Running away with lessons from the circus

Hello friend,

How is the summer treating you? What do you think about clowns? I hear many people have a phobia; if that’s you, skip this next section!

I was blessed this month with some free tickets to see Take That. Back in the day, I was never a fan. I thought they were cheesy (they were, weren’t they?) and I could never understand the obsession. However, they were so big you couldn’t escape them. I’d seen their Circus show on the TV many years ago, and it looked impressive then; I remember thinking it would be good to see the concert live. Lo and behold, there I was in the London (ex-Olympic) stadium watching a hot air balloon rise from the stage, a 30-foot mechanical elephant, acrobats and fire-eaters among other acts.

In the middle of all the amazing skills and feats, was a segment called the clown medley, in which Gary, Mark and Howard perform a clown routine while singing some of their oldest songs. It begins simply with the trio, sitting with brown suitcases and slowly putting on clown make-up in a sloppy way and taking out items one by one. I was transfixed; what would come out next? A flower? A paintbrush? A fully inflated helium balloon that floats into the warm sky? Answer: all of the above!

There was something so mesmerising and entertaining about watching them do something simple. As humans, we love anticipation, and our expectations being played with. We love being satisfied when our expectations and hopes are fulfilled. It was a simple but inspiring lesson in good old-fashioned entertainment. I am hoping to take that inspiration into my creative work this month. As well as the lessons that clowns give us, that in stumbling, in our ‘failures’ and imperfections, we can also bring joy, delight and connection if we take them lightly.

This month has flown by fast. It’s nearly a year since I published ‘Your tears fall like pearls’; it feels like an age ago now! I’m still thinking about how to celebrate that, so watch this space.

To start with, I’d like to do a session exclusively for you subscribers, so I’m going to do an online session here on Substack on Tuesday 4th August 2026 at 7.30 pm. I will be reading and discussing your top 3 poems from the book along with a Q&A. An invite will be going out soon to all subscribers, so put the date in your diary – I’d love to see you there! I might just throw in a bonus poem from outside the collection too. Let me know what you want to hear by filling out this short survey.

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The poetry event in Walthamstow was unfortunately cancelled due to the heat. I did make it to the open mic at Katakata and shared a few poems. It was good to catch up with some fellow performers. I’ve been feeling a bit uninspired of late, a bit bored of myself and my poems. Another reason to be inspired by clowning and play.

In some environments I feel I am putting a downer on upbeat atmospheres. The poems from YTFLP are not always crowdpleasers; they often change the mood, and quieten the room. But I know they also change people; they give people a moment to remember, to reflect, to go to a deep place within themselves, to think about a loved one, or to remember that what they are feeling is part of a process.

It feels uncomfortable at times knowing I’m bringing that. However, I’m also proud of that, and have to remember to leave my ego at the door and let the poems serve their purpose. Grief must speak, and sometimes it needs silence to do that.

I am digging into some of my other poems scattered around and making more of an effort to create new work and take in new work to fill my creative well. I went along to a Poetic Unity night at the Southbank and was inspired by the performers of all levels, from timid teens stepping on a stage for the first time to seasoned dramatic performance pieces. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded of how high the bar can be and what is achievable.

I’ve also been working on a new piece with a couple of friends and seeing where that goes.

That’s it from me. Thanks for hanging in there; it was a long one this month!

Till next time!