Maitreyabandhu writes from Triratna’s Poetry East project (based at London Buddhist Centre) with news of his latest work. He says - “Just to let you know that my pamphlet The Bond has been shortlisted for the ‘Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets’. I'm delighted and a bit stunned! The award recognises “an outstanding work of poetry published in pamphlet form in the UK during 2011” and is organised by the Wordsworth Trust in association with the British Library and the Times Literary Supplement.

Here's what Alan Jenkins, the chair of the judges, says about my entry -

'The poems in The Bond are tactile, sensual, and often elegiac in tone, though never sentimental or wistful. Many of the poems are occupied by events in the poet's past, particularly youth and adolescence. They lovingly recreate a world of small pleasure, discoveries and terrors.' One of them, The Woodpigeon’s Instruction, is copied below.

There are five poets on the shortlist and we’ll all be reading our poems on 22nd June at the British Library, where the winner will be announced, to £5,000 plus the opportunity to be poet-in-residence at the Harvard Summer School in Greece.

I'm very pleased to be shortlisted and want to thank Vishvantara and Mimi Khalvati for all their help with my writing.

Love, Maitreyabandhu

The Woodpigeon’s Instruction

She’s been there so long,
a patch of ash grey on the bending branch,
head tucked in against the wind
as she rises and falls with it.

She steadies herself
as the smaller branches flick.

She says: This is the time of disappointment.

All the willows bow at once.
Rain pelts quietly into the soaking grass.