I suppose, perhaps like most people, I write because it helps me to better understand myself and the world. That might sound brutally pretentious, but I don’t know that there is any other reason to do it!
I think I’ve always been interested in words and language and I knew I wanted to write in one way or another. When I gave poetry a shot I found it far more exciting than anything else, and I guess I started writing it with more obvious commitment a few years ago.
I think Aye ok is generally inspired by people and the wonders of the everyday. It was very important to me that the poems represented working-class life, and that they done so with all of its pride and complexities.
New Job
Awk it’s no bad.
Ye get yer tea break
every few hoors
n yer entitled tae a smoke.
The chippy across the road
does a hof-decent scran,
n oan a Friday it’s two-sixty
fur a fish supper n a can.
The boss is awright anaw
n the boys ur brand new.
It’s no an easy graft but –
it doesny hof tire ye oot.
But it the end ae the day
a joab’s a joab
n yer no there tae huv fun.
Yer there fur the money.
N it keeps ye aff the brew.
Granny
Yer response tae the lockdown is will I fuck
stiy in the hoose fur that long I’ll be deid
by the time I get oot n I refuse tae persuade
ye otherwise but ask if ye’ve got enough food
tae dae ye. Yer fridge is full it always hus been.
I’ve always wanted tae know why ye keep yer tins
in the fridge but since it’s Mother’s Day I ask
if ye’ve got any books tae pass the time. Ye don’t
huv tae worry aboot fines the library will extend thum.
There’s nae jigsaws in the shops either so everybody
must huv the same idea. Jigsaws, toilet roll, hand sanitiser.
There’s a film oan the night n it’s probably a lot
a shite but ye’ll watch it. Fuck all else tae dae:
the bingo hus been shut since last Friday.