Peter Devonald - Science and Art as poetry
Peter Devonald
The Day Our Life Changed
The science of it was a quiet humiliation,
a certainty, plain and simple,
a failure in our reasoning, a fatal flaw in logic,
a tragedy waiting to happen, inevitable, prosaic,
it was always going to occur no matter what.
We took refuge in the poetics of it,
the quiet dynamics of a turn of phrase,
it cushioned us from the terrible reality,
the texture and eloquence of every word,
we felt them on our tongue and in our heart.
Neither really changed a thing, it still happened,
whichever perspective we chose this was it now.
The reality was the reality, either sugar-coated
or not, we still were here, stuck in this reality,
not even tea and cake could take the sorrow away.
Awards
· 2024 Highly commended by the judge, Riley O’Connell, in The Passionfruit Review competition - In Conversation. Published in a special issue of The Passionfruit Review. Can be read here: https://passionfruitreview.com/the-day-before-you-forget-it-all-completely-by-peter-devonald/
· 2024 The Roses of Heliogabalus - finalist in the Tickled Pink ekphrastic contest: https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-review/tickled-pink-contest-winning-poem-and-finalist-works
Anthologies / Publications
· 2024 Somehow We Let The Shadow In, Winter Solstice Sonnet, Three Weeks Before You Died, Turquoise Dreams Sigh Goodnight and You Don’t See Me - Lothlorien Poetry Journal, edited by Strider Marcus Jones. https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/2024/06/five-poems-by-peter-devonald.html
· 2024 Metamorphosis for a Dream, Eulogy of the Guilty. VIPERS TONGUE Spring Issue edited by Alberta Umber, set up by Billy Childish https://l-13.org/product/vipers-tongue-1-4-ly-spring-summer-autumn-2023-poetry-and-prose/
· 2024 Monthly Poetry Corner in Manchester Post and Stockport Post.
https://communitynewsgm.co.uk/stockport-post-newspapers/
· 2024 The Magical Portal and Vinyl Sings a Song For You feature in the 'Poetic Maps' anthology as part of the Southwark Libraries Festival of Words week.
2024 Summer Sings a Song of Suffering - Forget Me Not Press Part 1: Wretched/ Augus
Peter Devonald
Welcome To The Greatest Science Museum On Earth
Roll up, roll up, to the greatest science show on earth
you might not understand them yet, but you're sure to see their worth.
There is mystery and magic here - to witness and behold
bear witness to obscure objects, and some are very old.
Such strange and wondrous oddities, we bring from far and wide
mesmerising and enticing, the genius is implied.
An Italian articulated manikin, a skeleton made of iron bold --
to see how our bodies work back then, so medicine can unfold.
Next up is a Swan United Electric Light bulb, with orange coated glass,
one hundred and forty years ago, but still it’s modern class.
What mesmerising objects will make your day today?
The only way to find out is to come and have your say.
Gasp in awe at the Cyanotype of Osmunda regalis 1853,
this photograph technique is still widely used to beguile the bourgeoisie.
Witness the threads of time spread, from the past to the future way ahead,
nature then and nature now, I know we're going to survive somehow.
Gape, gaze and goggle at it all, so many unique pieces truly are the best;
extraordinary, blessed and eye-popping, exhibits really stand the test.
Our past is written with extraordinary inventions, blessed, brilliant and blue;
So many astonishing finds to see, explore and inspire you.
COMING SOON
· 2024 Osmosis - Molecules Unlimited Anthology #1 – coming second half of August.
· 2024 Mesmerising Biophony Loft Books September – very excited to see this wonderful literary magazine, edited by very excellent Claire Cronin. https://loftbooks.square.site/
· 2024 Winter Delights - Forget Me Not Press Part 2: Divine. September publication.
https://forgetmenotpress.net/ - swansong of this wonderful inspirational poetry journal, really will be very much missed. Been wonderful to be on this journey – highly recommended.
· 2024 An Ending - Delighted to appear in Dreich 100 - the final ever issue of this wonderful inspirational literary journal. The end of an era, very much missed. Edited by Jack Caradoc.
· 2024 Manic Street Preacher 4Ever Cicada Song Press edited by Mona Mehas.
· 2024 Reminiscence - Anamnesis issue of Ephemeras Literary.
· 2024 Sky Dreams of Dragons, If We Dragons –published in anthology Dragon Dreams: by Storm Dragon Publishing (SDP), edited by Draco Amethystus. https://dracoamethystus.com/authors/
· 2024 Tiny Butterfly Effect – SkySurfing, a children’s poetry anthology. Editor Jonathan Humble. Dirigible Balloon – December release in bookshops. Profits go to Juvenile Arthritis Research.
https://dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Information-for-Artists
