Cliff Yates

Biography

Poet & teacher, born in Birmingham, based in the West Midlands & the West Country. Collections include Henry’s Clock (winner of the Aldeburgh First Collection Prize & the Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet Competition), & Frank Freeman’s Dancing School (Salt Publishing). I’ve performed and given workshops in hundreds of venues in the UK and abroad. Author of Jumpstart Poetry in the Secondary School (Poetry Society).

Samples

CLARA “Sweet Sir?” “No thank you. I’ve just eaten a little boy.” He stands at the classroom door, rubbing together big hands. “Poetry tomorrow Clara. Poetry!” Clara has other plans. She’s seeing Andy who’s doing Sociology and English at the Tech. Saturday he took her on the terraces, Villa Park. She stood behind him, warming her hands in the back pockets of his Wranglers. Later they shared a hot dog at the fair, started at either end, met in the middle. On the bus home they sat upstairs at the back, smoking French cigarettes. He cupped both hands around her goldfish in its plasitic bag. She peeped through the cracks, wanting it to sleep in the pink dark. Tomorrow it’s his place; his mum’s out for the day. He’ll read her his essay on The Crisis of Identity of the Post Industrial British Working Class. They’ll lie in front of the electric fire, listening to Van Morrison. Later, upstairs, they’ll run a warm bath, set the goldfish free. ON THE DIFFICULTY OF LEARNING CHINESE My father met my horse when he was 19. She was 12, but you only had to see them together. He was handsome and she was incomparably beautiful. She also had the most wonderful singing voice. Father said she could sing the stars out of the sky. My friends would come round just to be with her. She was like a second horse to them. When I was eleven she gave me my horse scarf. Such a wonderful texture; cool in summer, warm in winter. She made it from an old shirt belonging to my father. He would never throw anything away. But he was so angry. It was the first and last time that I ever heard him use the word linen.

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.