Squid poem in The Ofi Press

The Ofi Press, edited by Jack Little, is based in Mexico. I am thrilled that they have published my poem ‘Squid of Nondescript Household Places’. Very many thanks to Jack.

Here is the link to The Ofi Press Magazine Issue 63. I hope you enjoy it.

‘Squid of Nondescript Household Places’ is a poem in an animal sequence that I’m working on – so, so slowly. I really wish I was quicker. It is horrific how slow I am except when I get myself going, then the actual writing is pretty quick. I could do it. Motivation is key, of course. I hope this will motivate my inner weird animal to move along with greater speed. North Hampshire Stanza is my main motivating force at the moment. I have been making sure I submit on time for our monthly meetings. The deadline is everything, isn’t it?

Anyway, they are all surreal poems, funny and deadly – at least that’s the aim. Not to everyone’s taste, I know that, but I particularly like the process of writing with several things in mind at the same time. ‘The Great Eel of Jazz’ was published in the wonderful Humanagerie anthology edited by Sarah Doyle and Allen Ashley, published by Eibonvale Press. It’s a brilliant book with much beautiful strangeness about it. Apart from the eel and squid, so far I have rooks, dogs, a sow, alpaca, penguins, monkeys, and several others and they all inhabit my house – or yours as it has turned out.

I chose the squid for its squidginess. I actually didn’t think very hard about it. It was always going to be a squid. Until now, I hadn’t realised that ‘squid’ is part of the word ‘squidgy’. No other mollusc will do.

Since it has been a few weeks, I will add a screenshot of the poem: