A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Monday 1 October 2012

The Passionate Transitory: Issue No. 1


It's come at last — Issue No. 1 of my new poetry magazine, The Passionate Transitory. Available online here. Thirty-four poems by fourteen poets. There are all kinds of poems to discover — from short meditations to long, Beat-style riffs.  I think the standard is very high. Please send your comments and reactions! Here's a taster:

When the Almond Tree Comes into Flower

It's as if there is a skin that we inhabit,
like a bag of memories, all the assorted colours
of our dreams and our dilemmas,
our crew of followers, our warrior supporters,
a gang of indented labourers,
the grumbling ones who're forever
demonstrating and protesting,
a fractious mob who pull the plug
on all our best intentions; muttering dissent,
they pack and come with us as well.

Sometimes it's like a race, this travelling,
to see if one can leave before they've time
to file complaints.
But when we arrive, their turbulence,
and their rebellious postures can fall
strangely silent, something co-operative
gets to works inside this skin.

And that's when it begins.
That's when some energy of landscape,
birdsong, sunlight, reaches in and pulls you
out of who you thought you were.

Sometimes it can feel like
yesterday's discovery —
the first blossom of the almond tree.
As they say here in the Midi,
when the almond tree comes into flower,
you know that winter's truly gone.

Morelle Smith
© Morelle Smith

The Passionate Transitory is on Facebook.

The Solitary Walker is on Facebook.

8 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

When I have learned how to get to it (i e - when I have spoken to Dominic) I shall look and comment Robert.

Anonymous said...

I don't know where I got your blog from but I am reading, Tuesday, 25 January 2011--I have all of that on Denise Levertov, and wondered if you could send me the first poem you featured on Levertov that your readers refer to.

I am inspired by your blog.
Thank you.

Ruth said...

Congratulations, Robert! I haven't read all the poems yet, but so far I have been impressed. This one by Morelle Smith is tremendous!

The Solitary Walker said...

Anon — http://solitary-walker.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/through-glass-darkly.html

Thanks, Ruth. I agree that poem I quote here is wonderful. I love the poetic 'argument' that happens, each line and stanza building to the next one in an unexpected yet inevitable way. Another poem which does this so well is the Rosalind Brackenbury one.

Susan Scheid said...

This is a wonderful project. I'm taking this behemoth poetry course at the moment,developing yet another layer of appreciation for how hard it is to come up with just the right words. So much easier in a novel (tongue in cheek, but only in part).

Goat said...

Very happy you've reached another creative milestone, SW. Poetry's always been tough for me, except for haiku, which I seemed to embrace instinctively (reading, not writing, except to kill a few minutes on the trail!) and Bukowski - but I enjoyed and "understood" the sample poem and will definitely immerse yourself in your venture.

And...FACEBOOK?! You're going global!

dritanje said...

They are all strong and memorable poems and well done for getting this project going! I particularly enjoyed reading Rosalind Brackenbury again (I've read her poetry since the 1980s) and Ruth's are so evocative particularly when she writes about the East, evoking great nostalgia in me!
And next? How about a Passionate Transitory Poetry Festival?

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks for commenting, Susan and Goat...

... and dritanje, thanks so much for your support. I agree wholeheartedly about Rosalind Brackenbury's and Ruth Mowry's poems.

I think it may be a little early for a Poetry Festival! Indeed, my only thought at the moment is how to get together some of the same and some new Passionate Transients to submit for the winter issue!