This 2024 anthology, produced by the South Downs Poetry Festival and the Festival of Chichester, has contributors from far beyond its Sussex constituency; and is as with their previous anthologies packed with delights. One poem I certainly didn’t expect was Timothy Adès’ translation of Gold by Joachim Ringelnatz (1883-1934), still sadly germane. And there was more excellent work from Melanie Penycate, Rosie Jackson; and then I came to Denise Bennett’s lockdown letter to Edward Thomas. A perfect bringing together of different times.

I loved the rallying cry of Robert Hamberger’s Queens, found Robin Houghton’s when satellites align oddly haunting, and enjoyed Nancy Mattson’s hunt for ‘petrichor’ in Name That Scent. I became fascinated by Simon Jenner’s pair, Listening to Naway Kechog. Loved Jessica Mookerjee’s Menopausal and Geoffrey Winch’s Transcending Self-Portraiture. And finally couldn’t resist reproducing Rodney Wood’s minor masterpiece.

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At Sea, a Brew with a View

A cup of coffee spills its tale,

while water beads on the window

carve paths and race to the sill.

The sea outside flexes its muscles,

splutters, coughs and almost gags.

It lives under clouds and stretches

into the distance and disappears

at the horizon 11.9 miles away.

My time her unfolds in this cup of coffee

where every drop speaks of oceans.

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© Sam Smith 27th September 2024

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A5 56 pages perfect bound

To buy a copy or submit poems to next year’s issue (from March 2025) please contact Barry Smith at southdownspf@gmail.com