Peter Lilly: Poems

It has been a while since I last posted on my blog. But I have decided to revive it in anticipation for the release of my first poetry collection "An Array of Vapour"  with  TSL books .  I'm really excited to share this collection with you! But first, I want to catch on the wonderful journals that have published my poetry since the summer of 2022. You can click on the titles to navigate to the poems or the publications 😊. 'Soil', in Furrows by Green Ink Poetry In August 2022, I was ecstatic to have my poem ‘Soil’ published in ‘Furrows’, a print collection   by Green Ink Poetry.  This poem was written in honour of Wendell Berry , whose own writing and work are an endless source of inspiration for my poetry and life.  This was my first time being published by Green Ink, and it was especially exciting because this is such an outstanding edition. It was such a privilege to be published alongside such amazing authors and inspiring pieces.  ‘Corfu’ Publishe...

  I'm thrilled to announce that three of my poems were chosen for inclusion in the 3rd edition of DRIECH BROAD. The above poem A-Perfect is one of the three poems that were included, which I'm excited to share with you, especially as this edition sold out even before making it to the Dreich Website! Dreich is a wonderful publisher of poetry magazines, books and chapbooks, based and in Scotland edited by Jack Caradoc. It is a continuation of 'Hybrid', a multi-arts platform, started in the late 80's that published some legendary poets like Lawrence Ferlinghetti , Julia Darling , Brendan Cleary and Linda France , to name just a few. A generation later Dreich was launched with the vision of utilising new medias and retaining the small press ethic of 'Poetry for all... free of ego... bias and favouritism."* Their series DREICH BROAD is a beautiful A4 colour print journal, that includes poetry by invitation only, so I am extremely thankful to have these poems i...

I'm very excited to announce that one of my poems was published in The Minison Project Sonnet Collection Series, Volume 4  which came out in July. This exciting and growing project to re-imagine Shakespeare's sonnet started as an online magazine and has been developing into a press. The way they encourage and explore experimentation and development with this familiar poetic form is both important and inspiring, and results in a lot of beautiful writing. My poem in this sonnet connection 'Becoming Paper' was inspired by my previous work with the homeless of Watford. It explores deep emotional and mental struggle, and leans into the inspiring resolve that many people can find to go on when they feel they cannot. Do check out this wonderful issue, but also the rest of the work and writing made available by this exciting project. 

I'm delighted to announce that I have two poems included in the brand new anthology of poetry inspired by the one and only Bob Dylan, published by Fevers of the Mind . As for so many people, Bob Dylan has been a hugely important artist in my development as a person, a musician, and a poet. I grew up listening to him, because my dad was a fan. It was at the age of 13, when I first heard Dylan read his poem "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" , the final track on Volume One of his Bootleg Series, that I was first deeply impacted by the power of poetry, and started writing poems of my own. If longevity of career, diversity of output and fanbase, ability to adapt to sociocultural changes, enduring relevance, and ability to inspire new works or art, are measures of a great artist, then Bob Dylan is surely one of the greatest of the last century. And this exciting anthology of poetry inspired by his words and music is a great example of how he continues to inspire new artists and...

I'm really proud to announce that I have had a sequence of three sonnets published in "Waging Peace", the Summer 2022 edition of BeZine. The BeZine is an online journal focusing on "activism-art related to peace, sustainability, social justice, and the life f the spirit with activism." It is a privilege to be included in a project of such positivity and creativity. My three Sonnets are part of my series "Poems and Sonnets for the End of Modernity" which have already appeared in a number of different journals. This series of three sonnets takes us through different ways of engaging with discontent and revolution. "Fights" explores negative reactionism, after which "The Good Fight" seeks to reframe protest and struggle asking deeper questions. Finally "Revolutionary" starts to paint a picture of the sort of holistic and personal change that is makes up the social change that is needed. The forth poem in this sequence was pub...

I'm very happy to announce that two of my poems have been published in issue one of the exciting new literary journal Archetype .  With the tagline "Reminding us what it is like to be made of flesh" they seek to publish work that honestly highlights and celebrates the embodied nature of human existence. It's always great to see a journal start from a great idea, and even better when the start is this strong. Follow this link to check out their wonderful first issue and discover the wonderful creativity within... The two poems I have in this wonderful issue are 'A Man Without a Mirror' and 'To My Son, At 3 Days'. 'A Man Without a Mirror'  poses questions about self-image as an admiration of a person who is oblivious to the reflected gaze of not only our mirrors, but our innumerable devices with selfie cameras. 'To My Son, At 3 Days' is a poem that has particular importance for me because I wrote it while in hospital three days after ...

  I'm honoured to announce that three of my poems have been published in Issue 4 of the ever-wonderful Paddler Press. Paddler Press is a print poetry & art magazine based in Peterborough/Nogojiwanong, Ontario, Canada. The aim to 'share the work of amazing creators with the world.' What I love about Paddler is how their appreciation for the beauty of language and the beauty of the natural world intermingle to produce deep and inspiring issues.  Two of my poems, 'Unfamiliar' and 'Harrowed' are from my series 'Poems and Sonnets for the End of Modernity', written out of reflections on how the COVID crisis has affected the current socio-cultural shift we are living through. Other poems from this series can be read in Ekstasis Magazine here and here , two poems featured in the Lothlorien Poetry Journal issue 7 and online here , owenbarfield.org , Agape Review , Radix Magazine , and Macrina Magazine . My third poem in this series 'Spring' is a...