Welcome to the Ink Sweat & Tears Poetry Archive
This archive is formed from all the posts from that original Ink Sweat & Tears website, it now consists of everything we have published up to the end of 2019. IS&T was founded by Salt author Charles Christian in 2007 as a platform for new poetry and short prose, and experimental work in digital media. Charles ran the site single-handedly, publishing new work every day till 2010, when now sole editor, poet and artist Helen Ivory came on board as Deputy Editor. The Ink Sweat & Tears website continues to run and can be found here.
You can either click on the poems below which run from most recent to oldest, or you can search for particular poem or poet, there is also a list of all the categories to click through. From Prose & Poetry to Words and Images, Haibun, Tanka, Haiku & Haiga, in addition we have all of the Poems of the month and Poetry picks, old blogs and news, award nominated, reviews and interviews.
Please do take a look.
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Prose and poetry
Poems and prose published on the website from start to finish.
Rebecca Gaffron is departing from the linear
departure from the linearI swear to lovein stream of consciousness,no dwelling on past yearningsor anticipation of some future caress,only trembling in the sweetnessof this moment’s painful...
Fiona Sinclair has unfinished business
Unfinished Business At 16 a crush, trying every strategy in ‘Jackie’magazine to divert his gaze from the girl withthe ‘Purdy’ haircut. Caught his mates sniggeringat her ludicrous capercaillie...
Hannah Walker on brain mathematics and the am/pm shift
Like a light bulb Her long term memory is a bit of lead piping, one that you can protractor along to the point, to the pivot of the day shifting from am to pm. She dreams she swims underwater...
Joanna Weston remembers the taste of a stamp
THE TASTE OF A STAMPwaiting at an airportfor a friend’s arrivalI lean over a postcardat a café tableand write ‘Happy birthday’the taste of the stampthe pressure of my thumbon fixing a small coloured...
New flash fiction: Bec Zugor in in the flying room
Flying Room Eighteen budgies – one for each of my years, and all named after their colours – live in The Cage That Dad Built. It’s not your average two-perches-up-two-down affair; it's...
Three short poems by Simon Barraclough
Pizza HeartSquat ellipsoid of dough.Yeasty, pummelled, elastic.You knuckle into it,it takes the dimpled kneadingof your need,you twirl it thin and wide, ridiculous dervish.Into the fire with...
Adrian Slatcher revisits the poet child
The Child Poet Revisited When I was sevenThey took my wordsAnd mounted themOn purple card. I gave themA picture of a dragon,A swarm of moths,A coloured box. They said:“That’s very good,Now...
David Francis is in the kitchen
HOMAGE TO REZNIKOFFIn a cold spotbehind the gardento the all-night cafethe snow remains:it doesn't meansnow will blanketthe sidewalk all the wayto the station;it will remain, unseenby the Sunday...
Deborah Gordon has a recipe for men
Recipe For Men In saucepan melt butter, add men & chopped onion.Fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add herbs, vegetables & garlic and fry men again for a further 2 minutes before...
New flash fiction: Alex Weinle is going verticruising
Verticruising I step in the lift but hear footsteps behind me. I hold down the button to hold the door open. A man is just about to enter the lift when the doors to the lift opposite open. He...
Poetry Picks
Our favourite poems and ‘best of’ chosen from each month between 2007 and 2019
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Haibun, Tanka, Haiku, & Haiga
Haibun, Tanka, Haiku, & Haiga reviously published on the website.
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12 Days of Christmas
All the poems from our regular 12 days of Christmas feature.
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Words & Images
Words with images previously published on the website.
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Blogs and news
Blogs and archived news from 2007 to 2020.
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Reviews
Archived reviews from 2007 to 2020.
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Interviews
Archived interviews from 2007 to 2020.
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