Donations are essential to keep Write Out Loud going    

'Poem' by Chris Laverty is Write Out Loud's Poem of the Week

entry picture

The new Write Out Loud Poem of the Week is the lyrical and wistful ‘Poem’ by Chris Laverty. It conjures up a "hazy world" and ends: "We'll hear the waves, and watch their gentle swell." In his replies to Write Out Loud’s questions, Chris, who lives in Manchester, says he has writing poetry seriously for about a year, chooses Keats as his favourite poet, and mentions Verbiose at the Fallow cafe in Manchester's Fallowfield as a recent open mic venue he liked.

 

What got you into writing poetry?

Mainly just reading it for years and being inspired by it.

 

How long have you been writing?

Only seriously for about a year, and on and off before that.

 

Do you go to any open mic nights?

Yes I've just started going to some of the ones in south Manchester; I really enjoyed something called Verbiose at the Fallow Cafe last week.

 

What’s your favourite poem/poet?

Can't really think of any particular poems but I would say my favourite poet is probably Keats.

 

You’re cast away on a desert island.  What’s your luxury?

Probably some nice red wine. 

 

 

POEM

by Chris Laverty

 

Last night I saw you - still young, turning your head

so gracefully, and laughing - robed in light;

as I, on dream's soft fabric gently tread,

while stealing slices of sleep before daylight.

What was this hazy world? the uncharted land

of final sleep, of neither space nor time?

where we'll watch clouds, and every grain of sand,

until the waking bell of dawn does chime.

The trees no more would lose their leaves; no more

would birds depart for warmer climes, when we

together here will sit for evermore,

and happy to escape life's troubled sea.

We'll hear dreamcatchers tinkle, and incense smell,

and hear the waves, and watch their gentle swell.

 

 

◄ Sir Geoffrey Hill, former Oxford professor of poetry, dies aged 84

Publisher achieves his quest: anthology of 'faith, doubt and wonder' is launched ►

Please consider supporting us

Donations from our supporters are essential to keep Write Out Loud going

Comments

Profile image

Julian (Admin)

Fri 15th Jul 2016 08:42

Shades of Yeats, too, in: as I, on dream's soft fabric gently tread,

excellent.

Selina Plante

Thu 14th Jul 2016 14:06

I love this poem. So unique.

Profile image

steve pottinger

Wed 13th Jul 2016 10:14

A lovely poem, Chris. A worthy winner of POTW! More, please. :-)

<Deleted User> (14947)

Mon 11th Jul 2016 22:37

thank you very much guys for your kind words!

Profile image

Graham Sherwood

Mon 11th Jul 2016 12:42

Chris's love of Keats is overtly apparent in this piece. Well done for getting POTW.

Profile image

Stu Buck

Mon 11th Jul 2016 12:38

oh great minds laura

Profile image

Stu Buck

Mon 11th Jul 2016 12:38

i loved this when it first appeared. a worthy victor. i love lots of poems every day but i always judge the truly great ones on one factor. how many lines would i steal/can i not believe havent already been written. this contains two in a row;

as I, on dream's soft fabric gently tread,

while stealing slices of sleep before daylight

and says as much in its few lines than many poems do in twice as many.

good stuff indeed.

Profile image

Laura Taylor

Mon 11th Jul 2016 09:22

A beautiful poem this, I especially love:

as I, on dream's soft fabric gently tread,

while stealing slices of sleep before daylight.


mmmMMM. Well done Chris, richly deserved :)

Profile image

M.C. Newberry

Sun 10th Jul 2016 17:29

Dreamlike in many senses - something about these lines
brings to mind those about Kubla-Khan and its writer's
flights of imagination.

If you wish to post a comment you must login.

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Find out more Hide this message