Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2025: Bag For Life

by Carl Heap

Betrayal Children Compassion Connection Death Empathy Ethics Family Fragility Grief & Bereavement History Knowledge Loss Morality Mourning Power Separation Violence Cinquains Pathos Repetition

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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2025: Bag For Life

I am carrying my child
I am taking him to school
He is quiet today
I have gathered him up
O let me not be mad

I am carrying my child
There is no school today
I have gathered him up
He is my flesh and blood
O let me not be mad

I am carrying my child
He is lighter today
There is no school
Where is the hospital?
O let me not be mad

I am carrying my child
There is no hospital
Yes we will walk a while
I will buy him dates
O let me not be mad

I am carrying my child
I have gathered him up
I will buy him dates
Look here I have a bag
O let me not be mad

I am carrying my child
Look, look here – you see
I have gathered him up
He is my flesh and blood
O let me not be mad

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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2025 Winners

Poetry Archive Now! has sought out contemporary poet’s voices since 2020 and now represents a vivid and far-reaching exploration of the ...

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Carl Heap

I've had a twin-track career in Theatre (as an actor, director and writer) and Education (as a teacher of English, Media studies and Drama - latterly as a tutor). Since lockdown I've taken courses with the Writing Room, working on a children's novel, a running memoir and poetry. After doing the rounds of London open mics, I appeared on last year's Edinburgh Fringe performing my more comic material. Shortlisted King Lear Prize 2023.

Themes

Betrayal Children Compassion Connection Death Empathy Ethics Family Fragility Grief & Bereavement History Knowledge Loss Morality Mourning Power Separation Violence

Glossary

Cinquains Pathos Repetition

A special thank you to our WordView 2025 poets.

Hear from some our winners this year on what the Archive and winning has meant to them:

"I feel deeply grateful to be taking part in the chorus of voices honoured by PAN Worldwide 2025. Leonard Cohen famously sang that “every heart to love will come, but like a refugee.” For me, the same might be said of poetry. I came to the writing of it late, and thank The Poetry Archive for providing the encouragement to continue being brave in sharing it." - Michelle Robin Visser.

"I think it shows the importance of live spoken word to share poetry as equally as the printed word for some audiences." - Steve Harrison.

"Being part of the PAN Worldwide 2025 collection alongside 17 incredible poets from across the globe is both an honour and a reminder of the unifying power of poetry. Moving forward, I think this experience will stay with me, it has encouraged me to continue writing with honesty and openness, and to remember that my voice is part of something much larger than myself." - Panya Banjoko.

See the collection Watch the full Wordview 2025 playlist