by Candlestick Press.
This second edition of this much-loved mini-anthology of bicycle poems is a real treat. Invigorated by some delightful new poems, the selection takes us along the highways and byways of cycling lore, from a freewheeling nun relishing the exhilaration of being on a bike on a hot summer’s day to the young man cycling in his brand new soldier’s uniform at the start of World War One.
In a captivating poem about young love, a girl is waiting to meet a boy whose bicycle seems to encapsulate his glamour:
“He rides
A bicycle that glitters like
The wind.”from ‘Girl, Boy, Flower, Bicycle’ by MK Joseph.
Poignant, humorous and unexpected by turn, these poems will delight anyone who loves cycling – as well as those who just like to remember those carefree days when falling off didn’t seem to matter.
Poems by Connie Bensley, James Roderick Burns, Jonathan Davidson, Michael Donaghy, Jonathan Edwards, Jacqueline Gabbitas, MK Joseph, Derek Mahon, Paul McLoughlin, Helena Nelson.
Cover illustration by Rosalind Bliss.
Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing beautiful ‘Instead of a card’ poetry pamphlets. Based in Nottingham in the UK, they’ve been making their mini-anthologies since 2008. Their pamphlets are supplied with an envelope for posting, a bookmark for a special message and an ‘Instead of a card’ sticker to seal the back of the envelope for a lovely finishing touch. All items are collated in a biodegradable cellophane wrapper which is certified to the European (EN13432) norm for industrially compostable packaging and by Vincotte to the OK BIOBASED standard for sustainable, biodegradable film. All their pamphlets are printed in the UK on FSC-accredited paper.