'first the smell of paint and turps
then incense and hotpot
my mother drawing a desert on the wall
scattering each grain of sand as if it were a seed
wearing my father’s work shirt–
the blue of his iris
and the casting of a rainless sky
on artex'
from 'Newcastle Is Abu Dhabi'
In the second edition of our pamphlet series Sam Telford turns homeward to write of Newcastle and the people who reside there. He engages with the colourful history of the city and draws inspiration from the nineteenth century Northumbrian poet 'Joseph Skipsey'. The poems are innately humorous, earnest and written in the poet's own vernacular.
Sam Telford is a Tyneside poet. He is the author of four collections of poetry, Back To The Bridge, Tabbash!, Newcassel (Kulvert) & A Dream Of The Sea (Cob Editions). His forthcoming collection Tars Of The Tyne will be released on Août Fecit. His collaborative works include Hotel Lobby with Mark Wright, Hua! Hua! Hua! with Joel Everett and 26 Poems For Cash with Samatar Elmi. His poetry has appeared with numerous small presses and he has performed poetry across the UK and Europe.
Cover photograph by the author.
KV14
ISBN 9781917998031
24 pp.
200x140 pamphlet.
Printed on fully recycled paper.
