Driven By Love

26/05/11

Driven By Love by Tessa Ransford

Tessa Ransford

Short biog

Tessa Ransford (www.wisdomfield.com) is an established poet, translator, literary editor and cultural activist on many fronts over the last forty years, having also worked as founder and director of the Scottish Poetry Library. Tessa initiated the annual Callum Macdonald Memorial Award for publishers of pamphlet poetry in Scotland, now in itsng its eleventh year, with the attendant fairs and website: www.scottish-pamphlet-poetry.com. She has had Royal Literary Fund fellowships in recent years at the Centre for Human Ecology and Queen Margaret University. Tessa’s Not Just Moonshine, New and Selected Poems was published in 2008 by Luath Press, Edinburgh and a further book is due this year.

Tessa is also now working on a two-way translation project with Palestinian poet Iyad Hayatleh, who lives in Glasgow.

The Golden Thread series of poetry readings, arranged by Tessa at St John’s Episcopal Church’s Festival of Spirituality, will continue again in 2011 during August. See blogspot: www.goldpoetrythread.blogspot.com Tessa will be reading on the last Sunday of August at Rosslyn Chapel with artist/poet/translator Jila Peacock.

Driven By Love

I'm in pain with every step
like the little mermaid
as I pull myself upstairs
who fell in helpless love
knee on hurting knee
with a mortal prince
hip on aching hip
forsaking her tail
as I crawl into the car
her mighty stroke of freedom
or put down my weight
for two legs and feet
in the morning out of bed
on which she had to walk
until I limber up to move
in excruciating pain
through the day driven by love
driven by her love.

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