"Love That Is Not kind"

           A complex poem that examines the relationship between love as power over another person and love as compassionate loss of the self. The poem rages against the cruel abuse of power in love, and urges that an egalitarian, caring and peaceful respect for other people should inform loving relationships.

"Poem for Jo"

           Written in tribute to Jo Kelly, Education Supervisor for the MA Language and Literature course I studied at Goldsmith's College, University of London, 1983-85. Jo sadly passed away some years after I successfully completed this course. The poem is a memory of Jo's uniquely friendly and supportive style as a supervisor, and is a commentary on the sadness of the passage of time, the seeming futility of some of our hectic activities. It was written, as I recall, well in advance of her death, but has a prescient quality that I've sometimes observed occurs in this kind of poetry. The poem suggests we find a way to communicate truthfully in the little time we have to share our lives together.

"Under the Wild World Waking"

           This was written in celebration of the strength and humanity of a particular woman, who assumes an iconic stature of the woman-warrior. This was written more or less straight off in one sitting. It just emerged, as if I was carving out a rhythmic tribute through the words, woven together in poetic reflection.