Each poem is made up of three groups of three lines. The total number

of words in the poem is always 50 (a “half century”), although

hyphenated-words count twice (or three times, as-may-be). The phrase

or fragment in CAPS at the start of the poem is a sort of “seed

phrase” or embedded title.

Some of the poems are tributes to authors and cultural icons living

and dead (Dennis Potter, Shawn Lane, Morrissey), some are in a broad

sort of way about “current affairs”, and some (like the most recent one) are more

personal in scope. There is some overlapping of concerns. I’m not

aware of any single argument or theme that is pursued throughout the

entire sequence (an uncharitable auditor might suggest “look how

clever I am!”; but the cleverness, such as it is, isn’t really the

point).

I did give myself permission to write things that were untrue,

incoherent, unfinished or unsatisfying - half-cocked in various senses

- in order to find out what other kinds of responsibilities might

emerge once the requirement to write true, coherent, finished and

satisfying poems was suspended.

I am going to try to carry on until I have written 50 poems; then I

will do something different.