Island Songs

By Steve Pottinger

Steve Pottinger has been writing and performing poetry for more years than he cares to remember. When he’s not busy earning a crust, he makes time to get out and enjoy motorbikes, beer, and sunsets. In combination where possible.

‘Island Songs’ is his third collection, and was the first to be published on Ignite Books. The paperback edition came out in 2012. There were two print runs and both have completely sold out.

50% of the income from this digital edition will go to supporting The Haven women's refuge in Wolverhampton.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ignite Books
• Release date: Jul 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005787998

Steve Pottinger

Steve Pottinger is a poet, author, and workshop facilitator, and a founding member of Wolverhampton arts collective Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists. He’s an engaging and accomplished performer whose work has appeared in magazines and anthologies, and he’s a regular contributor to online poetry platforms. He’s performed at Ledbury and StAnza poetry festivals, at the Edinburgh Free Fringe, and in venues the length and breadth of the country, from Penzance up to Orkney. His sixth volume of poems, ‘thirty-one small acts of love and resistance’, out now, is published by Ignite Books.what other poets have to say about Steve:‘muscular, passionate, emotional, rational, compassionate’ Brenda Read-Brown‘pathos, grace, and stone-cold contempt for the powerful and immoral’ Laura Taylor‘ready as needs be to caress or deck humanity in all its beautiful stupidity’ Jonny Fluffypunk‘Bostin.’ Spoz.

Book preview

Steve Pottinger has been writing and performing poetry for more years than he cares to remember. When he’s not busy earning a crust, he makes time to get out and enjoy motorbikes, beer, and sunsets. In combination where possible.

‘Island Songs’ is his third collection, and the first to be published on Ignite Books. To read more of his work, book him for a gig, or find out what he’s up to, visit stevepottinger.co.uk

note: This book was originally published in a paperback edition way back in 2012. Reading through it before creating the digital version, I’d worried that it might feel dated. It doesn’t at all. Many of these poems feel as though they could have been written yesterday, about events in the news right now. We’ve clearly got a lot of work to do.

Steve

Island Songs

Steve Pottinger

Copyright © Steve Pottinger 2012

Steve Pottinger has asserted his right under the Copyright,

Designs and Patents Act to be identified as author

of this work.

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above,

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or

introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any

form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo-

copying, recording or otherwise) without the prior

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and the above publisher of this book

Fools stand on their island opportunities

and look toward another land.

There is no other land,

there is no other life but this.

Henry David Thoreau

No man is an island, entire of itself

John Donne

Contents

Five a day

Tree

Daddy Warbucks

Wake up, smell the coffee

Dry land drowning

Burning burning bright

Mephistopheles’ plans

The great escape

Kawasaki joy joy

Pain in