luck of the irish

Some weeks are ones you want to live long in your memory. For me, this week has been one. First, I learned that the video of my poem Impulse was one of the winners in the Culture Matters spoken word competition. That put a much-needed spring in my step. Then I found out another of my poems was runner-up in this year’s Prole competition (you can read the winning poems here). I’m chuffed to bits, and am now putting more spring in bigger steps.

It’s easy to make a song and dance about it, to tell the world when you’ve had some success and things are going well, but I’m no stranger to that sense of frustration and despair that most (all?) poets know. Those days when you wonder if your work has any value at all, whether you’re kidding yourself, whether you’d be better off knocking the whole thing on the head and walking away. So, if you’re a poet or a writer who’s going through that right now, hang in there. Keep watching, keep learning, keep honing your craft.

Above all, keep writing. Because it’s what you need to do.