In Quietly quaking, Simon Haines writes light, but not unserious poems that seem to be for everyone and about the everyday. If you want a vivid, human picture of the world in 2022, read through this breezy collection of witty, compassionate – and occasionally biting – poems. They take the temperature of the times and make them feel more easy to cope with somehow. Adrian May
QUIETLY QUAKING
It’s creeping closer,
nudging up,
closing in,
thawing out.
We’re sweating,
shivering,
claustrophobing,
quietly quaking.
Who to blame?
What to do?
Where to go?
When to panic?
Share the worry,
act together,
purify, plant, plead
and forgive the guilt.