Sunday Review

Anyone who says poetry isn't a matter of life and death hasn't been reading Poetry24!
We highlighted National Poetry Day here in the UK with Jim Bennett's 'the protester' - which reminded us that poets living in repressive regimes (in this case Ayat al-Ghormezi in Bahrain) are in danger of their lives. Hopefully another new contributer, Zimbabwean Ross Cooper, need fear no such persecution 'In the Big City' in his new home.
And while the Human Rights Act was discussed in Britain in terms of a pet cat - see Philip Challinor's 'Party Colours' limerick - mounting tensions in the West Bank were disturbingly captured in Lavinia Kumar's 'New Women' fighting for the right to live their lives and keep their land and homes in Palestine.
Sometimes the simplest of scenes - in this case Katherine Lockton's 'The Grave Digger' hide visceral truths. This evocative poem links to a harrowing tale of the nameless, faceless dead in Kashmir.
But it was the death of a man with a familiar face and name that brought us the week's most uplifting poem: Helena Nolan's 'Instructions for Use' beautifully captures the essence of Steve Jobs' inspirational Stanford address (watch it on YouTube here). I'm sure you'll join Martin and I in congratulating Helena on being the winner of this year's prestigious Patrick Kavanagh Award.
Please keep sending your poems - on the 'terrible inconsistencies' Jobs spoke about perhaps? or whatever else strikes you in the news wherever you live.
Have a good week
Clare

Instructions for use

im Steve Jobs and inspired by his Stanford address on life and death

Fall in love with the world

Love it as one you are about to leave

Love all the terrible inconsistencies

Forgive the inconstancy



We are born naked

So much of life is

The clothing we put on

Nothing stays with us



Embrace change, the seasons are

The days saying goodbye to us

Time is farewell

Acknowledge it



There is still room to live

In the wide air

Near the clear water

On the waiting earth



Rise today as your own dawn

Be your own light

Never try to be normal

It will rob you of the right to be

Extraordinary

©  Helena Nolan

Steve Jobs Apple 'visionary' dies aged 56
Editor's note: View the 2005 Stanford Commencement Address here
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Helena's work has appeared in anthologies and literary magazines including; The Stinging Fly, The Moth, and the Spoken Ink audio website. She is this year's winner of the Patrick Kavanagh Award.