Poetry Space

30/09/2025

I have just heard that Brian Patten has died. Here’s one of his love poems:

Not Only
By Brian Patten

Not only the leaf shivering with delight
No,
Not only the grass shrugging off the weight of frost
No,
Not only the taste of your skin
No,
Not only steam rising from the morning river
No,
Not only the heart on fire
No,
Not only the sound of the sunflower roaring
No,
Not only love’s resurrection
No,
Not only the cathedral window deep in the raindrop
No,
Not only the sky as blue and smooth as an egg
No,
Not only the fairytale of forever
No,
Not only the wings of the crane fly consumed by fire
No,
Not only these things
No,
But without you none of these things

30/09/2025

So proud of my son Mark and what has achieved. So proud of Dave too for telling his story. His family and friends will never forget him.

When Dave’s brother Mark was diagnosed with terminal melanoma, our study helped him leave a lasting legacy.

Dave and his identical twin Mark were inseparable in childhood and spent their teenage years on hiking adventures together. But, in 2003, their care-free lives changed forever when Mark was diagnosed with melanoma. He was just 15.

Mark was treated for his melanoma and lived on happily. But then, nearly 12 years after his initial diagnosis, he found out that his cancer had spread to his liver, lungs and spleen.

While coming to terms with his diagnosis, Mark found out about our PEACE study, which invites people with advanced cancer to donate tissue samples before and after their death. These samples allow the PEACE team to study how cancer spreads and why treatments stop working in the final stages of cancer.

For Mark, there was no hesitation when he was asked to donate samples.

“Everyone wants to feel that their life has meaning, and taking part in the PEACE study definitely gave Mark an extra sense of purpose,” says Dave. “He may have had a relatively short life, but he achieved so much and made a huge contribution to the world. I’m so proud of what Mark did.”

01/09/2025

Please send poems in to be considered for our next showcase after a short break. https://www.poetryspace.co.uk/2025/03/march-2025/
Please send up your four poems to [email protected]

Edited by Susan Jane Sims. Poems by Lizzie Ballagher, Patricia Brody, Eileen Carney Hulme, Nick Cooke, Judy Dinnen, Rosie Jackson, Andrew Scotson and Susan Jane Sims. Photograph Rhiannon May.

13/08/2025

Just starting to fulfil the flood of orders I have had for Jayne Stanton’s new pamphlet collection . Jayne was a joint winner in Category B of the 2024 Poetry Space Prize. This category was for established poets with previous collections.

31/07/2025

Just four hours left to enter Poetry Space Prize 2025.

Poetry Space Prize 2025 Pay for your entry here This is the second year of our poetry pamphlet competition and I am delighted to announce that award winning poet, Rosie Jackson wil read the shortlisted entries and select the winners. ROSIE JACKSON lives in Teignmouth, Devon. Widely...