Robin and Stephen's pamphlet launch later this week. I don't do enough of this sort of thing. A long chat with Bob today, who was walking his dog as I was walking back from Sainbury's. Arranging a meet up and putting the world to rights a bit. Fresh tuna to eat with salad for tonight. Clean and simple. Cylons with Lorraine, then an early night.

For no reason a feeling of foreboding this Monday. A misty morning. Lorraine up early and off to school. I got up as she was leaving. Outside the bare tree full of starlings settled in the mist. Worked right away as usual, putting finishing touches to Sin Cycle, which must be done this week. Spent time reading poems today, and Nine Gates, Entering the mind of poetry, by Jane Hirshfield, which is I keep agreeing with. Also did a bit on my other blog. No word yet from the Paddington folks. Walking. Lorraine very pleased to be back home. I had missed her.

Somehow twisted my neck which set off referred pain into my head. Got up in the middle of the night and microwaved the bean filled bag that Maureen gave me, to drape like a heavy slug over my neck. I spent much of the day be-slugged while I worked on Sin Cycle . Now I have Sarah's comments too, I am now making my final tweaks. Weirdly, there are several parallels with Songs of Innocence and Experience  which I haven't read for years, although one of my poems is a reworking of an old poem of mine inspired by  The Sick Rose , a picture of the Blake's engraving which I posted yesterday. Otherwise a quiet day, and Lorraine working late. Maureen phoned me up to talk about curtains. She said I wouldn't understand it but she told me anyway. Glenice phoned to thank Lorraine for birthday flowers. Meanwhile I did my 10k paces in three walks. Not snowing in Brighton as it was in much of the country, but there were occasional odd sleety or snowflake in the air but nothing with an...

Up fairly early for a Saturday. Brought L some breakfast in bed, and then we got up to go into town. Lorraine getting another massage, as there was too much to do last week for one masseuse. I went to Starbucks where I worked for an hour and a half on Sin Cycle , feeling really good about this now. Then I sauntered round to Foodilic where Lorraine and Beth were, and I had a coffee with them and chatted to Beth. Then a spot of shopping, or more accurately returning some curtains we had bought, and buying new CO2 cylinders for our Sodastream. Doing our bit to not infect the world with a million bits of plastic. I also bought a new reusable water bottle for the same reason. It was pouring with rain, so we went home. Luckily Lorraine had driven into town. Home, and then we got a cab to Anton's for a rather good meal to celebrate Klaudia's 14th birthday. Anton and Anne had prepared a feast as usual, with pulled pork and wings and a woof-woof like sauce, and curly fries and corn o...

Up early and did some billing and emails before I got the bus (being late) off to the Evolution Arts place for the Stained Glass window course. Making slow progress. Ben the likeable guy who runs the course tends to be reactive rather than proactive, so you have to ask for help. Some are far more insistent and doing so than me, which makes me feel a bit irritable. Still I managed to cut a fairly circular piece of green glass. I want to get the most out of the course, so I have to alter my approach and be prepared to be more of a 'pane' in class. Arf! All confirmed for a few days next week working with Fernanda. I had packed my bag with my computer and so on so I could start work in a cafe shortly after. Frustratingly I packed everything except my wallet. Chris, who I had a coffee with last week, stood me a coffee, and we had a fairly good chat, then I bussed home again, picked up my wallet, had a quick chat with Sonia, and walked back into town. I worked in Starbucks lookin...

Bobbing and weaving today. Organising a few days freelance in London next week with Fernanda, which will be fine. Chats with Mum arranging to see her and Mas next week, and messaging with Carl and Toby, who was invigilating an exam (or as his autocorrect put it, 'invigorating' an exam). Also got some detailed feedback from Charlotte on Sin Cycle , which is very thought provoking and useful. Otherwise, worked on the Centaur libretto, and completed the first draft of the next scene. Off for a walk in the afternoon to blow off the cobwebs and I racked up my 10k steps, listening to a Mayo and Kermode podcast. Lorraine off all day and evening at a Education conference near Arundel. Ate fish and chips tonight with mushy peas, and watched Professor Green's documentary's about Working Class White Men, which was insightful and sad. Then I toyed about with stained glass window designs, listening to David Bowie's last album, Blackstar , which I think stands up with the bes...

Spoke to Mum twice today, and Mason has been released back into the wild, which is very good news. Another very productive day. It felt like some kind of turning point. After several hours, I finished my draft of Sin Cycle and have sent it to Sarah, Robin and Charlotte, who have all said they don't mind having it inflicted on them. After this I sent my children's novel out to two more agents, having had no response from the last one I sent it to. My targets this year to improve my resilience in the face of inertia and my networking. I need continuous but sustainable effort. This made me feel in a good mood. I went for a long walk down to the sea to celebrate, and felt cheered in the sunlight and fresh air. I bought Jacqueline Saphra's book All My Mad Mothers  (she was one of the T.S. Eliot prize readers on Sunday. I have also sent off for the collections from Ocean Vuong and James Sheard). And simply walked home again to do some more work, and then read some of Saphra...

Terrible night's sleep but a productive day. Feeling more positive and purposeful than I have in some time. Lorraine waking up, then once I was thoroughly awake, went to sleep again after I had put my hand on her shoulder, which magically sent her to sleep as it does quite often.  I was in the wide awake club however.  I dropped off for a few minutes just before I got up, but  I woke up shouting No! After a quick nightmare about Calliope leaping at a magpie, which flew high up with her. After this I simply got up instead, looking out of my study window half expecting the scene to enact itself outside my study window. Had a very good day's work, starting very early, which made me feel happier than I have felt for a while. I have also almost finished the group of poems I'm calling Sin Cycle , which I feel quite pleased with. They are freer, more irreverent and funnier than poems I have written before, but no less serious. I spent much of the day happily buffing them up....

A good night's sleep, woke up and quickly made a note of things Lorraine was saying about her Carol Concert tonight, so she had a basis for her introduction. Then I worked a bit on the poetry. I had sent what is forming into a new collection of poems, called Sin Cycle , to Robin and Sarah, and both were very positive about it. Very pleased about that. Perhaps even more pleased that I was able to arrange for one of my invoices to be paid, the prospect of a fish finger Christmas is receding. However glee at this tempered by being told I had misspelled the woman's name I was dealing with in my thank you email. Things like that curl my toes. Mooching about to the post office, ordering a turkey from the butchers. Also felt very sleepy, which I put down to yesterday's massage. In the evening, I walked over to Anton's house, chatting to mum on my mobile. Hung out and talked all night with Anton as I'd not seen him since I did my poetry reading in October. Oskar had bee...