Seasonal Adjustments

By John Hartley

Seasonal Adjustments is the first collection of poems written by John Hartley. Taking the reader through the year with a mix of humour and reflection, the anthology considers themes including the natural world, well-being, family and weather.

 

Although this is his first formal foray into the world of published poetry John's history is littered with rhyme, largely through lyrical writing to accompany musical melody. He grew up reading the works of McGough, Larkin, Rosen, Hughes, Hardy and Armitage. He won a certificate in an Observer young poetry competition at the age of 14 and once sang "I have a way with words but it's the wrong way". Find out here how true that is...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Broken Down Books
• Release date: Jan 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215613696

John Hartley

Born in Bolton, Lancashire, in the early 1970s, John is a father of three, long-suffering supporter of Bolton Wanderers and Chorley FC, an enthusiastic drinker of tea, and a school leader in special education.  John's musical memoir 'Capturing the Wry' was first published by i40Publishing in 2018 and his authorised biography of the indie band BOB is published by i40Publishing in February 2023. He has written extensively for the Neo-Tokyo online magazine, Dukla Prague Away Kit blog, Toppermost and Everything Indie Over 40 websites.  John's favourite authors are Robert Westall, Magnus Mills, Roddy Doyle, Stan Barstow and Peter Tinniswood.

Book preview

Seasonal Adjustments

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Dark Clouds

Before the Sun

On Humanity

Birdsong In A Time Of Silence

Tick Tick Cross

Arthroscopy Unfinished

Industrious Wren Seeks Home For Impending Family

Poem For Pops

Bus Stop Closed

Populavatory Contest

Joke Book Review

Twenty-to

Trumped Down

Direction

The Poet Is Found Out

The Poet Is Found In

The One

The Neighbour

Beyond The Blinds

There Is Strange Sound

The Romance Of The Night-Time Freight Train

I Can’t Hear The Thoughts In My Head

Getting Down About Getting Up

The Gardener’s Revenge

Sketchy

Law And Order For The Lawless And Ordinary

Job Vacancy

From A Bench In Instow

Missing Inaction

August

Brambled

Summers Gone

Autumn 1-0 Summer

Birds-eye View

Boy

Note To Self

Ode From The Awkward Poet

Board

In My Dreams

The Other Side

From A Chair In Watford

Threedom

Diwali

Green Glow The Leaves

The Question

Walking Past The Dead Man’s House

Cold

Pothole

Do Something For You

Magic

The View From A Fir

Beech Seen

One Blue Too Far

Epiphany

Christmas lingers on

Murder In The Light

Snowvid

Snow-go Area

Spring Dawns

Once A Poet

Dark Clouds

Dark clouds are on the horizon

But there are always

Dark clouds on the horizon

If you look hard enough

And travel far enough.

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If you look behind,

Over your cold shoulder,

You will see dark clouds there too,

But these are of storms you have

Already