Brian Bilston
@brianbilston.bsky.social
24K followers 460 following 1.7K posts
I write poems.
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Reposted by Brian Bilston
Reposted by Brian Bilston
herecomestheflood.com
They used a bit of the Super-8 footage of the trains that will be familiar to those who remember the promo for the first Heavenly single I Fell In Love Last Night.

www.herecomestheflood.com/2025/10/bria...

@brianbilston.bsky.social @skepwax.bsky.social
#catenarywires
#video
Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires: "Might Have, Might Not Have" video
A blog about music. The good stuff only.
www.herecomestheflood.com
brianbilston.bsky.social
Yes, you could swap the word ‘bookshop’ for ‘library’ and it would all still stand.
brianbilston.bsky.social
I can categorically confirm that the Brian Bilston attending the Derry gig is one of the 23 officially approved Brian Bilstons currently operating on the circuit. He will see you there.
brianbilston.bsky.social
It’s Bookshop Day so here’s a poem in celebration of all those amazing bookshops out there.
Never Judge a Bookshop by its Cover
 
It may call itself a bookshop, but don’t be fooled by that.
There may be books in the window, on the tables and shelves,
but really, it’s a travel agent selling all-immersive holidays,
weekend breaks, first-class tickets to other worlds,

with a low carbon footprint. It’s a pharmacy as well,
dispensing medicines, pick-me-ups, balms: if symptoms persist,
please consult your local bookseller; it’s a tailor’s, offering
a made-to-measure service to achieve the perfect fit;
 
and a hardware store, with a range of empowering tools
to fix you up, recharge your batteries, switch on lightbulbs.
Its walls are lined with treasure as precious as any jeweller’s,
and twice as bright. Spines shine gold, silver, sapphire, emerald;
 
there are diamonds amongst them. It’s a garden centre,
a place where ideas get planted and a thousand stories bloom,
and a greengrocer, selling fresh, locally-sourced produce,
as vital as your five-a-day and more readily consumed.
It’s a multiscreen cinema. Peek behind the curtain
of each jacket and you’ll find a movie waiting silently to begin.
A stationer’s supplying notepads, reams of paper,
with the words conveniently filled in
 
to save you both the time and bother. A wholefood store
and a fast-food joint. A cosy haven from the cold.
A friendly, family restaurant: Today’s special will revive
a flagging spirit and restore a lagging soul.
 
It’s a tourist information centre equipped with maps 
and helpful guides to steer us on our way.
A busy square in which a whole town gathers
or just a place to hold the world at bay
 
for a few untroubled stolen minutes. It’s itself,
and yet it’s something larger, a universe so vast
you could spend ten thousand lifetimes there –
it may call itself a bookshop, but don’t be fooled by that.


Brian Bilston
brianbilston.bsky.social
As much as I'd love those things, too, alas it's only a digital release.
Reposted by Brian Bilston
uncharteredstreets.bsky.social
Well, this always was a poem I’d find myself whistling while doing the washing up, so no surprise that @skepwax.bsky.social have made it a single; and if the train in the video looks familiar, check out Heavenly’s I Fell In Love Last Night on YouTube – there’s thought goes into this stuff, you know.
brianbilston.bsky.social
A new single, ‘Might Have, Might Not Have’, has been released from my poetry-pop album with The Catenary Wires, ‘Sounds Made Like Humans’.

There’s even an accompanying video with some very super Super-8 footage of trains and tracks for all you railway enthusiasts out there.
youtu.be/6m7ZZZhlIC0?...
Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires – Might Have, Might Not Have
YouTube video by Skep Wax
youtu.be
brianbilston.bsky.social
I’ll be at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London next month with the wondrous Catenary Wires for an evening of poetry (me), music (The Catenary Wires), and poetry and music (me and The Catenary Wires).

Tickets on sale now at brianbilston.com/events/.

It would be smashing to see you there.
A poster of me and the Catenary Wires with details of our London gig at the Bloomsbury Theatre on 1st November.
Reposted by Brian Bilston
nevereverdave.bsky.social
The British by Poet Mr #BenjaminZephaniah
Home

English Poets

The British by Benjamin Zephaniah


"Take some Picts, Celts and Silures And let them settle, Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years Add lots of Norman French to some Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans, Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese, Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians And Pakistanis, Combine with some Guyanese And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians, Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese And Palestinians Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future, Serve with justice And enjoy.

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all."
Reposted by Brian Bilston
glennyrodge.bsky.social
KITCHENWARE COMPANY BOSS: So, did you come up with a name for that revolving food tray, Susan?

SUSAN: No, couldn't be arsed.
Reposted by Brian Bilston
fikarecordings.com
Thursday 9th at EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney)
Doors open at 1830
1915 The Wave Pictures
2030 Allo Darlin'
2200(ish) finish

Last tickets available from wegottickets.com/fikarecordings and dice.fm/event/pyeo7w
brianbilston.bsky.social
Sorry, stupid typo. The album is called 'Sounds Made BY Humans', as I'm sure you all know.
brianbilston.bsky.social
A new single, ‘Might Have, Might Not Have’, has been released from my poetry-pop album with The Catenary Wires, ‘Sounds Made Like Humans’.

There’s even an accompanying video with some very super Super-8 footage of trains and tracks for all you railway enthusiasts out there.
youtu.be/6m7ZZZhlIC0?...
Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires – Might Have, Might Not Have
YouTube video by Skep Wax
youtu.be
Reposted by Brian Bilston
tomgauld.bsky.social
It's PHYSICS FOR CATS publication day!! Luna has her copy: do you? www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
A black cat sits on a wicker basket reading the book PHYSICS FOR CATS by Tom Gauld... Ok, so she's not really reading it. She's not even quite looking at it to be completely honest. But it is possible to imagine that she is reading and thoroughly enjoying it.
brianbilston.bsky.social
A new single, ‘Might Have, Might Not Have’, has been released from my poetry-pop album with The Catenary Wires, ‘Sounds Made Like Humans’.

There’s even an accompanying video with some very super Super-8 footage of trains and tracks for all you railway enthusiasts out there.
youtu.be/6m7ZZZhlIC0?...
Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires – Might Have, Might Not Have
YouTube video by Skep Wax
youtu.be
Reposted by Brian Bilston
nickwrightdata.ntw.app
Can confirm the letters turned to mush upon the ground would, in fact, re-assemble into the missing spots on the tree. Fantastic (even if they didn't)!
Reposted by Brian Bilston
faberbooks.bsky.social
Events for The Poems of Seamus Heaney begin on publication day tomorrow. See below for dates and locations 🎟️
Reposted by Brian Bilston
altfws.altgov.info
You might be a bad human when Dr. Jane Goodall calls you out from the grave.
kojamf.bsky.social
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
Reposted by Brian Bilston
brianbilston.bsky.social
I'm sorry to miss out on such places, too. We couldn't get the dates and venue availability to line up, alas.
brianbilston.bsky.social
I do love a shoddy illuminated miniature gondola.
brianbilston.bsky.social
I’m coming back to Ireland next week.

Please note that attendance is compulsory unless an absence note is provided in advance.

Tickets available from some places on the internet.
A pic of me and my cat, alongside my Irish dates:
17 Oct: BELFAST: Mandela Hall
18 Oct: DUBLIN: Ambassador Theatre
19 Oct: LIMERICK: Lime Tree Theatre
20 Oct: DERRY: Millennium Forum
brianbilston.bsky.social
Not only aesthetically pleasing but functional, too.