“Even a stone has a soft spot
a worn through hole after years
of attrition, a heart
whose emptiness is its strength,
as in how a mill grinds wheat
and a cup fills up, and how
their threaded weight makes
looms and fishing nets complete.
And if by chance, you don’t
believe in hexes, hold one stone
with one hole, in one hand,
and notice if your eye resists
a telling stare, drawn through
by its own event horizon, like
the heart pulls in your dark
blood, then blows out bright.”
From ‘Untitled: a forthcoming poetry collection’– included in the showcase
“I am delighted to have my first collection forthcoming from Out-Spoken Press next February 2026. I was fortunate enough to have two TLC Free Reads –– one thanks to New Writing South in February 2022 and the other thanks to Arvon in February 2024. Being a ‘late starter’ poet, it is perhaps unusual in the breadth of its scope. The book explores the shame of being queer and its redemption whilst also mourning the loss of my brother and other friends. The spine of the book is my HIV diagnosis and HIV stigma, prompting meditations on mortality and grief –– and my love of gardening.” From the Introduction
