I’ve nourished a secret ambition over the years to make it into an anthology of 21st Century Poetry, a single poem in a collection dominated by the Duffys and the Armitages and the profusely talented Gen Z writers who will be much present in that future publication. Perhaps I’ll be represented by my poem ‘Petals’, a poem I cannot remember actually writing but can only recall that it seemed to write itself in an hour or so, required very little editing and has always been so well received. I used it as an introduction and to provide a title to my latest poetry collection ‘Notes of Your Music’, Valley Press [2025].
Cue Manchester queer artist Mike Plunkett, a marvellous photographer and musician who first set ‘Petals’ to music in 1999 as a surprise for me as part of a LGBTQ+ poetic cabaret. He recently approached me to see whether he could use my words and his music on his EP ‘Let it Fly’ which was released in November. What a joy to hear the musical version of ‘Petals’ again and then to hear the rich and pleasing textures of Mike’s other tracks. Mike Plunkett is an authentic talent in a world of easy commercialism. He says of ‘Let it Fly’ that it ‘sits somewhere between electronic, folktronica, pop, modern classical and dream-pop’.
You really must listen to it. It will centre you, chill you out and take you to a magical place. I feel very honoured to be part of this very lovely creation. Thank you Mike!
https://mikeplunkett.bandcamp.com/album/let-it-fly
https://mikeplunkett.bandcamp.com/track/petals
Petals
Remember the music we used to play?
The instruments still hang on the wall,
a trellis of brass roses
or an exotic vine with bugle flowers.
Like plumbing but not joined up,
and silent now.
And the lid of the piano is down.The tunes still prickle in my blood,
and though blooming less
each successive year,
have kept a scent of you.
And the truth is
that I have grown older and loved others,
but I shall always carry some notes of your music
in my pockets, like petals,
wherever I go.
© James M Nash
