The new Write Out Loud Poem of the Week is the lyrical and wistful ‘Poem’ by Chris Laverty. It conjures up a "hazy world" and ends: "We'll hear the waves, and watch their gentle swell." In his replies to Write Out Loud’s questions, Chris, who lives in Manchester, says he has writing poetry seriously for about a year, chooses Keats as his favourite poet, and mentions Verbiose at the Fallow cafe in Manchester's Fallowfield as a recent open mic venue he liked.

 

What got you into writing poetry?

Mainly just reading it for years and being inspired by it.

 

How long have you been writing?

Only seriously for about a year, and on and off before that.

 

Do you go to any open mic nights?

Yes I've just started going to some of the ones in south Manchester; I really enjoyed something called Verbiose at the Fallow Cafe last week.

 

What’s your favourite poem/poet?

Can't really think of any particular poems but I would say my favourite poet is probably Keats.

 

You’re cast away on a desert island.  What’s your luxury?

Probably some nice red wine. 

 

 

POEM

by Chris Laverty

 

Last night I saw you - still young, turning your head

so gracefully, and laughing - robed in light;

as I, on dream's soft fabric gently tread,

while stealing slices of sleep before daylight.

What was this hazy world? the uncharted land

of final sleep, of neither space nor time?

where we'll watch clouds, and every grain of sand,

until the waking bell of dawn does chime.

The trees no more would lose their leaves; no more

would birds depart for warmer climes, when we

together here will sit for evermore,

and happy to escape life's troubled sea.

We'll hear dreamcatchers tinkle, and incense smell,

and hear the waves, and watch their gentle swell.